Advanced Academic English: Conference Skills

Cluster

Communication Skills

Target group

Members of the Doctoral Schools

Level

Advanced knowledge of English. The language itself should not form a hurdle when presenting.

Objective

This overview course concerns various skills related to successful academic conference participation.

Participants learn how to create a well-structured conference contribution which is tailored to and leaves an impression on its target audience.

Content

This semester course compiles content of the UCT’s four conference skills modules and thus focuses on presentation skills, effective slides and academic posters while also boosting English proficiency within the conference context. It uses authentic examples to spark discussion and implements the insights in productive exercises using the participants’ own material.

The course successively covers the following topics:

How to pitch your research project
How to prepare an academic presentation in the right register
How to set up a presentation structure
How to properly manage you voice control and body language
How to make your slides effectively reinforce your main message
How to structure and design

At various intervals, extra exercises on academic vocabulary and implemented grammar will be presented.
Throughout the course, participants will present, edit and receive feedback on their own material.

Placement test: No

Time schedule & Venue

WEEKLY (10 sessions of 2 hrs)	Time	Venue	Trainer
11/02/2025 - 06/05/2025	14:00-16:00	ONLINE	Nils Smeuninx

Registration procedure

You can not register for this course if you have already registered for Academic Posters, English Proficiency for Presentations, Effective Slide Design and/or Presentation Skills in English.

There is no need to register at the University Language Centre!

Follow this link for the registration and waiting list.

Your subscription will be confirmed by separate e-mail from the Doctoral Schools.

Registration fee

Free of charge for the members of the Doctoral Schools. The no show policy applies.

Language

English

Number of participants

Evaluation criteria (doctoral training programme)

The participants will hold a presentation on their research subject for an educated lay audience towards the end of the course. This course counts as 1 transferable skills training in the cluster Communication skills.