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Sarah Brewer, Jonathan Smith, deborah murphy, Joan McCormack, Anas Awwad (Mentor), Boi Sebina, Ismail Karaoz, Anas Awwad, Yen Tu, Ismail Karaoz (Mentor), and Brian Turner

Week one: Week two: Week three: Week four: Week five: Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This course is aimed at anyone interested in undertaking academic study in English, but it may be of particular interest to international students. You will require an IELTS English level of 5.5 and above. You can use the hashtag #FLeng4intstudy to talk about this course on social media.

Topics Covered

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Week one: Week two: Week three: Week four: Week five: Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This course is aimed at anyone interested in undertaking academic study in English, but it may be of particular interest to international students. You will require an IELTS English level of 5.5 and above. You can use the hashtag #FLeng4intstudy to talk about this course on social media.

Topics Covered

  • Differentiating between academic writing and other types of writing
  • Choosing the correct structure for an academic essay
  • Analysing essay questions
  • Activating what you already know about the topic
  • Searching for information as a starting point to build your knowledge
  • Evaluating resources and reading academic texts
  • Annotating and surveying information from source texts
  • Components of a paragraph and the notion of paragraph leader
  • Paragraph development and writing a paragraph
  • Understanding how to use facts, statistics and research in your writing
  • Showing critical thinking through choice of citation type
  • How to incorporate appropriate evidence
  • Avoiding plagiarism
  • Writing a plan
  • Essay introductions and conclusions
  • Proof reading
  • Peer support in writing

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Reviews summary

Intermediate academic writing for university

According to students, this course offers a solid foundation in academic writing for university study. Many learners found the guidance on essay structure, paragraph development, and critical thinking to be very clear and helpful. Reviewers frequently highlighted the practical advice on researching and citing sources correctly as particularly beneficial for their studies. While largely seen as positive, some feedback indicates that the course assumes a certain baseline level, potentially making it a little challenging for those at the lower end of the intermediate scale. The peer review element, a key part of practicing, received mixed reviews regarding the consistency and quality of feedback provided by fellow learners. Overall, students appreciate the course for significantly improving their confidence and skills for academic assignments.
Quality of peer review feedback varies.
"The peer assessment process was inconsistent; some reviews were very helpful, others were not."
"Dependence on peer feedback means the learning experience can be hit or miss."
"I received very little useful feedback from my peers, which was disappointing."
"Engaging with others' work was good, but getting quality feedback back was a challenge."
Offers practical tips for research and citation.
"The module on finding sources and citing them correctly was invaluable for university work."
"I finally understand how to use citations properly and avoid plagiarism."
"Provided great techniques for evaluating resources and incorporating evidence."
"Learned practical ways to research and select appropriate academic sources."
Provides clear guidance on academic essay structure.
"The course structure was logical and easy to follow, building concepts step by step."
"I found the lessons on essay and paragraph structure incredibly helpful; they made sense."
"It clearly explained how to organize my thoughts into a coherent academic paper."
"The breakdown of introduction, body, and conclusion was very straightforward and effective."
Effectively improves academic writing skills and confidence.
"My confidence in approaching university essays has significantly increased after this course."
"I feel much better prepared to write academic papers now."
"Provided me with the tools and understanding needed to improve my writing."
"This course truly helped me enhance my academic writing abilities."
May be challenging for lower intermediate learners.
"While excellent, I felt the pace was quite fast at times for someone at the intermediate level."
"Might be better suited for high-intermediate students or those already exposed to academic English."
"Assumes a certain comfort level with English that some intermediate learners might not yet have."
"I struggled slightly with some concepts, feeling it jumped ahead a bit quickly."

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Learners who complete An Intermediate Guide to Writing in English for University Study will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

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