Course Descriptions and Registration
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ACS - Academic Conversation Skills (for non-native speakers of English)
This course is for non-native speakers of English who wish to improve their listening and speaking skills in order to communicate more effectively in an academic environment. If you have difficulty participating in class discussion or speaking to your classmates and professors, this course is designed to meet your needs. Over six weeks, participants will gain confidence as they develop their ability to engage in academic dialogue. Through a series of class exercises that require active student participation, ACS focuses on topics such as how to present your ideas orally, how to disagree respectfully, and how to manage conversations sensitively. Course duration: 6 weeks.Section 1: Tuesdays, 10:00 - 12:00, May 1- June 5, Jennifer Shade Wilson
Section 2: Wednesdays, 2:00 - 4:00, May 9 - June 13, Scott Jamieson
Section 3: Thursdays, 2:00 - 4:00, May 10 - June 14, Art Babayants
AW1 - Academic Writing 1: Focus on Fundamentals (for non-native speakers of English)
This class is designed for non-native speakers of English who wish to improve the overall quality of their academic writing. Students will learn to improve the formality of their writing; to make claims commensurate with their evidence; to create coherent paragraphs; to develop clear transitions; to enhance their academic vocabulary; to understand the correct use of verb tense in academic writing; and, overall, to see how academic writing in their new context may differ from writing they have done in the past. The goal of the course is to show graduate students some key strategies to improve their academic writing. This course is the first in our Academic Writing sequence; the second course—Academic Writing 2: Focus on Grammar—deals with grammatical issues and the third—Academic Writing 3: Focus on Style—tackles more sophisticated issues of style. Course duration: 6 weeks.Section 1: Tuesdays, 10:00 - 12:00, May 1 - June 5, Gary Fogal
Section 2: Fridays, 10:00 - 12:00, May 4 - June 8, Jessica Turetken
AW2 - Academic Writing 2: Focus on Grammar (for non-native speakers of English)
This course is designed for non-native speakers of English who need to improve the grammatical correctness of their academic writing. This course focuses on helping graduate students to self-diagnose their most common grammatical errors, to apply the key grammatical rules learned throughout the course, to develop strategies to enhance grammatical correctness, and to identify resources for improving their grammar. Specific topic areas covered in the course include maintaining subject-verb agreement, minimizing article errors, using relative clauses correctly, avoiding punctuation errors, and clarifying incorrect or vague pronoun references. Students will be expected to submit their writing for individual feedback. Course duration: 6 weeks.Section 1: Wednesdays, 10:00 - 12:00, May 9 - June 13, Scott Jamieson
AW3 - Academic Writing 3: Focus on Style (for non-native speakers of English)
This course differs from the others in the Academic Writing series. It does not address sentence-level concerns or specific writing tasks. Instead, it looks at the advanced stylistic challenges faced by multilingual graduate students. The course helps non-native speakers of English use their existing linguistic sensitivity to answer a number of key questions. How do the stylistic tendencies of English differ from those of other languages? How can writers accurately describe the work and ideas of other scholars without losing the clarity of their own voices? What strategies can writers use to produce smooth, readable texts that guide the reader from sentence to sentence, from paragraph to paragraph, and from chapter to chapter? Academic Writing 3: Focus on Style assumes that students already have a solid command of English grammar, and that they already understand the types of writing called for in graduate school. It is therefore recommended that students take Academic Writing 3: Focus on Style after they have completed the other two courses in the Academic Writing series. Course duration: 6 weeks.Section 1: Mondays, 2:00 - 4:00, May 7 - June 18, Dr. Rachael Cayley**
CIHR - Writing CIHR Proposals (Physical and Life Sciences)
This three-week course is open to students in the Biomedical Sciences who are applying for CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) Masters and Doctoral Research Awards. In three two-hour classes, we will examine the specific features of successful grant proposals and bring to light common errors that lead to bad proposals. As well, we will be looking at examples of winning proposals. Students are expected to work on their own draft proposals, and individualized feedback will be available to course participants. While several of the concepts examined will also be of relevance to students applying for an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), the focus of the course is on writing an effective CIHR proposal. (Check with your department regarding your eligibility to apply for funding through CIHR and/or OGS.) Course duration: 3 weeks.Section 1: Thursdays, 5:30 - 7:30, May 3 - May 17, Dr. Peter Sabatini
