All Language Centre courses

Towards the end of the Michaelmas Term, most students start to prepare written work for submission and evaluation. This workshop, which follows on from the academic writing style webinar earlier in the term, offers some key ideas about the larger structure of a piece of academic writing, and shows students how best and most effectively to present their ideas.

This end-of-term workshop uses short video clips, reading and discussion to explore an important aspect of British culture, the class system, and how it relates to universities.

So much hard work is compromised due to poor editing. Editing is much more than just simple proof-reading. It involves a critical approach to planning, setting out information, constructing argument, paragraphing, sentencing and ultimately understanding the effect of what we write on the reader. In this workshop we look at a variety of elements in the editing process and we use good models and student work to help us.

This workshop will show you to how to edit efficiently and effectively. We’ll be looking at a number of strategies with examples and the aim is to edit ‘smart’, and create a text that presents your ideas as fluently and coherently as possible.

This workshop discusses the basic principles of academic style, helping you to write more formally, persuasively and precisely. Learn how to attain clarity and accuracy and how to use the passive voice and tentative language (hedging). Students will apply their learning to practical examples.

The most significant grammar mistakes that foreign students make are usually those that greatly change the meaning of the sentence. Modals, such as can or would, are often used to indicate the position of the writer in academic writing, so their inaccurate use can easily give a very different meaning from that intended.

Idioms form an important part of everyday spoken English and offer insights into British culture and society. In this informal workshop, you will explore English idiomatic expressions within their cultural context and will put them into practice through a range of simple exercises.

This is a workshop which will concentrate on intonation and stress within normal spoken and written English, and will aim to give students some idea of how stress and intonation work at the level of the sentence or even the paragraph. It should help students understand how intonation is used in English to convey meaning beyond the surface value of individual words, and should help them to use this technique as well.

Methodology ad results are two very common chapters in academic papers and dissertations/theses, especially in scientific subjects. This workshop will focus mainly on linguistic aspects of these chapters.

This workshops offers students the chance to give a short presentation, with or without PowerPoint. Its aim is to hone the skills required for an effective academic presentation, and to receive feedback in a supportive and friendly environment. A maximum 7 students only to present. Participating students MUST bring a pre-prepared, short (10 mins maximum) presentation with them on a USB stick. Interactive whiteboard available for use; no laptops required. It is recommended that you also bring a printout of your presentation (6 slides per page) for feedback. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO PRESENT, PLEASE NOTE THIS UNDER THE SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Practise your presentation skills and receive peer and tutor feedback. This workshop offers students the chance to give a short presentation, with or without PowerPoint. Its aim is to hone the skills required for an effective presentation, and to practise in a supportive and friendly environment. A maximum 7 students only to present (Please note in the special requirements if you DO NOT wish to present). Students must bring a pre-prepared, short presentation with them on a USB stick; please don’t bring a laptop. Please also bring a printout of your presentation (6 slides per page) to enable better feedback.

In this workshop we will look principally at the components of ‘fast speech’. These include use of weak forms, linking, stress time etc. The aim of the session is both to recognise those aspects of pronunciation which aid listening and to get plenty of practice. Students who have come to previous sessions on pronunciation with me are advised that some material will be repeated.

Foreign students often find that in everyday situations they struggle to understand native speakers, especially when they are talking quickly. Students also sometimes struggle to speak quickly themselves. This workshop will review some of the ways in which English pronunciation changes during fast, natural speech. It should therefore help students' listening and speaking.

Are you a speaker of Spanish, Catalan, Portugese, Italian or French? Would you like to have the chance to work on aspects of your English pronunciation? If so, join us for this fun and informal workshop, which offers pronunciation practice for speakers of Italic (Latin-derived) languages. Vowel and consonant sounds, linking, stress and intonation will be covered.

Are you a speaker of Spanish, Catalan, Portugese, Italian or French? Would you like to have the chance to work on aspects of your English pronunciation? If so, join us for this fun and informal workshop, which offers pronunciation practice for speakers of Italic (Latin-derived) languages. Vowel and consonant sounds, linking, stress and intonation will be covered.

This workshop offers a friendly forum in which speakers of Asian languages can practise aspects of English pronunciation. The focus will be on speakers of Chinese and Japanese, but speakers of all Asian languages may attend.

This workshop offers a friendly forum in which speakers of Asian languages can practise aspects of English pronunciation. The focus will be on speakers of Chinese and Japanese, but speakers of all Asian languages may attend if space permits.

Foreign students tend to have different pronunciation problems according to their first language. This workshop focuses on a group of related sounds that are often problematic for speakers of Chinese, Japanese and Korean, so these students will be given priority. However, speakers of other languages can register an interest and be placed on a waiting list. They will be given a place if space permits.

This is a workshop for speakers of Italic Languages (Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan) It will focus on sounds which tend to cause difficulties across these languages (vowels sounds, the difference between b/v or l/w etcetera) and offer the chance for students to practice and improve the sound of their spoken English.

This workshop offers an introduction to various techniques for proof-reading a text, to try to ensure that it is as error-free and coherent as possible. It will also teach how to read and use basic proof-reading symbols.

This workshop will consider ways of referencing in a coherent and legible fashion, establishing what might be best practice for the needs of particular academic formats (dissertation, article, paper etc). Footnoting will also be looked at.

The exams that take place towards the end of the academic year can sometimes seem threatening. They don’t have to. This workshop will look at ways to prepare efficiently and effectively in the run-up to exams, working on various aspects of the revision process all the way through to the exams themselves VENUE: - http://cam.adobeconnect.com/revisionskills/

Academic writing should be clear and concise. It should be simple, easy to read and ‘to the point’. To ensure that your writing meets these criteria, you should edit it with care. This workshop will focus on attaining clarity and concision through a range of simple self-editing exercises.

