Pre-Sessional courses: Research Writing September
The EUI Language Centre offers pre-sessional courses on research writing in order to prepare researchers for work in the first year. The September courses concentrate particularly on helping you emerge linguistically as an academic in your own right. By this we mean, we look at how you position yourself against the literature, how you indicate the academic conversations you identify with, how you make your academic voice heard, etc. At the same time, we begin to look at the structures and conventions of writing in your disciplines.
All September pre-sessional Research Writing courses will be held online.
You will be contacted by the
Language Centre Assistant regarding the course we suggest for you. The choice of class depends on your discipline, and affinities we identify between writing samples. You will be asked to respond to the email either with a simple yes, or with any queries you may have.

The EUI Language Centre at the Convento di San Domenico
English 501
English for General Academic Purposes
CEFR C1
1st year HEC, LAW, SPS researchers
Time & Place
3 - 29 September
- Monday 11:00-12:30
- Thursday 11:00-12:30
12 hours
Online
Instructor
Fergal Treanor
A solid foundation in advanced general English is fundamental for researchers at the EUI, both for completing the doctoral dissertation and for publishing in international journals.
English for General Academic Purposes (EGAP) will complement your academic writing course. Participants will work with linking language expressing causality, contrast, sequencing, and other types of text-internal relationships. You will also expand your repertoire of academic vocabulary, collocations, and complex expressions. Other questions of advanced English grammar will be addressed as the need arises.
By the end of the course, you will
- be able to build clear and elegant sentences in academic English
- be able to link sentences and paragraphs together to produce clear, reader-friendly texts
- have an expanded repertoire of lexicogrammatical resources for academic expression in English
- feel more confident about your control of accuracy when writing
Course contents
Course materials are provided by the EUI English Unit.
The course includes work on the following:
- Choice-making in language use
- Prepositional collocation
- Verb complementation
- Textual cohesion
- Systemic functional grammar
- General academic expressions
The instructor will analyse the class needs at the beginning of the course and will accordingly give more or less weight to the various areas above.
Learning methods and activities
The methodology draws on various traditions in writing instruction, but is heavily influenced by EAP, genre-based instruction, but also Academic Literacies.
Activities in and out of class include:
- readings
- discussions
- controlled exercises
- independent writing
Work outside class will be kept to a minimum. If you wish for additional exercises, of course, your instructor will provide them for you.
English 502
Enhancing your academic writing: HEC
CEFR C1- C2
1st year HEC researchers
Time & Place
3 - 29 September
- Monday 9:00-10:30
- Thursday 9:00-10:30
12 hours
Online
Instructor
Benjamin Carver
Writing up your research is an integral part of your years as a doctoral researcher. Moreover, as a historian, whichever career path you then follow, writing is likely to remain a fundamental part of your life.
This semi-intensive course gives you the space and time to focus on how to write effectively and clearly as an academic. It looks particularly at how you can make your voice heard amongst the literature and the sources. It will also give you an idea about the work you will need to put in over the next few years to hone your academic writing skills not only in order to finish your thesis, but also to publish.
By the end of the course, you will
- have a greater awareness of textual genres and their contexts
- have a greater understanding of how relevant aspects of the English language system can contribute to making your academic voice heard
- be able to produce a well-structured and effective text in a clearly identifiable voice of your own
Course content
- Course materials are provided by the EUI English Unit.
- Additionally the participants are asked to bring in material relevant to their own research.
The course includes work on the following:
- introductions
- reader/writer relationship
- organisational patterns of text
- paragraph structure
- explicitness
- flow of ideas
- academic style
- useful elements of grammar
The instructor will analyse the class needs at the beginning of the course and will accordingly give more or less weight to the various areas above.
Learning methods and activities
The methodology draws on various traditions in writing instruction, but is heavily influenced by EAP, genre-based instruction, but also Academic Literacies.
Activities in and out of class include:
- readings
- discussions
- controlled exercises
- independent writing
At the end of the course you will be asked to write a text explaining how a certain journal article (chosen by you) informs your research.
