This Spring 2025, we will offer two FREE mini-courses: Academic Writing Style and Advanced English Grammar and Punctuation for Graduate Students via Cisco Webex, starting the week of March 3, 2024. Each mini-course will meet two (2) hours per week for a total of four (4) weeks. Note that neither course will be offered during Spring Break week (March 11 and 13). Spaces are limited, so please contact the corresponding Writing Support Services team member at your earliest convenience:
Academic Writing Style (March 4 – April 1, 2025, Tuesdays, 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.)
This course is designed for graduate students who want to familiarize themselves with the stylistic choices preferred by English academic writing, which include word choice, flow, and concision. It strives to help students become more confident academic writers to meet the academic challenges encountered at UTHealth School of Public Health and beyond. To register for this course, please e-mail Dr. Zhiling "Willa" Wu at Zhiling.Wu@uth.tmc.edu.
Advanced English Grammar and Punctuation for Graduate Students (March 6 – April 3, 2025, Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)
This course is designed for graduate students who want to improve their academic writing by focusing on grammatical issues and punctuation errors commonly found in graduate writing. Students should have a knowledge of basic English grammar, including the eight parts of speech and their functions in sentences; the verb types, moods, tenses, and voice as well as their uses in scientific writing; and the types of phrases, independent clauses, and dependent clauses as well as their roles in building sentences. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to (a) use semicolons and commas with coordinate and non-coordinate (cumulative) adjectives, phrases, independent clauses, and dependent clauses; (b) fix comma splices, run-on sentences, and fragments; and (c) use commas and semicolons with conjunctive adverbs and transitional expressions. To register for this course, please e-mail Dr. Patricia McEvoy-Jamil at Patricia.A.McEvoyJamil@uth.tmc.edu.
This October 2024, we will offer two FREE non-credit mini-courses, Fundamentals of English Grammar and English Pronunciation and Communication for Non-Native English Speakers, via Cisco Webex, starting the week of Oct. 2, 2024. Each mini-course will meet two (2) hour per week for a total of four (4) weeks. Spaces are limited, so please contact the corresponding Writing Support Services team member at your earliest convenience.
1. Fundamentals of English Grammar (Oct. 3–24, 2024; Thursdays, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.)
This course is designed for graduate students who want to improve their academic writing by "brushing up" on the fundamentals of English grammar. It focuses on grammatical issues commonly found in graduate student writing, such as the appropriate use of verb tenses. Students also have individual weekly meetings with the instructor and receive feedback on their own writing. To register for this course, please e-mail Dr. Patricia McEvoy-Jamil at Patricia.A.McEvoyJamil@uth.tmc.edu.
2. English Pronunciation and Communication for Non-Native English Speakers (Oct. 2–23, 2024; Wednesdays, 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.)
This course offers a structured exploration of English pronunciation and communication for students who speak English as a second or foreign language. Through a series of four comprehensive lessons, students will delve into fundamental concepts such as phonetics, stress patterns, and intonation, with a focus on developing clear and articulate speech in American English. Emphasizing both rules and practical application, this course will help equip learners with the necessary skills to communicate more effectively and confidently in English in academic and professional contexts. To register for this course, please e-mail Dr. Zhiling "Willa" Wu at Zhiling.Wu@uth.tmc.edu.