Speaking Academic English with Confidence
Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences at University of Copenhagen
This is a generic course. This means that the course is reserved for PhD students at the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences at UCPH.
Anyone can apply for the course, but if you are not a PhD student at the Graduate School, you will be placed on the waiting list until enrollment deadline. After the enrolment deadline, available seats will be allocated to the waiting list.
The course is free of charge for PhD students at Danish universities (except Copenhagen Business School), and for PhD students at NorDoc member faculties. All other participants must pay the course fee.
Learning objectives
At the end of the course, the participants:
• have improved their comprehensibility in conversation and presenting
• are acquainted with the prevalent norms in English-language scientific communication
• are able to prioritize among materials for their talks
• understand the causes of challenges facing them in communication
• feel more confident about speaking English in an international setting
• are well equipped for the Effective Speaking course
Acknowledging that the pronunciation of a foreign language is strongly influenced by the speaker’s mother tongue, the course takes its starting point in raising the participants’ awareness of the differences in pronunciation between their own and the English language. The participants are guided in adapting those elements that challenge their interlocutors’ or audience’s understanding.
Insights from the study of language acquisition and affective issues are dealt with in relation to the participants’ further development.
The course prepares its target group for the Effective Speaking course also offered by the School.
Participants should be prepared for a very intensive course requiring a sustained effort for lasting results.
Content/elements
• recognizing and unlearning native language patterns
• comparing English and learner language patterns: speech sounds, sentence stress, rhythm,
intonation, etc.
• the role of intonation in conveying importance to specific elements of the sentence
• preparing notes for presentations
• group and individual coaching on English sounds (segments) and intonation (sentences)
• nonverbals and their influence on the speaker: posture, gaze, gestures, etc.
• own rehearsal of pronunciation
• submission of three audio-recorded samples for feedback
• developing and rehearsing six readings and presentations
Participants
This course is aimed at learners of English who feel that their command of the spoken language puts them at a disadvantage in their academic career. Psychological and affective factors stemming from negative experiences may have led to apprehension about their proficiency in spoken English, typically aggravated by anxiety about public speaking in a foreign language. Marked differences between the pronunciation of English and the participant’s first language may also contribute to difficulties with acquiring an easily comprehensible pronunciation of English.
Form
Plenary, group and individual work, feedback, articulation and voice exercises, audio- and video-recorded speaking and presenting tasks, exchange of speaking experiences
Course director and instructor
Morten Berg, cand.mag. (English), owner at i kontext, mail@ikontext.dk
Dates
March 2026, weeks 10-11: Mon 2 (9:00), Wed 4, Fri 6, Tue 10, Thu 12 (14:45)
Participants should check their KU email account (and its spam filter) three weeks before course start as they are expected to submit a sound recording before the course and provide input to the scheduling of group work.
Venue
Panum: TBA
Note: All applicants are asked to submit invoice details in case of no-show, late cancellation or obligation to pay the course fee (typically non-PhD students). If you are a PhD student, your participation in the course must be in agreement with your principal supervisor.