Faculty
Nancy G. Abney; TA Training, Teacher Training, English as a Second Language
Julia S. Austin; Program Director, Academic/Research Writing, English as a Second Language, Faculty-Teacher Development, TA Training, Extramural Funding
Alan D. Corbin; Presentation and Discussion Skills, English as a Second Language
Jeffrey Engler; Career Development, Extramural Funding
Jennifer L. Greer; Academic /Research Writing and Publishing, English as a Second Language
Jonghee Shadix; Pronunciation and Accent Training, English as a Second Language
Program Information
These courses and workshops are offered to improve the academic and professional communication skills of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and other UAB research staff with the goals of supporting scholarship, research integrity, productivity, effective communication, and the development and refinement of professional skills.
Course Descriptions
Graduate School (GRD)
701. Presentation & Discussion Skills. This course is designed to develop professional communication skills through individual presentations and group evaluations. Topics include the basics of oral presentation (content, organization, and delivery); use of voice and nonverbal communication; and speaking to different audiences. Students’ presentations are videotaped and critiqued by their classmates and the instructor. Fall and Spring. 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
704. Specialized Instruction. This individualized course addresses particular writing needs of graduate students currently working on a writing project (theses, dissertations, articles for publication, grant proposals), presentation skills, advanced academic conversations, or pronunciation concerns. Individual or small group instruction. Prerequisite: Permission of program director. Spring, Summer, and Fall. 1 to 5 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
705. Teaching at the College Level and Beyond. This course provides an overview of many important aspects of teaching at the college level and beyond. Topics include designing a course and writing an effective syllabus, writing learning objectives, enhancing lectures, testing and grading, dealing with challenging students and difficult situations, learning and the brain, and accessing appropriate active learning strategies. Spring. 2 or 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
709. Fellowship Writing. This hand-on workshop takes students through the fellowship or grant writing process from finding funding sources to writing a successful narrative. Topics also include finding the right funding source to match your research topic, the fellowship or grant writing process, the writing and editing process, and effective revisions. Students will prepare a fellowship or grant proposal during the semester. Spring. 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
712. Research Writing and Style. Designed for graduate students and professionals who are currently working on a writing project (e.g., class paper, journal article for publication, or dissertation), this course teaches professional research writing habits, style, conventions, and practices. Writers’ workshop format enables writers to immediately apply lessons and principles to works in progress. Summer. 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
714. Individualized Pronunciation Instruction. Permission of instructor required. Students in Individualized Instruction will have acquired basic speaking skills in group instruction and are now ready for fine-tuning their language abilities with a pronunciation coach who tailors lessons to their particular needs. The course includes a thorough diagnostic and goal-setting session, followed by one-on-one instruction in the sounds and rhythms of English, including computer-assisted language mapping and techniques used by professional actors. Spring, Summer, and Fall. 3 to 5 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
715. Preparing TAs to be Effective Teachers. This course prepares teaching assistants to meet the educational needs of undergraduate students by developing effective teaching practices. Topics include preparing to teach, presenting material effectively, handling questions, handling difficult students and situations, leading laboratory sections, and ethical issues related to teaching. Recommendation of department required. Fall. 2 or 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
716. Developing a Teaching Portfolio. This hybrid course guides participants in developing a professional Teaching Portfolio for documenting teaching experience, improving teaching practices, and enhancing job search potential. The web-based curriculum introduces essential elements of the portfolio, provides tools for gathering necessary documentation, and through individual feedback from the instructor, assists participants in drafting a personal Philosophy of Teaching, upon which the Portfolio is built. Spring and Summer. 2 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
717. Principles of Scientific Integrity. This course surveys ethical issues and principles in the practice of science. Among the topics discussed are the nature, extent, and causes of fraud in the sciences; UAB policies on fraud; plagiarims; the responsibilities of authorship and peer review; misrepresentation such as imagine manipulation; NIH policies on data sharing; potential problems raised by the commercialization of research; other issues in collaborative science; and ethical issues involved in animal experimentation and in clinical trials. Fall and Summer. 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
720. Navigating Academia. Speaking and listening course for international graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and employees seeking to develop and refine the academic English language skills needed to excel in the sometimes confusing and challenging U.S. academic environment of graduate school—and beyond. Students will learn strategies for communicating effectively with instructors and advisors, classmates and colleagues, in the classroom or meetings, by telephone or e-mail. Students will explore the language needed to take advantage of campus and off-campus services. Online course components will promote the development of speaking skills, grammatical accuracy, and pronunciation. Recommended for all entering international graduate students and others who wish to improve their spoken English both in an academic setting and in the wider community. Intermediate through advanced level placements. Fall and Spring. 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
