Advanced English Skills for Non-Native Speakers - Curriculum for Postdoctoral Scholars
Non-native speakers of English are a majority of postdoctoral scholars at Stanford. The Advanced English Skills for Non-Native Speakers is a year-long, 3-quarter, curriculum that is taught in small group, intensive 2-hour weekly class sessions. The curriculum aims to refine the proficiency and fluency in speaking and writing in academic settings. The curriculum is directed by Phil Hubbard, senior lecturer and director of English for Foreign Students Program at Stanford. The complete curriculum is comprised of approximately 36 hours (12 per course) of in-class instruction, plus individual tutorial hours out of class with the instructors or course assistant over a 9-month period. Enrollment is limited to 24 postdocs per class. There are no placement requirements for the courses but a minimum English proficiency is required at a level equivalent to TOEFL score of 525paper/197CBT/71iBT, TOEIC 625, IELTS 5.5.
The above courses are offered in partnership with the English for Foreign Students program at Stanford. They are open to individuals in postdoctoral scholar appointments only at Stanford. Visiting Scholars are not eligible. However, Stanford offers the opportunity for Visiting Scholars to take intensive course (688V) in the summer click here for details. During the academic year, language and communication courses are offered through Stanford Continuing Studies.
Questions about these courses? Please contact the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.
Winter 2015-16: Thursdays, January 7 - February 4, 2016, 3:30-5:30pm
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Thursdays, February 11 - March 10, 2016, 3:30-5:30pm
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Spring 2015-16: Wednesdays, March 30 - April 27, 2016, 3:30 - 5:30pm
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Wednesdays, May 4 - June 1, 2016, 3:30-5:30pm
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Summer 2015-16: Tuesdays, July 12 - August 9, 2016, 3-5pm
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Wednesdays, June 22 - July 20, 2016, 4-6pm
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This course will focus on helping students improve their oral communication skills for academic and daily life. Emphasis will be on increasing confidence and fluency through realistic and practical activities both in and out of class. Content will include such topics as pronunciation, idiom and slang usage, active listening skills, and conversation strategies. Students will be encouraged to bring in real or hypothetical situations which they are not quite sure how to handle. Students will also receive individualized instruction (in pairs) during two additional 30-minute tutoring sessions with the instructor.
Course topics:
• Conversations in formal and informal settings: what to say and how to say it
• Skills and strategies for effective listening and improving pronunciation
• Verbal skills and strategies for participating in group situations
• Understanding cultural cues and expectations in oral communication
By the end of the course, participants are expected to:
• Gain skills to improve conversational fluency
• Apply techniques to improve pronunciation
• Develop active, and interactive, listening skills
• Articulate ideas more clearly and confidently
• Use more sophisticated verbal skills in negotiation, persuasive or awkward situations
II: Professional & Academic Writing
Prerequisite: Oral Communication
Winter 2015-16: Wednesdays, January 6 - February 10, 2016, 5:30-7:30pm
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The course is designed for those who are proficient and use English on a daily basis but would like to refine their writing skills. The course focuses on academic writing for publication, with particular attention to learning to write coherently, clearly, and concisely. It will also include some practice in writing effective emails, letters, and short proposals. The course includes two 30-minute individual tutorials with the instructor.
The required textbook is Williams, J. & Colomb, G. Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace (current edition).
By the end of the course, participants are expected to:
- Understand cultural conventions in written communication (emails, etc.)
- Develop an awareness of reader expectations within their field
- Recognize their most common individual language and stylistic problems
- Show progress in developing ways to overcome those problems
- Write more efficiently and confidently
- See improvement in their overall writing effectiveness
III: Oral Presentation
Prerequisite: Oral Communication
Winter 2015-16: Tuesdays, January 5 - February 9, 2016, 3-5pm
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Spring 2015-16: Tuesdays, March 29 - May 3, 2016, 3-5pm
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Oral Presentation is the last of the three-quarter advanced curriculum for postdoctoral scholars who are non-native speakers of English. The course is appropriate for those who are proficient in English. The course focuses on building effective presentation skills with attention to pronunciation and rhetorical considerations, impromptu speaking skills, use of visuals and managing Questions & Answers from an audience. Participants will practice in small and large groups. Presentations will be video-recorded for analysis and instructor feedback. In addition to in-class activities, assignments will include pronunciation exercises, review of self-recorded presentations, self-evaluations, and meeting with course assistant three times during the quarter for a review of pronunciation and presentation feedback. The course includes two 30-minute individual tutorials with the instructor.
Course topics:
- Word stress and intonation patterns
- Elements of effective delivery styles
- Rhetorical considerations in organizing content
- Effective visuals
- Impromptu speaking skills
- Audience awareness and rapport, and
- Q/A management
By the end of the course, participants are expected to:
- Have recognized their own presentation style and seen improvement in their delivery
- See improvement in pronunciation, word stress and word choice
- Learn the common strategies used by public speakers to engage an audience and manage Q&As
- Use visuals effectively and employ other rhetorical techniques
IV. Accent Reduction
Prerequisite: Oral Communication
Spring 2015-16: Thursdays, March 31- May 5, 2016, 3-5pm
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Summer 2015-16: Thursdays, June 23 - July 28, 2016, 3-5pm
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This class is designed for those whose native language is not English to recognize and practice American English sounds, stress, and intonation patterns in order to improve comprehension and intelligibility. This is accomplished through identification of problem areas, focused practice and recording of exercises for instructor feedback. This course includes two 30-minute individual tutorials with the instructor.
Course topics:
- Review of vowel and consonant articulation
- Stress patterns at the word and sentence level
- Linking and reductions
- Thought groups and focus words
- Intonation and pitch variation
By the end of the course, participants are expected to:
- Better understand American English sounds, stress, and intonation patterns
- Identify some of their specific pronunciation problem areas
- Show progress in their ability to self-monitor and self-correct in these areas
- Develop coping strategies to compensate for pronunciation weaknesses
- Gain exposure to useful resources available for ongoing self-improvement