Writing in English at University

About this course

Acquiring good academic research and writing skills early on is essential for your success both at university and in your professional life. This course aims: - to give you an understanding of the conventions of academic writing in English and to teach you the components and benefits of what is called process writing. - to help you to put together your own “toolbox” of academic writing skills, as well as to give you a chance to test out these tools and to reflect on your own development as a writer. - to encourage reflection on discipline specific conventions; although the course deals with generic skills, you will be able to apply these generic skills to meet the particular needs of your own discipline. The course consists of four modules: 1. Writing in English at university: An introduction 2. Structuring your text and conveying your argument 3. Using sources in academic writing 4. The writer’s toolbox: Editing and proofreading In each module you will find video lectures and reading assignments, as well as assignments, such as quizzes and reflective self-assessment questions, in which you will have an opportunity to interact with other students taking the course. Learners will have access to a free electronic textbook written to complement the MOOC: Writing in English at University: A Guide for Second Language Writers. It is possible for anyone who wishes to obtain a certificate of completion upon completing the entire course, including the graded assignments at the end of each module.

Course objectives

• to teach the components and benefits of process writing
• to help put together a toolbox of academic writing skills
• to encourage reflection on discipline-specific writing conventions