721. Academic Interactions. Speaking and listening course for international graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and employees seeking to develop and further refine the English language skills necessary to interact effectively and confidently when speaking to one person or to a group. Students will discover strategies for handling speaking tasks of increasing complexity, ranging from face-to-face conversations, to small group discussions, to professional presentations. Students will also develop skills for handling challenging interactions, including expressing an opinion, agreeing and disagreeing, and adapting to high stakes situations such as job interviews. Online course components will further promote the development of vocabulary, grammatical accuracy, and pronunciation. Prerequisite: Advanced-level placement, successful completion of GRD 720, or permission of the instructor. Fall, Spring, and Summer. 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
724. Pronunciation/Accent Workshop. This course is for students who have never been exposed to English phonology classes. In this class, students will be introduced to the American intonation patterns, pronunciation of English sounds, and culture related to the language. In addition to the exposure to English phonology, by interacting with peers, students will discover where they stand in terms of English pronunciation. Participation in this workshop will also provide the instructor with ample opportunities to assess students' individual pronunciation needs. Fall and Summer. 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
725. Advanced Pronunciation Workshop. Prerequisite: GRD 714, or permission of the instructor. This course is for those students who have completed the individualized instruction course or who have the equivalent proficiency of those who have completed. By applying the voice and speech works of actor training, the students will practice speaking in longer stretches without losing the clarity of the message. This course helps students prepare for thesis and dissertation defenses, lecturing, and talks given at professional conferences. Spring. 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
726. Research Writing for Multilingual Writers. Designed for multilingual students, postdoctoral fellows, and researchers who want to write and publish in English-language journals , this course offers small-group instruction, research writing practice, peer review, instructor feedback, and techniques in self-editing for multilingual writers. Fall, Spring, and Summer. 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
727. Writing and Reviewing Research. Designed for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and researchers writing research and review papers and projects, this course offers instruction in strategies and techniques, practice, peer review, and instructor feedback. Face-to-face and online sections, with designated sections for Nursing and Public Health graduate students. Fall, Spring, and Summer. 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
728. Research Writing and Publishing. Designed for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and researchers seeking to write and publish professionally, this course includes writing in field, peer review, self-editing, and coaching. Instructor approval required for second-language writers. Fall and Spring. 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
730. Developing Your Professional Image. This course is designed to raise student awareness of their professional image. Students will learn to analyze how others perceive them in professional settings (office, clinic, research laboratory, departmental meeting, conference, business luncheon, business-related social event, or job interview). Students will also learn how to use this knowledge to develop and polish their professional image accordingly (appropriate dress, levels of communication, and deportment). Finally, they will learn to take control of their image and to protect it in a rapidly changing world of new opportunities and potential pitfalls, such as social networking. Spring and Summer. 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
736. Dissertation Strategies. This course is designed for graduate students who are preparing to start a dissertation within the next twelve months. Seminar topics include creating a dissertation committee, developing a timeline, crafting the proposal, outlining the text, and managing the writing and reviewing process. Summer and Fall. 1 credit hour. Pass/No Pass.
737. Successful Dissertation Writing. Prerequisites: GRD 736 and currently writing dissertation proposal or dissertation. This course encourages efficient writing progress according to the stated goals of the writers. Writers will learn specific dissertation writing practices, develop sophisticated peer-editing skills, and provide support for their own writing practice and for that of their classmates. Spring. 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.
Workshops
706. Grants and Fellowships 101: How to Obtain Funding. This workshop provides an introduction to writing grant proposals and fellowship applications. Topics include funding sources, electronic databases, organization and format of proposals and applications, submission and review processes, and guidelines for effective proposal writing. Fall. One-day workshop. 1 credit hour. Pass/No Pass.
707. Presenting Effectively. This workshop examines elements necessary for giving effective professional presentations. Topics include analyzing audience and purpose, adjusting for lay audiences, developing an elevator talk, identifying characteristics of effective delivery in large and small groups, controlling nervousness, and handling questions. Fall. One-day workshop. 1 credit hour. Pass/No Pass.
708. Writing Successfully. This workshop provides an introduction to various aspects of writing in a variety of professional settings. Topics include strategies for efficient composing, overcoming writer’s block, developing ethical scholarship practices, writing for the general public, writing for PowerPoint, and editing your own writing. Spring. One-day workshop. 1 credit hour. Pass/No Pass.
710. Career Workshop for Graduate Students. This workshop provides participants with insights into a variety of career fields, inside and outside of academia. Discussion panels are made up of invited speakers from business, government, industry, and academia from across the United States. Spring. One-day workshop. 1 credit hour. Pass/No Pass.
711. Special Topics. This workshop addresses topics of current interest to graduate students. See UAB Class Schedule for offerings. 1 to 3 credit hours. Pass/No Pass.