English Course: Writing and Presenting a Scientific Paper in English

General course information

Lecturer: Roger Munn BA, RSA Dipl.TESL, CTESP
Dates and time: The first meeting is on Monday, 25th September; the second is on Monday, 23rd October. Both meetings run from 10.00-12.00. Don't be late! (Course starts at 10 a.m. sharp, no 10.15)
Place: Lecture hall T5 in the Computer Science building
Course language: English
Contact information: If you have some questions related to the English course, please use the course email address (at the end of the page).

Please mark the dates of the course in your calendar because this course is mandatory for all students.

Course outline

• to prepare you for writing your paper
• to prepare you for orally presenting your paper

Homework for the first meeting:
On Monday, 25th September everybody brings a copy of a typical published paper from the field of their study. As far as is possible, this paper should have been written by a NATIVE SPEAKER/s (from USA, UK, Australia, Canada etc.) If two or more of you are working in the same or a similar field of study, then you may bring the same paper.

Homework for the second meeting:
prepare a short (6-8 min) structured presentation of your paper to give to a partner at the second meeting.

Feedback on the draft papers

The course staff will deliver your draft papers to the English course lecturer. He will read them and give you some feedback. These drafts will then be returned to you during the second English meeting. Please note that if you want to have some constructive feedback on your writing, the draft of the paper must be more than just notes. Experience from previous courses demonstrates that a series of short sentences is not useful. Moreover, short paragraphs may not be very useful, either.

Therefore, the longer your draft (within reason!), the clearer the picture of your writing skills. The ideal length of the draft will be approximately one and a half sides to two sides (A4) of extended text/s.

Advice on how to write a paper in English

Listed below is some important advice on writing your papers.

• Overall structure of your paper:
  • Introduction gives background information.
  • Discussion: results and opinions.
  • Conclusion: your own findings.
• Plagiarism is NOT allowed!
• Think of your audience while writing.
• Internal structure is all important:
  • Guide your reader through your paper by using linking words: thus, first, second, finally, in this section, in the next section, however, for example, such as, as mentioned above, also, moreover ...
• Word confusion: shortly .v. briefly, it's .v. its, shall .v. will...
• Widen your vocabulary: use synonyms!
• Consider using the active verb forms instead of passive forms.
• Abbreviations: Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is... The SIP message ... SIP provides ...
• Avoid contractions: thus cannot and is not are preferable to can't and isn't.
• Spelling: American or British? Be consistent!
• Mark references in a way that others can see what kind of publication the reference is and where they can find it.
• Read the publications of your field of study and look at the style instructions of some publishing houses.

If you missed compulsory English course's first meeting

The usage of linking words/transition words can be quite difficult for people who is not native English speaker. The purpose of this exercise is to practice the usage of these words. Make a web excursion and try to find instructions and online assignments that you can use to study the linking words. You can start for example Purdue's Online Writing Lab but try to find other similar services, too.

Then choose a typical published paper from the field of your study. The paper should have been written by a NATIVE SPEAKER/s (from USA, UK, Australia, Canada etc.). Read the paper through to see how the native speaker uses the linking words.

Write one page long report about your findings, what did you learn and how that will improve your writing in the future. The report should also include the addresses of the web sites you used and information about online assigments and the article you read. Make also a separate list of linking words you found during the exercise. Try to find as many words as possible. You can use this list later when you write your own seminar paper.

Return your one page long report and list of words to the course email address (suitable format is txt or pdf). Deadline for this assignment is 6.10.2006 at midday. Do also the homework for the second meeting and remember to come to the meeting.

If you missed compulsory English course's second meeting

You have to do both assignments below:

1st assignment

Print one page of your seminar paper (full text) and mark how your text guides the reader through the paper (sentence by sentence and paragraph by paragraph). Different methods are for instance: articles "a cell phone-> the phone", "a new device -> the device", "the device called iPod Nano -> Nano", repeating words "will come loaded -> to load", contentwise linking "can store up to 1000 songs or photos -> besides music..", etc.

Check also how commas are used in English and make the corrections.

2nd assignment

Take two main points of your conclusions, and make two slides about these points for your presentation. Note: these should present the "beef" of your paper, not background information or such.

Paper versions of the first assignment can be returned to Laura's mail box in room A126 in the computer science building. Slides can be returned using either pdf or ppt by emailing them to course address. Deadline for this assignment is on Friday 3.11.2006 midday.

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