English Academic Writing
English Academic Writing aims to equip you with a well-rounded set of skills necessary to produce high-quality academic papers with confidence. Whether you are crafting a persuasive academic essay or presenting empirical research findings in a report, this course will equip you with the tools to excel in your academic pursuits and effectively communicate your ideas in a scholarly manner.
English Academic Writing covers a range of strategies, language, and tools to support you in enhancing your general academic writing skills. These include zooming in on a topic of interest, efficient and insightful composition of texts and paragraphs, integration and critical discussion of source materials, editing techniques, and advanced topics in grammar and vocabulary use.
In addition to acquiring general academic writing skills, you will specialize in one academic text type by choosing one of two tracks:
- Essay Track: In this track, you will learn to compose composing argumentative essays. You will explore different text structures for persuasive writing and learn to clearly mark argumentative steps.
- Report Track: In this track, you will learn to present research findings in a research report using the IMRaD structure: Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion. You will study the content and structure of each of these sections and explore the language used in them.
You should focus on one track, but you are free to use materials and attend workshops from the other track if you wish.
Target audience
This course is recommended for students with at least a B2+ level command of written English who want to improve their writing skills and apply these skills in the composition of academic papers.
Another related course is the Thesis Writing Masterclass for students who are currently working on their bachelor’s or master’s thesis.
At the end of the course, you will be able to
- identify an issue or knowledge gap in existing academic literature and formulate a response to it as the rationale for your paper;
- compose an academic paper according to the conventions of the genre and the standards expected in the academic community;
- organize a paper or its parts logically using balanced and well-developed paragraphs as well as argumentative devices, cohesive devices, and coherence strategies;
- develop logical arguments and support claims with sufficient and appropriate evidence and justification;
- formulate ideas using accurate, varied, and precise language in an appropriate style;
- incorporate written source material effectively and consistently using a reference system that is applicable in your field of studies;
- make spoken or written information accessible to a different audience and/or in a different medium or register.
Specifics
- This course is taught on campus.
- 80% attendance is required. Lessons are not recorded for later viewing.
- The language of instruction in the course is English.
- Language learning takes time! In this course, you are expected to spend approximately 8 hours a week on independent study.
- The Language Center reserves the right to cancel the course should enrollment numbers prove to be insufficient.
English Academic Writing in short
| Duration and course format | 13 x 2-hour classes, 8 hours of independent study a week, 6 ECTS |
| Start | End of January and end of August |
| Course fee |
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| Level | From B2+ to C1 (Common European Reference Framework ) |
| Read more | Course information and timetable |
Sign up
This course is intended for everyone who is highly educated. This means that you have a diploma at HAVO or VWO level and are therefore eligible for Higher Education in the Netherlands.
In our conditions, you can find more information about the registration period, etc.
If you do not know if the level of this course is appropriate for you, you can do the Student English Language Assessment (SELA) to get an indication of your language level.
Student at Tilburg University
- Students can register and deregister during the registration period via OSIRIS.
- On the page cashing in language vouchers, you can find, amongst other things, more information about how to register if you have no vouchers or insufficient vouchers and the registration period.
Read our conditions before registration.
Staff member at Tilburg University
- Tilburg University employees can take this language course at a reduced rate. The costs can be paid by yourself or by your employer. Please indicate this on the registration form.
- Registration is possible from the moment the timetable for the course is available.
Check the (de-)registration deadlines.
Read our conditions before registration.
Alumnus of Tilburg University
- Tilburg University alumni can take this language course at a reduced rate. The costs can be paid by yourself or by your employer. Please indicate this on the registration form.
- Registration is possible from the moment the timetable for the course is available.
Check the (de-)registration deadlines.
Read our conditions before registration.
External participant
- Professionals from outside Tilburg University can take this language. The costs can be paid by yourself or by your employer. Please indicate this on the registration form.
- Registration is possible from the moment the timetable for the course is available.
Check the (de-)registration deadlines.
Read our conditions before registration.