English 503
Enhancing your academic writing: LAW
CEFR C1-C2
1st year LAW & LL.M. researchers
Time & Place
4 - 29 September
- Tuesday 9:00-10:30
- Friday 9:00-10:30
12 hours
Online
Instructor
Benjamin Carver
Writing up your research is an integral part of your years as a doctoral researcher. Moreover, whether you continue along an academic path or whether you become a practicing lawyer, or choose another career path, writing is likely to remain a fundamental part of your life.
This semi-intensive course gives you the space and time to focus on how to write effectively and clearly as an academic. It looks particularly at how you can make your voice heard amongst the literature, the sources, and the legislation. It will also give you an idea about the work you will need to put in over the next few years to hone your academic writing skills not only in order to finish your thesis, but also to publish.
By the end of the course, you will
- have a greater awareness of textual genres and their contexts
- have a greater understanding of how relevant aspects of the English language system can contribute to making your academic voice heard
- be able to produce a well-structured and effective text in a clearly identifiable voice of your own
Course contents
- Course materials are provided by the EUI English Unit.
- Additionally the participants are asked to bring in material relevant to their own research.
The course includes work on the following:
- introductions
- reader/writer relationship
- organisational patterns of text
- paragraph structure
- explicitness
- flow of ideas
- academic style
- useful elements of grammar
The instructor will analyse the class needs at the beginning of the course and will accordingly give more or less weight to the various areas above.
Learning methods and activities
The methodology draws on various traditions in writing instruction, but is heavily influenced by EAP, genre-based instruction, but also Academic Literacies.
Activities in and out of class include:
- readings
- discussions
- controlled exercises
- independent writing
At the end of the course you will be asked to write a text explaining how a certain journal article (chosen by you) informs your research.
English 504
Enhancing your academic writing: SPS
CEFR C1-C2
1st year SPS researchers
Time & Place
3 - 29 September
- Monday 9:00-10:30
- Thursday 9:00-10:30
12 hours
Online
Writing up your research is an integral part of your years as a doctoral researcher. Moreover, whether you continue along an academic path or whether you choose another career path, writing is likely to remain a fundamental part of your life.
This semi-intensive course gives you the space and time to focus on how to write effectively and clearly as an academic. It looks particularly at how you can make your voice heard amongst the literature, the sources, and the data. It will also give you an idea about the work you will need to put in over the next few years to hone your academic writing skills not only in order to finish your thesis, but also to publish.
By the end of the course, you will
- have a greater awareness of textual genres and their contexts
- have a greater understanding of how relevant aspects of the English language system can contribute to making your academic voice heard
- be able to produce a well-structured and effective text in a clearly identifiable voice of your own
Course contents
- Course materials are provided by the EUI English Unit.
- Additionally the participants are asked to bring in material relevant to their own research.
The course includes work on the following:
- introductions
- reader/writer relationship
- organisational patterns of text
- paragraph structure
- explicitness
- flow of ideas
- academic style
- useful elements of grammar
The instructor will analyse the class needs at the beginning of the course and will accordingly give more or less weight to the various areas above.
Learning methods and activities
The methodology draws on various traditions in writing instruction, but is heavily influenced by EAP, genre-based instruction, but also Academic Literacies.
Activities in and out of class include:
- readings
- discussions
- controlled exercises
- independent writing
At the end of the course you will be asked to write a text explaining how a certain journal article (chosen by you) informs your research.
English 505
Fine-tuning your academic writing: LAW
CEFR C1-C2
1st year LAW & LL.M. researchers
Time & Place
3 - 15 September
- Monday, Tuesday 11:00-12:30
- Thursday, Friday 11:00-12:30
12 hours
Online
Because of the large number of enrolments English 505 has been divided into two groups. The classes will take place at the same time and use the same materials. For organisational purposes only we will refer to these as 505a and 505b.
Writing up your research is an integral part of your years as a doctoral researcher. Moreover, whether you continue along an academic path or whether you become a practicing lawyer, or choose another career path, writing is likely to remain a fundamental part of your life.
