During the 2019/20 academic year, the University Language Centre (CLA) will offer a number of courses of Academic English for doctoral students at the University of Padova (34th Cohort). The courses will be organised on the basis of the results a survey conducted by the PhD Office in 2015 so as to understand the Academic English needs of the doctoral students.
The first courses will be held between October and December 2019. The other will be offered between January and March 2020.
Each course will have a maximum of 20 participants.
Applicants
Only doctoral students of the 34th Cohort at the University of Padova (those about to commence their second year of doctoral studies) are entitled to apply.
Period and length of courses
30 academic hours for a period of 8 weeks. The first three courses will start in the middle of October 2019 and end before 21 December 2019. The remaining course will be held between January and March 2020. Courses will be held either in the early morning (8.30 am) or in the afternoon (from 2.30 to 4.00 pm ore 4.30 to 6.00 pm). Timetables will be made available together with the student lists from 11 October in the section “Classes”.
Course Objectives
The courses will be focused on academic writing and speaking skills such as writing abstracts, writing emails to academic peers, presenting research papers at seminars/conferences and networking, etc…
Admission requirements and entry test
In order to derive benefit from the courses, participants will require a B2 level of English, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). It is thus necessary for all students to take an entry test to assess their level. On the basis of the results of the test the Centre may decide to organise courses for students whose level is below B2, but no lower than B1 level.
The test has a written and an oral component.
The test of written production (60 minutes) is made up of an email (semi-formal) and a summary/report (formal/academic) on data from a chart/diagram.
The oral test will consist of a brief interview. It is not possible to attend one of the courses without taking the initial test.
Entry test dates
Written production: Students can choose between the following:
26 September at 11:30 am, 3 October at 11.00 am
The test will take place in lab. 2E, Via Venezia n. 16, Language Centre.
Spoken production and interaction: the oral test will take place during the week starting on 7th October (7-10 October). After all candidates have taken the written test (on 3rd October), an email will be sent with a link to the oral test sign up page. Students will be able to choose a suitable time slot on basis of availability (“first come, first served”).
On the basis of the results of the written and oral tests and the type of course/period chosen, the doctoral students will be organised into groups and offered one of the possible courses. The class lists will be available after 10 October in the section “Classes”.
Attendance and Certificates
Doctoral students wishing to receive an attendance certificate will have to attend at least 70% of the course (21 hours).
How to sign up for the test
Registration for the test (and thus for the course) is possible from now until 22nd September 2018 (deadline); when signing up for the test, students will be able to express a preference regarding the course (time/period). The CLA will attempt to satisfy all the requests, but the final decision will be made by the Centre on the basis of the levels of the students and organisational factors. REGISTER FOR THE TEST
Classes
The names of the students admitted to the courses and the classes will be available in this section after 10 October. Timetables will be made available together with the student lists.
Contacts
For further information, you can contact elisabetta.divenere@unipd.it, tel. 0498276277 – 6185 (09:30 – 13.00).
