PřF:JAD01 Advanced English for PhD - Course Information

JAD01 Advanced English for PhD studies (C1)

Extent and Intensity

0/2/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
In-person direct teaching

Teacher(s)

Joseph Lennon, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Eva Čoupková, Ph.D. (assistant)
Lenka Pavlíková (assistant)
Mgr. Monika Ševečková, Ph.D. (assistant)

Guaranteed by

Mgr. Eva Čoupková, Ph.D.
Language Centre, Faculty of Science Division – Language Centre
Contact Person: Mgr. Monika Ševečková, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Language Centre, Faculty of Science Division – Language Centre

Timetable of Seminar Groups

JAD01/01: Wed 10:00–11:50 C15/227, J. Lennon

Prerequisites

Knowledge of English: Instructor: native or minimum C2, Participant: C1 or B2+

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is offered to students of any study field.
The capacity limit for the course is 32 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 10/32, only registered: 0/32, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/32

Course objectives

The course will help students increase the impact and accuracy of their written interactions in English.

As AI-assisted writing is becoming more and more common in academia, a major theme of the course will be “Better scientific writing – with and without AI.” We’ll practice some structures and methods for more efficient and meaningful writing that can be easily learned and used by human writers – and then we’ll use these “mental tools” to explore how AI tools such as ChatGPT can help or hinder our scientific writing and thinking.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

* Feel more confident writing in English;

* Introduce their scientific work quickly and succinctly (in just a few sentences) by “creating a space” for their research;

* Identify and use several different methods for highlighting their contribution to their field;

* Choose which details to leave out and which to emphasize in a scientific paper;

* Recognize typical mistakes (and wasted opportunities) in academic English, and use much more effective phrasing;

* Appeal to different audiences by “code-meshing“ and varying the texture of their written work;

* Provide and receive feedback professionally and politely;

* Know better when and how to use AI tools in their writing (and when and how not to use them).

Syllabus

• We will cover these topics (and others based on the needs of the students in the course):
• * The “Creating a Research Space” model for academic introductions, and how it can be applied to different written genres;
• * How to organize sections and paragraphs so that the reader is guided effectively through the “what” AND the “why” of your research;
• * Showing” versus “telling” in scientific writing, and other ways of making abstract concepts come alive for an audience;
• * How to use good repetition in your writing, and how to recognize and eliminate bad repetition;
• * Tricks for overcoming “institutional blindness” and for imagining different perspectives on your own work;
• * The “Paramedic Method” for revising texts and making them more concise and readable;
• * The possibilities, and the limitations, of using AI tools for better reading, drafting, and editing of written texts

Literature

• The presumption is that students will research and choose their own literature. The course will provide context-setting and other supportive resources

Teaching methods

This is a language and skills course, and students will be actively speaking and writing in each seminar. Most seminars will follow this basic pattern: Students will do some brief preparation before class (usually a short reading or video-watching about the principles we will practice in class, and perhaps some brainstorming/note-taking). The instructor will lead a discussion and short activities on the principles we will practice. The students will practice working “hands on” with written texts and conversing about their work. The students and the instructor will respond to each other’s work, reflecting on the activities and giving feedback.

Assessment methods

Assessment is continuous throughout the semester. Since the course is a language and skills course, attendance and active participation at the majority of seminars is expected. Students will be expected to write and revise a few original short texts throughout the term. They will share some of this written work, discuss it briefly in front of (or with) others, receive written and oral feedback on it from the instructor and their classmates, and respond to the questions and feedback they receive. All work will be completed by the final teaching day of the semester.

Language of instruction

English

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Credit evaluation note: Output level C1, C1+ or C2, depending on level at entry + performance.

Teacher's information

This one-semester writing course is complemented with a one-semester presentation course in the alternating semester.

Although initially offered only to PhD students of the Life Sciences, the course is designed to be suitable for students from any faculty or academic background. Seminar content will be adapted to the attending students’ projects.

• Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/autumn2024/JAD01