Core Courses

Essential Spoken English for Instructors

This course improves and strengthens participants' spoken English proficiency for classroom teaching and learning interaction as well as conversational exchanges. It helps participants to practice and develop speaking skills for teaching their subject areas in English, introduces student-centered teaching strategies through appropriate and effective use of English, and provides a variety of activities to develop and enhance participants' communicative competence in English.

Methodology of Teaching in English

This course introduces a variety of teaching methods and strategies suitable for use in teaching various subject areas in university classrooms and provides opportunities for participants to practice these methods and strategies in class and in small- and large-group settings. It also examines authentic English-language teaching materials in various subject areas and discusses some appropriate and effective ways to adapt such materials for non-native speakers of English as teachers and learners.

Academic English Writing Skills in Humanities, Business, and the Social Sciences

This course focuses on several types of professional writing, such as abstracts, summaries, literature reviews, research proposals, progress reports, final research reports, research essays, and grant proposals. Representative English writing samples as presented at professional conferences or published in professional journals are selected as readings to familiarize participants with particular requirements, special styles, and standard documentation styles (MLA, APA and other styles) of writing in the disciplines of the humanities, the social sciences, business, and the natural and applied sciences.

Academic English Writing Skills in the Natural and Applied Sciences

This course provides participants with an introduction to the writing process commonly used in academic writing, and offers a plan for building on strengths and eliminating weaknesses. It provides explanations and opportunity for practice and guides each participant in becoming a systematic self-critic – and stronger writer by applying the principles directly to their writing. It guides participants through the expository and argumentative essays, provides discussion of writing conventions – grammar, paragraph construction and essay development, diction, stylistic choices, punctuation, mechanics, and common documentation styles.