EDIT - Becoming a Better Editor of Your Own Work (for native speakers of English in all Divisions)
This four-week course is designed for graduate students working in all Divisions (Humanities, Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences). The techniques covered can be applied to all types of writing including essays, reviews, articles, job letters, grant proposals and theses. Editing is the final stage in the writing process. It is also a vital skill for graduate students who often have to revise a document for different audiences: the same material may, for example, become a proposal, a thesis chapter and a journal article. The course focuses on four aspects of editing: editing for correctness, clarity, cohesion, and concision. Using rules derived from the standard practices of educated writers, we will review the grammar errors most commonly made by graduate students. In the second and third weeks, we will focus on clarity and cohesion at the level of sentences and paragraphs. In the fourth week we will practice strategies for shortening documents. Classes are practical and focused on student writing, and students will receive feedback on their own work. Course duration: 4 weeks.EDIT 1/2 - Becoming a Better Editor of Your Own Work (for native speakers of English in the Humanities and Social Sciences)
This four-week course is designed for graduate students working in Divisions 1 and 2 (Humanities and Social Sciences). The techniques covered can be applied to all types of writing including essays, reviews, articles, job letters, grant proposals and theses. Editing is the final stage in the writing process. It is also a vital skill for graduate students who often have to revise a document for different audiences: the same material may, for example, become a proposal, a thesis chapter and a journal article. The course focuses on four aspects of editing: editing for correctness, clarity, cohesion, and concision. Using rules derived from the standard practices of educated writers, we will review the grammar errors most commonly made by graduate students. In the second and third weeks, we will focus on clarity and cohesion at the level of sentences and paragraphs. In the fourth week we will practice strategies for shortening documents. Classes are practical and focused on student writing, and students will receive feedback on their own work. Course duration: 4 weeks.Section 1: Thursdays, 2:00 - 4:00, May 3- May 24, Ceilidh Hart
Section 2: Tuesdays, 2:00 - 4:00, May 8 - May 29, Dr. Trevor Cook
EDIT 3/4 - Becoming a Better Editor of Your Own Work (for native speakers of English in the Physical and Life Sciences)
This four-week course is designed for graduate working in Divisions 3 and 4 (Physical and Life Sciences). The techniques covered can be applied to all types of writing including essays, reviews, articles, job letters, grant proposals and theses. Editing is the final stage in the writing process. It is also a vital skill for graduate students who often have to revise a document for different audiences: the same material may, for example, become a proposal, a thesis chapter and a journal article. The course focuses on four aspects of editing: editing for correctness, clarity, cohesion, and concision. Using rules derived from the standard practices of educated writers, we will review the grammar errors most commonly made by graduate students. In the second and third weeks, we will focus on clarity and cohesion at the level of sentences and paragraphs. In the fourth week we will practice strategies for shortening documents. Classes are practical and focused on student writing, and students will receive feedback on their own work. Course duration: 4 weeks.
Section 1: Thursdays, 10:00 - 12:00, May 3 - May 24, Daniel Newman
NSERC - Writing NSERC Proposals (Physical and Life Sciences)
This three-week course is open to students in the Physical and Life Sciences who are applying for NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) Postgraduate scholarships (PGS M and PGS D). While several of the concepts examined will also be of relevance to students applying for an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), the focus of the course is on writing an effective NSERC proposal. (Check with your department regarding your eligibility to apply for funding through NSERC and/or OGS.) Each week during the two-hour lecture, the instructor will examine the specific features of good and bad proposals. Students are expected to work on their own proposals and to submit them in class for feedback. Feedback is available to course participants through written comments on students' draft proposals and through individual consultations. Course duration: 3 weeks.Section 1: Wednesdays, 6:00 - 8:00, May 2 - May 16, Dr. Raquel De Souza
OPS - Oral Presentation Skills (for native and non-native speakers of English)
Does the thought of standing in front of an audience to present your work make you nervous? Would you like to present your ideas more clearly and more confidently? If the answer to these questions is yes, then this course is for you. In this course, you will receive guidance on various aspects of presenting, such as how to structure presentations, how to design visual aids (such as PowerPoint), and how to use your voice/body language. You will have a valuable opportunity to learn from the presentations of others and to practice what you learn in front of an empathetic audience. Students will also have the opportunity to receive a digital recording of their own presentation. Both native and non-native speakers of English are welcome to enroll. Course duration: 5 weeksOPS (NNS) - Oral Presentation Skills (for non-native speakers of English)
