8. Feb 2023
English Academic Writing: The Ground Rules of Writing Well (May 4-5 and 8, 2023)
This workshop addresses junior scholars from the social sciences, economics, and the humanities who have good command of the English language, seek to improve their English writing skills, and strive to make their academic papers more idiomatic. The workshop seeks to create an awareness of the typical patterns of non-idiomatic writing to which non-native authors writing in English – and especially German-speaking academics – are prone and equip the participants with strategies to avoid these pitfalls.
The workshop will be held on three days (two days in person; a half day online, during which you will receive individual feedback). It will be conducted in English by two trainers who have a professional background in the social sciences and many years of experience in teaching English academic writing and in translating and editing academic texts by German-speaking scholars.
Intended Learning Outcomes
- You will be aware of some of the important characteristics of the English language that will help improve your writing.
- You will be conscious of some of the pitfalls that non-native (especially German) speakers are vulnerable to when writing in English and be familiar with strategies to avoid them.
- You will be able to use this knowledge to develop a more fluent and lively style of writing.
- You will be familiar with a wide range of resources, aids, and strategies to help you improve your writing.
Requirements
- Proficiency in English (at least B2-level).
- You will have the opportunity to hand in a one-page writing sample prior to the workshop; the trainers will review this sample and give you individual feedback.
- We kindly ask you to have a text by a native speaker of English available that you find very well written; we will use this text for an exercise.
- Please also plan for an hour of homework between the in-person and online sessions.
Target Audience
Doctoral students and postdocs in Humanities and Social Sciences
Topics
May 04, 2023, 10:00 – 17:30 | ON-SITE
- Introduction of workshop, trainers, and participants; introduction to the character of the English language; introduction to general aspects of the culture of English academic writing
- Typical features of English academic texts and guidelines of English academic writing with exercises
May 5, 2023, 10:00 – 17:00 | ON-SITE
- Typical features of English scientific texts and guidelines for text composition
- Selected grammar issues; presentation of techniques for developing one’s writing skills; presentation of useful reference books and other resources and tools.
- Recap of important points to remember; text correction exercise; discussion of corrections.
- Addressing open questions from participants. Explanation of the homework: writing an English text from one’s own work context, taking into account what has been learned
- Feedback session
May 8, 2023, 10:00 – 14:00 | ONLINE
- Discussion and correction of the self-written texts. Parallel: individual feedback on the pre-submitted texts.
- Dealing with remaining questions of the participants.
- Feedback session
Terms and Applications
- Date: May 04, 05 and 08, 2023
- Time: 10:00-17:00
- Group size: maximal 10
- Location: Von-Seckendorff-Platz 1, SR: 5.10 (roof level)
- Workshop language: English
- Format: offline (VSP1) and online workshop
- Applications are considered in chronological order of receipt. You get information.
Registration – fully booked
Lecturer
Stephan Elkins and Andrea Tönjes, SocioTrans, www.sociotrans.com
Funding
This workshop has been realised with financial support from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.
