Academic English for Doctoral Studies (FSI-9AJ)

Academic year 2026/2027
Supervisor: Mgr. Martina Vránová, Ph.D.  
Supervising institute: ÚJ all courses guaranted by this institute
Teaching language: English
Aims of the course unit:
 
Learning outcomes and competences:
 
Prerequisites:

Minimum necessary CEFR level of English is B2.
Course contents:

English for Doctoral Degree Study focuses on a complex development of language skills in academic and scientific areas. It is divided into three courses (Academic Skills 1, 2, 3), which lead up to the C1 level of English. The courses concentrate on acquiring general academic and discipline-specific vocabulary, reading academic texts, presentation skills, and independent writing of publishable research papers.
Teaching methods and criteria:
 
Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes:
 
Controlled participation in lessons:
 
Type of course unit:
    Language exercise  30 × 2 hrs. compulsory                  
Course curriculum:
    Language exercise

Academic Skills 1

Week 1: Demands on doctoral students and appropriate skills
Week 2:  Accidental discoveries (role of narraive in the sciences)
Week 3: Extended definitions (technical vocabulary, paragraph structure)
Week 4: Teamwork
Week 5: Describing visual information I (Writing)
Week 6: Describing visual information II (Presenting)
Week 7: Goal setting and assessing progress
Week 8: Role of passive constructions 
Week 9: Inspiring innovation 
Week 10: Effective teaching

Academic Skills 2

Week 1: Adulting skills
Week 2: Process description (connectors)
Week 3: Modern cities (planning, advantages and disadvantages)
Week 4: Modals 
Week 5: Applications of hard science
Week 6: Comparison and contrast (writing and grammar)
Week 7: Work and fun (mental health)
Week 8: Non-technical aspects of technology (conditionals)
Week 9: Consequences of progress  
Week 10: The world of work


Academic Skills 3

Week 1: The writing process: heuristics, evaluating sources, references
Week 2: Compiling glossary, General, academic and technical vocabulary
Week 3: Introduction to rhetoric; Title, abstract, key words
Week 4: Introductions and body paragraphs
Week 5: Methods, Results and discussion
Week 6: Cohesion, thematic progression, referencing
Week 7: Conclusions
Week 8: Articles and punctuation
Week 9: Giving conference papers
Week 10: Giving conference papers
Literature - fundamental:
3. Earle–Carlin, Susan. Q: Skills for Success 5. Listening and Speaking. Third edition. Oxford: OUP, 2020.
4. Freire, Robert, and Tamara Jones. Q: Skills for Success 4. Listening and Speaking. Third edition. Oxford: OUP, 2020.
7. Chazal, Edward de, and Sam McCartter. Oxford EAP: A Course for Academic Purposes. Upper-intermediate. Oxford: OUP, 2012.
8. Chazal, Edward de, and Julie Moore. Oxford EAP: A Course for Academic Purposes. Advanced. Oxford: OUP, 2013.
9.

Warwick, Lindsay. 2025. Success: Oxford Test of English Advanced. Oxford: OUP.
10.

Healan, Angela, and Katrina Gormley. 2023. Close-up C1. National Geographic.
Literature - recommended:
4. Gardner, Peter S. New Directions: Reading, Writing and Critical Thinking. Cambridge: CUP, 2005.
5. Hewings, Martin. Advanced Grammar in Use. Cambridge: CUP, 2013.
6. McCarthy, Michael, and Felicity O'Dell. Academic Vocabulary in Use. Cambridge: CUP, 2008.
7. Mounsey, Chris. Essays and Dissertations. Oxford: OUP, 2002.
8. Oshima, Alice, and Ann Hogue. Introduction to Academic Writing. New York: Pearson, 2007.
9. Paterson, Ken, and Roberta Wedge. Oxford Grammar for EAP. Oxford: OUP, 2013.
10. Wallwork, Adrian. English for Academic Correspondence and Socializing. New York: Springer, 2011.
11. Wallwork, Adrian. English for Academic Research: Writing Exercises. New York: Springer, 2013.
12. Wallwork, Adrian. English for Presentations at International Conferences. New York: Springer, 2016.
13. Wallwork, Adrian. English for Writing Research Papers. New York: Springer, 2023.
14.

Glasman-Deal, Hilary. 2021. Science Research Writing for Native and Non-native Speakers of English. Second ed., World Scientific.
15.

Holst, Bodil. 2015. Scientific Paper Writing: A Survival Guide. Bergen: University of Bergen.
The study programmes with the given course:
Programme Study form Branch Spec. Final classification   Course-unit credits     Obligation     Level     Year     Semester  
D-ENE-P full-time study --- no specialisation -- DrEx 0 Compulsory 3 1 W
D-FIN-P full-time study --- -- DrEx 0 Compulsory 3 1 W
D-IME-P full-time study --- no specialisation -- DrEx 0 Compulsory 3 1 W
D-KPI-P full-time study --- no specialisation -- DrEx 0 Compulsory 3 1 W
D-MAT-P full-time study --- no specialisation -- DrEx 0 Compulsory 3 1 W
D-STG-P full-time study --- no specialisation -- DrEx 0 Compulsory 3 1 W
D-APM-P full-time study --- -- DrEx 0 Compulsory 3 1 W
D-ENE-A full-time study --- -- DrEx 0 Compulsory 3 1 W