Does the thought of standing in front of an audience to present your work make you nervous? Would you like to present your ideas more clearly and confidently? Are you concerned that your pronunciation of certain English words might impede your clarity? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then this course is for you. In this course designed with non-native speakers in mind, you will receive guidance on various aspects of presenting, such as how to structure presentations, how to design visual aids (such as PowerPoint), and how to use your voice/body language in order to enhance the clarity and impact of your presentations. You will have valuable opportunities to learn from others' presentations and apply what you learn in front of an empathetic audience. Students will also have the opportunity to receive a digital recording of their own presentation. Course duration: 5 weeks.Section 1: Tuesdays, 1:00 - 3:00, May 1- June 5, James Corcoran***
Section 2: Mondays, 2:00 - 4:00, May 7 - June 11, Jessica Gardiner**
Section 3: Wednesdays, 10:00 - 12:00, May 9 - June 6, Saskia Stille
Section 4: Wednesdays, 4:00 - 6:00, May 2- May 30, Paul Halferty
Section 5: Fridays, 1:00 - 3:00, May 4 - June 1, Paul Halferty
OPS (NS) - Oral Presentation Skills (for native speakers of English)
Does the thought of standing in front of an audience to present your work make you nervous? Would you like to present your ideas more clearly and more confidently? If the answer to these questions is yes, then this course is for you. In this course, you will receive guidance on various aspects of presenting, such as how to structure presentations, how to design visual aids (such as PowerPoint), and how to use your voice/body language. You will have a valuable opportunity to learn from the presentations of others and to practice what you learn in front of an empathetic audience. Students will also have the opportunity to receive a digital recording of their own presentation. Please note that this course will not address the specific linguistic needs of ESL students. Course duration: 5 weeks.Section 1: Fridays, 10:00 - 12:00, May 4 - June 1, Rory McKeown
Section 2: Mondays, 6:00 - 8:00, May 7 - June 11, Sonali Fonseca**
Section 3: Thursdays, 10:00 - 12:00, May 10 - June 7, Dr. Peter Grav
PRE - Prewriting Strategies for Developing and Organizing Your Ideas (for students in the Humanities and Social Sciences)
In order for a research paper to be clear to readers, it must first be crystal clear in the mind of its author. Whether you are writing a course paper, a journal article, or a thesis, this course will help you clarify in your own mind the content and structure of your argument before you begin to write. Participants will be introduced to a range of strategies for developing and organizing their ideas – strategies such as organizing notes through key words, outlining, diagramming, use of Aristotle’s Topics, etc. – and will be encouraged to consider which strategies work best given their own learning styles. Drawing on techniques from classical rhetoric, the course will give students the chance to practice strategies for investigating and organizing ideas at both the pre-writing and mid-writing stages. The course is designed for graduate students in the humanities and social sciences. Course duration: 4 weeks. RA 1/2 - Understanding the Research Article: Reading towards Writing (for students in the Humanities and Social Sciences)
What are the typical “moves” made in the opening section of a Research Article? How do you use the words and work of others to support your arguments without losing your own voice? How do you introduce and incorporate a theoretical framework? Is speaking in the first person appropriate? What strategies are at play in an article’s conclusions? These are typical questions for those who wish to publish their work in scholarly journals. While graduate students spend a great deal of time reading research articles, when it comes to writing them, they often have difficulty following the example of what they have read. This course is designed to help graduate students write research articles by increasing their familiarity with the established forms of articles published in their own discipline. Through class discussion and close readings of articles drawn from representative fields of study, we will analyze discourse strategies in order to answer the above questions and more. The course will also consider technical writing issues, such as what verb tense works and strategically using the passive or active voice. Students will also receive feedback on the research papers that they themselves are writing. Course duration: 5 weeks with an optional tutorial in the sixth week.This course is suitable for students engaged in writing non-experimental research articles. If you have any questions about whether this course is appropriate for you, please contact Dr. Peter Grav for clarification: pgrav@sgs.utoronto.ca.
