Academic Writing in English (GSGG)

Academic Writing in English
Trainer: Matthew Fennessy (CeMIS)
Datum: 1./8./22./29. Juni 2016; jeweils 14.15 Uhr-15.45 Uhr
Ort: CeMIS Board Room, 2.112, Waldweg 26.
Zielgruppe: Promovierende mit guten und sehr guten Englischkenntnissen

Der Kurs wird in Kooperation mit dem CeMIS angeboten; für GSGG-Promovierende stehen 6 Plätze zur Verfügung.

Anmeldeverfahren: Bitte melden Sie sich direkt bei dem Kursleiter an (Anmeldung hier). Bitte fügen Sie Ihrer Anmeldung ein kurzes Motivationsschreiben bei.
Anmeldeschluss: 25. Mai 2016


The course aims to develop participants' skills in paragraph and sentence construction, helping to
think critically about their own writing, and develop their self-editing skills. The course concentrates
almost exclusively on the final stages of writing and editing: the tuning of sentences for clarity,
transitions, diction, economy, and grammar.

The course is made up of four two-unit sessions (90 minutes), and a personal feedback session with
each participant.

Session 1: Introduction, paragraphs and the passive
Introductions
- Content of the course
- Introducing ourselves, academic background, aims
Thinking critically about writing
- Helen Sword. Philosophies of writing - focus on clarity and concision
- The imagined reader
Paragraphs
- Structuring paragraphs: topic sentences
Sentences
- The passive voice: when to use or avoid it.
- Tools
- Practice exercises

Session 2: Clarity and concision (continued)
Recap
- The passive
- Clarity and concision
Streamlining sentences: removing clutter
- Sword (chapter 5; Univ. of Toronto writing course materials)
Reading: Sword (Chapter 5)

Session 3: Clarity and concision (continued), Important grammar
Recap
Clutter, diction and transitions
- Finishing up key points on clutter
- Transitions
- Useful diction
Common grammar problems
- Use of tenses
- Prepositions
Preparation for final session
- Review your notes
- Look critically at own writing and others in context of what you have learnt
- Put your text through the flabby writing machine - be critical of what it feeds back
- Edit two pages of own work, and of a colleague on the course (using word track changes).
Bring them for next time.

Week 4: Writing and editing, recap
(if necessary, complete grammar section)
Feedback/discussion
- With partner about their text - looking at your own text
- General discussion: what have I learnt about own writing, what am I doing well, what do I
need to work on
Recap: Writing and editing. Putting together key points of the course - things to focus on when
writing and editing myself
Useful resources
Preparation for personal session
- Look at own piece of writing (up to 5-6 pages), re-edit in light of the course. Send me a copy.
Will look at it prior to one-on-one session.


PERSONAL SESSIONS: A week or two after the final session, one-on-one with participants about the text they have submitted.