W01-1: Food for thought

In a first step, you will find some quotes and questions that you will discuss with your partner(s). Note down the results on the worksheet. Then conduct an interview with your partner your experiences in writing academic English and the challenges that you face.

Learning log assignments

Discuss these quotes:

“An emerging problem facing all journals is the increasing number of submissions from non-English-speaking parts of the world, where the standard of written English may fall below the expectations of a scientific publication.” (Scully & Jenkins, Editorial: Publishing in English for non-native speakers, 2006)

“The goal of scientific research is publication, but good scientists are not always good writers and even native speakers of English sometimes have difficulty when they write up their research.” (Glasman, Science Research Writing for Non-Native Speakers of English

Read the quote below. What do you consider the pros and cons of this development in your subject and your country?

“English is now unquestionably the language of international scholarship and an important medium of research communication for non-native English speaking academics around the world.” (Hyland, English for Professional Academic Purposes, 2007)

Take notes

Interview your partner about his/her experiences in learning English and writing academic English.

Take notes

Identify your own writing challenges and write them down.