Course Topics
spoken academic discourse written academic discourse discipline specific language abstract writing academic presentation skills uses and misuses of AI; prompting skills for text revision exploiting basic corpus techniques to explore academic language compiling a corpus representative of academic language use developing arguments using effective linking phrases during oral presentations making effective use of presenting software such as PowerPoint

Teaching format
In person; lectures and workshop activities

Educational objectives
On completing the course, students are expected to achieve the following outcomes: Knowledge and understanding • demonstrate knowledge of spoken and written academic discourse and its conventions • demonstrate knowledge of the structure and language of abstracts Applying knowledge and understanding • identify the features of academic discourse in English and apply these in their own oral and written output • work out rules regarding the meaning and use of academic language items through corpus observation • tailor communication through an awareness of audience, purpose and strategy Making judgments • think critically about and evaluate the academic conventions in a specific disciplinary area • analyse written academic discourse and evaluate its linguistic and stylistic features in order to evaluate communicative effectiveness • make informed choices about individual writing and speaking strategies Communication skills • discuss aspects of academic culture and academic discourse • use appropriate register and style in speech and writing • communicate effectively in an oral academic context Learning skills • draw on empirical information to improve English language awareness and competence for academic contexts • identify a gap in research and present an argument • use corpus tools at a basic level • recognise generic patterns and reproduce them in writing and speaking

Assessment
Abstract: students will produce an abstract following guidelines provided. Presentation: students will deliver a short oral presentation on a topic related to their PhD research

Evaluation criteria
Demonstration of active participation during the course. Production of an abstract that follows the genre conventions of the specific disciplinary area. Delivery of an effective oral presentation at a mock conference respecting the specified time limit and following established academic norms for the disciplinary area.