RA 3/4 - Understanding the Research Article: Reading towards Writing (for students engaged in experimental research)
What are the typical “moves” made in the Introduction section of a Research Article? Should you integrate your discussion with your results? How do you get readers to see the importance of your work? How much explaining should you do in your methodology section? These are typical questions for those involved in experimental research who wish to publish their findings. Graduate students spend a great deal of time reading research articles; however, when it comes to writing them, they often have difficulty following the example of what they have read. This course is designed to help graduate students engaged in experimental work write research articles by increasing their familiarity with the established forms of such articles. To do so, we will analyze the discourse strategies of articles that follow the basic pattern for reporting empirical research: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRAD). The course will involve class discussion and close readings of articles drawn from representative fields of study. The course will also consider technical writing issues, such as what verb tense works for each section and strategic use of the passive or active voice. Students will also receive feedback on the research papers that they themselves are writing. Course duration: 5 weeks with an optional tutorial in the sixth week.
This course is suitable for students whose work involves experimental research, that is, students from the physical, life, or social sciences who need to write articles that more or less follow the IMRAD format. If you have any questions about whether this course is appropriate for you, please contact Dr. Peter Grav for clarification: pgrav@sgs.utoronto.ca.
SSHRC - Writing SSHRC Proposals (Humanities and Social Sciences)
This 3-week course is open to students in the Humanities and Social Sciences who are applying for SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada) Doctoral Fellowships. While several of the concepts examined will also be of relevance to students applying for an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), the focus of the course is on writing an effective SSHRC proposal. (Check with your department regarding your eligibility to apply for funding through SSHRC and/or OGS.) The course will provide students with the opportunity to examine specific features of good and bad proposals, to see sections of winning SSHRC proposals, and to submit their own draft proposals for feedback. Feedback will be available to course participants through written comments on students' draft proposals and through individual consultations. Course duration: 3 weeks.
Section 1: Wednesdays, 1:00 - 3:00, May 2 - May 16, Dr. Peter Grav
TH2 - Thesis Writing in the Social Sciences (Division 2)
This course is designed to assist students in Division 2 who encounter common problems related to structure, style, and cohesion in their thesis writing. The following key questions should be asked and answered as they will affect your writing in terms of clarity and organization: What is your hypothesis? How will your research project differ from what has already been done? What implications do your results have for future research, and what recommendations can you make for practice? Even though there are variations among different disciplines within the social sciences, this course can help you with common challenges in thesis writing, such as making effective transitions between sections, using discipline-specific documentation formats, and writing your abstract. Examples from students' writing will be used to clarify issues related to the structure and function of each section of a thesis, and individualized feedback will be provided. All graduate students who are currently writing their theses in Division 2 are welcome to enrol. Please note that this workshop will not address the specific grammar needs of ESL students. Course duration: 6 weeks.
Section 1: Tuesdays, 6:00 - 8:00, May 1 - June 5, Dr. Rachael Cayley
TH3 - Thesis Writing in the Physical Sciences (Division 3)
This six-week course is designed to assist students in Division 3 who encounter common problems related to structure, style, and cohesion in their thesis writing. The following key questions should be asked and answered as they will affect your writing in terms of clarity and organization: What is your hypothesis? How will your research project differ from what has already been done? What implications do your results have for future research, and what recommendations can you make for practice? This course can help you with common challenges in thesis writing, such as making effective transitions between sections, using discipline-specific documentation formats, and writing your abstract. Examples from students' writing will be used to clarify issues related to the structure and function of each section of a thesis, and individualized feedback will be provided. All graduate students who are currently writing their theses in Division 3 are welcome to apply. Please note that this course will not address the specific grammar needs of ESL students. Course duration: 6 weeks.
Section 1: Tuesdays, 10:00 - 12:00, May 1 - June 5, Dr. Peter Grav
TH4 - Thesis Writing in the Life Sciences (Division 4)
This six-week course is designed to assist students in Division 4 who encounter common problems related to structure, style, and cohesion in their thesis writing. By learning to ask and to answer key questions such as the following: What, precisely, is the problem you are working to solve? Why is that problem important? Out of what previous work does your study grow? How will your research project differ from what has already been done? What implications do your results have for future research, and what recommendations can you make for practice? In addition to considering the narrative frame of your thesis, we will also examine the effective use of figures, discipline-specific formats and styles, and abstract writing. (Some variation in our workshop content is inevitable, as samples will be drawn from participants' own writing wherever possible, and individualized feedback will be provided.) Course duration: 6 weeks.