This semi-intensive course gives you the space and time to focus on how to write effectively and clearly as an academic. It looks particularly at how you can make your voice heard amongst the literature, the sources, and the legislation. It will also give you an idea about the work you will need to put in over the next few years to hone your academic writing skills not only in order to finish your thesis, but also to publish.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, you will
- have a greater awareness of textual genres and their contexts
- have a greater understanding of how relevant aspects of the English language system can contribute to making your academic voice heard
- be able to analyse and reproduce language and organisational strategies specific to scholarly writing about law
- be able to produce a well-structured and effective text in a clearly identifiable voice of your own
Course contents
- Course materials are provided by the EUI English Unit.
- Additionally the participants are asked to bring in material relevant to their own research.
The course includes work on the following:
- reader/writer relationship
- expressing one's own voice
- introductions and conclusions
- organisational patterns of text
- flow of ideas
- academic style
- useful elements of grammar
The instructor will analyse the class needs at the beginning of the course and will accordingly give more or less weight to the various areas above.
Learning methods and activities
The methodology draws on various traditions in writing instruction, but is heavily influenced by EAP, genre-based instruction, but also Academic Literacies.
Activities in and out of class include:
- readings
- discussions
- controlled exercises
- independent writing
At the end of the course you will be asked to write a text explaining how a certain journal article (chosen by you) informs your research.
English 506
Fine-tuning your academic writing: HEC
CEFR C1-C2
1st year HEC researchers
Time & Place
17 - 29 September
- Monday, Tuesday 11.00-12.30
- Thursday, Friday 11.00-12.30
12 hours
Online
Instructor
Libor Stepanek
Writing up your research is an integral part of your years as a doctoral researcher. Moreover, whether you continue along an academic path or whether you choose another career path, writing is likely to remain a fundamental part of your life.
This semi-intensive course gives you the space and time to focus on how to write effectively and clearly as an academic. It looks particularly at how you can make your voice heard amongst the literature, and the sources. It will also give you an idea about the work you will need to put in over the next few years to hone your academic writing skills not only in order to finish your thesis, but also to publish.
Course contents
- Course materials are provided by the EUI English Unit.
- Additionally the participants are asked to bring in material relevant to their own research.
The course includes work on the following:
- reader/writer relationship
- expressing one's own voice
- introductions and conclusions
- organisational patterns of text
- flow of ideas
- academic style
- useful elements of grammar
The instructor will analyse the class needs at the beginning of the course and will accordingly give more or less weight to the various areas above.
Learning methods and activities
The methodology draws on various traditions in writing instruction, but is heavily influenced by EAP, genre-based instruction, but also Academic Literacies.
Activities in and out of class include:
- readings
- discussions
- controlled exercises
- independent writing
At the end of the course you will be asked to write a text explaining how a certain journal article (chosen by you) informs your research.
English 507
Fine-tuning your academic writing: SPS
CEFR C1-C2
1st year SPS researchers
Time & Place
4 - 29 September
- Tuesday 9:00-10:30
- Friday 9:00-10:30
12 hours
Online
Writing up your research is an integral part of your years as a doctoral researcher. Moreover, whether you continue along an academic path or whether you choose another career path, writing is likely to remain a fundamental part of your life.
This semi-intensive course gives you the space and time to focus on how to write effectively and clearly as an academic. It looks particularly at how you can make your voice heard amongst the literature, the sources, and the data. It will also give you an idea about the work you will need to put in over the next few years to hone your academic writing skills not only in order to finish your thesis, but also to publish.
By the end of the course, you will
- have a greater awareness of textual genres and their contexts
- have a greater understanding of how relevant aspects of the English language system can contribute to making your academic voice heard
- be able to produce a well-structured and effective text in a clearly identifiable voice of your own
Course contents
- Course materials are provided by the EUI English Unit.
- Additionally the participants are asked to bring in material relevant to their own research.
The course may include work on the following:
- reader/writer relationship
- expressing one's own voice
- flow of ideas
- academic style
- expansion and use of vocabulary
- useful elements of grammar
The instructor will analyse the class needs at the beginning of the course and will accordingly give more or less weight to the various areas above.
Learning methods and activities
The methodology draws on various traditions in writing instruction, but is heavily influenced by EAP, genre-based instruction, but also Academic Literacies.
Activities in and out of class include:
- readings
- discussions
- controlled exercises
- independent writing
At the end of the course you will be asked to write a text explaining how a certain journal article (chosen by you) informs your research.