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 will:
• have improved their proficiency in spoken English
• understand the causes of challenges facing them in communicating in English
• be acquainted with the prevalent norms in oral English-language scientific communication
• feel more confident about speaking English in an international setting
• be able to prioritize among materials for their talks
• have acquired basic stress-reducing techniques
• be well equipped for the Effective Speaking course
As 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 first language and the English language. The participants are guided in adapting those elements that challenge their interlocutor’s or audience’s understanding.
Insights from the study of language acquisition and affective issues are discussed to further the participants’ development.
The course prepares the participants for the Effective Speaking course also offered by the School.
Please note that this is a very intensive course requiring a sustained effort for lasting results.
Content/elements
• comparing the patterns of the participant’s first language and the English language
• group and individual coaching in English speech sounds, sentence stress, rhythm and intonation
• nonverbals (posture, position, gaze, gestures, etc.) and their role in pronunciation and comprehension
• guiding listeners’ attention towards the key elements of the utterance
• psychological and affective factors in speaking a foreign language
• own rehearsal of pronunciation
• physical preparation for public speaking
• preparing effective notes for presentations
• spoken and written language compared
• 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 disadvantages them 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
November 2027, weeks 44-45: Mon 1 (9:00), Wed 3, Fri 5, Tue 9, Thu 11 (14:45)
As you are expected to submit a sound recording before the course and provide input for the scheduling of group work, please check your KU email account (and its spam filter) three weeks before course start.
Venue
Panum
Registration
Please register before 1 October 2027.
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.