LING 402: Postgraduate Academic Study Skills
Course Aims and Objectives
This course will help you learn about approaches to 'study skills' developed at Lancaster , alongside developing your own. The course will benefit students on any MA programme, especially if taken together with Research Methods in Linguistics and English Language.
Course Content
Term 1 - Developing a Critical Approach to Study
In this term the focus is on aspects of academic reading and writing, with workshops covering topics which are likely to be relevant to you as you prepare for and reflect upon your first postgraduate written assignments.
Workshops will include topics such as:
- Managing reading
- Developing critical reading practices
- Developing critical thinking practices
- Consciousness-raising about the writing process
- Getting started on an assignment
- Developing critical writing practices
- Relating reading to writing
- Argumentation
- Revising your own writing
Term 2 - Academic Discourse Practices and Research Planning
In this term the focus is on learning from the assignments in the first term, applying what you have learnt to the new assignments, planning for your dissertation, and writing your dissertation proposal.
Typical topics are:
- Reflecting on the writing experience
- Making use of feedback on writing
- First thoughts about writing the dissertation
Term 3 - Dissertation Writing
The focus will be on the issues involved in writing a dissertation.
Workshops will include topics such as:
- Reviewing the literature
- Writing the literature review
- Making it all fit together
- Reflecting on the dissertation writing experience
Recommended Reading
Candlin, C., & Hyland, K. (1999). Writing: texts, processes, and practices. Longman.
Clark, R., & Ivanic, R. (1997). The politics of writing. London: Routledge.
Cooley, L., & Lewkowicz, J. (2003). Dissertation writing in practice: turning ideas into text. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
Crème, P., & Lea, M. (2003) Writing at university: a guide for students (2nd ed.). Maidenhead: Open University Press/McGraw-Hill.
Ridley, D. (2008). The literature review: a step-by-step guide for students. London: SAGE.
Van de Poel, K. (2006). Scribende. Academic writing for students of English. Leuven/Voorburg: Acco.
Van de Poel, K., & Gasiorek, J. (2007). All Write. An introduction to writing in an academic context. Leuven/Voorburg: Acco.
Additional Information
Support Course.
The course is taught in Terms 1, 2 and 3.