Proofreading your own academic writing in English B2-C1

Target Group

This course is aimed at students and young researchers working on (or getting ready to work on) theses or dissertations, as well as academic staff preparing journal articles or other scholarly works. The final course content will be agreed upon with participants so that it meets individual demands.

Level

Participants should have a good working knowledge of written general English at least at the B2 (Upper-Intermediate) level and be able to discuss their work with a relative degree of fluency.

Content

The course focuses on identifying common errors and discussing ways of fixing them and improving the participants’ academic writing in general. Topics will include a review of tenses (especially present perfect tense), punctuation, sentence construction, active vs. passive voice, and common translation errors, among others. Advanced grammar and syntax will be included if necessary.

Method

The course will take a hands-on, workshop approach, drawing for examples on the participants’ own academic writing, such as dissertations and journal articles. The emphasis is on active participation and the sharing of knowledge and ideas. Self-study materials and homework will be suggested / provided. The working language of this course will be English.

At the end of the course, participants can receive a graded certificate subject to a minimum of 75% course attendance and passing grades on two assignments and a written examination. The ultimate decision regarding recognition (or non-recognition) of ECTS points (credits) lies with your university’s or institutes’ Study Program Administration [Studienprogrammleitung]. 4 ECTS.