a. Skills: I want to...
I want to listen to...
- International students talking about their English language experiences
- International students talking about cultural differences they have experienced
- a British tutor talking about using technology on a course
- a British student talking about contact with tutors
- a student presenting in a seminar
- a student talking about her exam experiences in the UK
- advice from international students already in the UK
I want to learn about...
- differences between academic cultures
- independent study on my course
- the different ways I may be taught
- the use of technology on my course
- contact with my tutors
- academic writing assignments
- critical thinking
- course assignments
- referencing and avoiding plagiarism
- seminars in the UK
- lectures in the UK
- working with other students on my course
- a competition I can enter for whilst studying in the UK
- organising the writing of a 2000 word assignment
- dealing with some typical course work problems
- presenting in seminars
- using my study time effectively
I want to assess...
- whether I am ready for the English language challenge
- what differences in academic culture I might find
- whether I am prepared for using technology on my course
- whether I am prepared for the general cultural challenge
- how much I already know about effective independent study
- how prepared I am for academic writing assignments
- whether the kinds of course assignments will be new for me
- whether I understand what plagiarism is
- whether I know what to expect from tutors in the UK
- how I use my time generally
- how different lectures might be in the UK
- whether I know about different ways of reading efficiently
- whether I know about good presentation techniques
b. Topics...
Academic writing
- Are you ready for academic writing assignments?
- Comparing course work assignments in your country and in the UK
- Understanding what referencing involves
- Distinguishing between quotation, paraphrase and plagiarism
- Writing tasks in science, technology and engineering
- Understanding essay questions
- How to organise the writing of a 2000 word assignment