A Beginner's Guide to Writing in English for University Study
Learn how to use English for study at university or college and develop your writing skills, vocabulary and grammar.
364,415 enrolled on this course
Duration
5 weeksWeekly study
3 hours100% online
How it works
A Beginner's Guide to Writing in English for University Study
Learn how to write using academic English in preparation for university study.
Academic writing can be very different from other types of written English. This course has been developed to help you learn the basics of academic writing and develop your English language skills.
You’ll develop some proficiency in key areas of ‘academic’ grammar, learn about the stages in essay writing, and produce an essay of your own. You’ll also explore how to organise an essay, write in an academic style, and use tools to evaluate your own writing and other learners’ writing, so that by the end of the course you’re able to write a good, basic academic essay.
Syllabus
Week 1
What is academic writing?
Welcome to the course
Hello and welcome to A Beginner's Guide to Writing in English for University Study! Find out more about what we'll cover over the next five weeks and how you'll learn.
What is academic writing?
Find out more about what academic writing is and the skills required to write well for academic purposes.
Developing an essay
Time to have a go at some academic writing. We'll look at an example of some academic writing and see how we might approach writing an essay.
Summary of the week
Time to look back on what we have learnt this week and put it all together.
Week 2
Essay structure and organisation
Welcome to Week 2
Find out more about what we'll learn this week.
How to structure an essay
Academic writing is structured in a particular way to make the points clear and easy to understand.
Starting work on your own essay
Get started on your own essay, which you will develop over the next few weeks.
Week 3
Using academic language
Welcome to Week 3
Learn more about what we'll cover this week.
Language focus - Part 1A
Let's look at some of the key areas of language that are important for academic writing.
Language Focus - Part 1B
Learn how to write in an impersonal way about people or things in general and how to refer to different quantities.
Language focus - Part 2A
Learn more about the different language skills used in academic writing.
Language Focus - Part2B
Let's look at what a clause is, the different clause structures and understand how they can be used.
Week 4
Preparing your essay
Welcome to Week 4
This week we will apply the new skills we have developed over the last few weeks. Find out more about what's in store.
Preparing your essay
Writing a good essay requires planning and preparation. Find out how to prepare for your essay.
Writing a first draft
Writing a first draft gives you the opportunity to ask for feedback and improve your final essay.
Week 5
Writing your essay
Welcome to Week 5
In this, the final week, you will write your own essay and provide feedback on others.
Submit the first draft of your essay
You will submit the first draft of your essay for peer review and comment on first drafts by others.
The final essay
Now you have reflected on your first draft, and perhaps made some changes, it is time to submit your final essay.
Course summary
Well done! Let's look at what you have achieved over the last five weeks.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Compare one aspect of life now with life in the past in one well-constructed paragraph
- Explore organisational structure of essays: identify and name the different sections of an essay
- Explain one aspect of your home town in one well-constructed paragraph, focussing on language accuracy
- Develop and write the first draft of your essay
- Contribute and receive feedback on first essay drafts
- Reflect on feedback received and improve your draft to create and submit a second draft of your essay
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for non-English speakers interested in improving their academic writing skills. It is recommended that you have a minimum level of IELTS 4.5 or equivalent to get the most out of this course.
Who will you learn with?
I’m an English for Academic Purposes lecturer & materials developer at the University of Reading. My research interest is different modes of thought & reasoning across different language & cultures.
Who developed the course?
University of Reading
The University of Reading has a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and enterprise.
Ways to learn | Buy this course | Subscribe & save | Limited access |
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| Choose the best way to learn for you! | $124/one-off payment | $19.99 For the first month. Automatically renews | Free |
| Fulfill your current learning need | Develop skills to further your career | Sample the course materials | |
| Access to this course | tick | tick | Access expires 1 May 2023 |
| Access to 1,000+ courses | cross | tick | cross |
| Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
| Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
| Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$19.99
For the first month. Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$124/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Limited access
Free
Sample the course materials
- Access expires 1 May 2023
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) | |||
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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