To ensure that your writing is logical, clear and concise, you should edit it with care. In this workshop, you will learn how to revise, improve and enhance your writing through a range of simple self-editing exercises.

Why waste time going to translation dictionaries or just hoping that what you write will be right? The best resource for writing an academic paper in your subject is other papers which you can use as a model for your own writing. In this workshop we look at how to use journal papers and search engines to expand the accuracy and range of your academic vocabulary. Please make sure you bring a paper copy of a well-written journal paper from your field to the workshop.

A key aspect of academic writing is discussing the work of others. Quite often you will need to assess competing results or points of view in the literature and give your appraisal, including both positive and negative points. This workshop addresses how this can be done effectively, including how different verbs and phrases can be used to indicate your attitude towards other people’s work. It will be particularly useful for students of humanities and social sciences.

Strong conclusions and discussions in academic writing are critical since they restate and summarise aspects of your work and indicate future research possibilities. This workshop examines the language, structure and content of conclusions.

Have you ever felt that your emails are full of embarrassing mistakes and that you risk saying ‘the wrong thing’ to your supervisors and others? In this session we look at a range of student emails and try to improve them in terms of language and appropriateness.

With deadlines for MPhils dissertations fast approaching, drop in for this last-minute, trouble-shooting webinar on the research and writing process. Review what independent research entails and what your examiners are looking for. This will be a follow-up to the Lent Term workshop ‘MPhil Dissertations and Other Long Assignments’. VENUE: http://cam.adobeconnect.com/writing-up-your-dissertation/

Academic writing should be clear and concise. It should be coherent, easy to read and present a logical flow of ideas. This workshop will introduce you to a range of useful skills that will focus and improve the clarity of your writing. Learn about sentence length, signposting, ‘garden path sentences’ and more.

The Academic German for Archive Work workshops are offered a number of times during the academic year, based on demand. The sessions are held either at the Language Centre or on the premises of one of the two participating Schools.

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence.

At a basic level, the focus is on every day and real-time, oral/aural communication. Each course features a functional-notional syllabus and grammar points are analysed in context.

For more detailed information about the course please visit our website.

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence. At a basic level, the focus is on every day and real-time, oral/aural communication. Each course features a functional-notional syllabus and grammar points are analysed in context.

For more detailed information about the course please go to the Language Centre CULP page.

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence.

More detailed information is available from the Language Centre.

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence.

More detailed information is available from the Language Centre.

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence.

At a basic level, the focus is on every day and real-time, oral/aural communication. Each course features a functional-notional syllabus and grammar points are analysed in context.

More detailed information is available from the Language Centre.

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence.

At intermediate 2 level, the focus is on every day and real-time, oral/aural communication. Each course features a functional-notional syllabus and grammar points are analysed in context.

More detailed information is available from the Language Centre.

The course is delivered in a visual way

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence.

At a basic level, the focus is on every day and real-time, oral/aural communication. Each course features a functional-notional syllabus and grammar points are analysed in context.

For more detailed information about the course please visit our website.

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence.

At a basic level, the focus is on every day and real-time, oral/aural communication. Each course features a functional-notional syllabus and grammar points are analysed in context.

For more detailed information about the course please visit our website.

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence.

More detailed information is available from the Language Centre webiste.

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence.

More detailed information is available from the Language Centre.

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence.

More detailed information is available from the Language Centre website.

All courses offer general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence and where possible elements of scientifically relevant content.

At Absolute Beginners 2 level, the focus is on every day and real-time, oral/aural communication. The course features a functional-notional syllabus and grammar points are analysed in context.

Please note that the descriptors below relate to the full 30 hrs course. You are now enrolling in the second part (2nd third, 10hrs) of the whole course.

All courses offer general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence and where possible elements of scientifically relevant content.

At Absolute Beginners level, the focus is on every day and real-time, oral/aural communication. The course features a functional-notional syllabus and grammar points are analysed in context.

Please note that the descriptors below relate to the full 30 hrs course. You are now enrolling in the introductory part (1st third, 10hrs) of the whole course.

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence.

At advanced level the focus shifts slightly towards reading and writing whilst still offering plenty an opportunity for oral communication. The syllabus is more topical and the contents feature many a cultural, historical, political and current affairs theme. While the grammar is analysed within a context, explicit grammar instruction becomes an integral part of the course.

One of the aims of the advanced level courses is also presentation skills as the courses aim to cater for the academic needs (i.e. research, conferences) of the students.

More detailed information is available on our website.

NB: Advanced courses are official, award-bearing University qualifications.

Please also note that the certificates and transcripts are usually issued in July.

All courses offer general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence and elements of scientifically relevant content.

At Advanced Beginners level the focus is on every day and real-time, oral/aural communication. The course features a functional-notional syllabus and grammar points are analysed in context.

Please note that the descriptors below relate to the full 30 hrs course. You are now enrolling in the introductory part (1st third, 10hrs) of the whole course.

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence.

At an advanced level, the focus shifts slightly towards reading and writing whilst still offering plenty an opportunity for oral communication. The syllabus is more topical and the contents feature many a cultural, historical, political and current affairs theme. While the grammar is analysed within a context, explicit grammar instruction becomes an integral part of the course.

One of the aims of the advanced level courses is also presentation skills as the courses aim to cater to the academic needs (i.e. research, conferences) of the students.

More detailed information is available on our website.

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence.

At a basic level, the focus is on every day and real-time, oral/aural communication. Each course features a functional-notional syllabus and grammar points are analysed in context.

More detailed information is available from the Language Centre website.

The Programme offers general language tuition with a focus on communicative competence.

At a basic level, the focus is on every day and real-time, oral/aural communication. Each course features a functional-notional syllabus and grammar points are analysed in context.

More detailed information is available on our website.