Course Content

This training course is designed for academics who teach in an English speaking environment, focusing on equipping educators with the knowledge and strategies to help students improve their study habits and academic performance. The course includes the following elements but can be adapted to suit the needs of the client.

Academic Language Proficiency

One of the key challenges for both educators and students alike is to use the appropriate academic English. Unlike the language learned at school or other institutions, academic English uses noun phrases to create a text that sounds knowledgeable, informed and persuasive without being personal. By enabling educators to guide students in the importance of adhering to the the language of academia, this will prepare the students for academic study in their own institution and in other English speaking environments both at home and abroad.

Academic Writing

Students need to be aware of academic conventions in an English speaking environment when preparing a written text whether it is an essay, a dissertation, a thesis or paper for review and publication. This can can vary from discipline to discipline and most departments will provide guidelines on what they expect. However there are features that are expected in all areas of academia.

Reading Strategies

Studying any subject in higher education requires endless reading of books, journal articles and other relevant documents. Helping students to improve their reading by teaching them strategies to enable them to identify and understand complex academic texts is essential to grasp a deep understanding of their chosen field. It is essential that students are able to find the main point or argument of a text by identifying specific features and patterns of organisation. This will ease the academic load as they progress through their studies.

Critical Thinking

Being able to think critically in a chosen field of study is essential in any field of study in order for a student to have a thorough understanding of the ideas they will find on their academic journey. This in turn will enble them to. develop their own thoughts and perspectives. The ability to question and interact with any text whether spoken or written is an essential skill. This is especially important these days as students will find information and ideas through the use of AI. However, they need to be able to identify truth from fiction, relevance from irrelevance, or facts from fabrication.

Information Literacy

Students need to know how to search for relevant material for any project, research or class activity as so much information is available through databases, libraries and websites. How does the student know if it is relevant to their needs without reading the complete text, or reliable especially if it is from the Internet? Students also need to be aware of conventions for acknowledging sources in order to satisfy both institutional and legal requirements.

Note-taking and Summarising

Students will inevitably need to take notes whether reading a text or listening to the spoken word through lectures or recordings. Encouraging students to take notes in their own words allows for reformulation of ideas enabling a student to develop a deeper understanding, and therefore appropriate interpretation of others' ideas. By taking notes in their own words, they can then use other academics' ideas while avoiding plagiarism.

Effective Oral Communication

Oral communication takes place in a number of different ways in a student's life. Formal situations such as seminars can be demanding as they are usually conducted in small, formal groups with a lecturer. Also, group work may be required and even though it is less formal, it is important for a student to contribute to any discussion. Many courses require students to give a structured presentation on a topic to demonstrate their understanding of a specific area of a course or to support their research.

Classroom Management

How to ensure student engagement in a class is often a challenge for educators because of the nature of the content, the perceived outcome of the class, and the students themselves. How to motivate reluctant students is something we all face from time to time. The way a class is managed can have a profound impact on the outcome in terms of learning and participation. Different teaching methods, varied activities both in and out of class, as well as the level of expectation of students can have a profound effect on student engagement.

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