Transcript Slide 1

Study Orientation for International
Postgraduate Taught Students
Sue Rigby
Assistant Principal
University of Edinburgh
Welcome to the University and to this
Orientation day
Introduction content
More welcomes
People running the programme
Context
The Challenge
Plan for session
Who we are
Tony Lynch
Language specialist
Jon Turner
Institute for Academic
Development
Deputy Head,
International Office
Edinburgh University
Students Association
Sandra Morris
Johanna
Holtran
Time
Presentation
Presenter
2.05
Welcome and Introduction
Dr Sue Rigby
2.15
Active Learning
Professor Tony Lynch
2.40
Time Management
Dr Jon Turner
2.55
Writing and reading Effectively
Professor Tony Lynch
3.20
Assessment and Feedback
Dr Sue Rigby
3.50
Understanding Locals
Professor Tony Lynch
4.15
Help, Advice and resources
Johanna Holtan and Kim
Pearson
4.30
Getting Out There!
Sandra Morris
4.40
Questions
All participants
4.50
Close
Sue Rigby
5.00
Reception at Appleton Tower Foyer
All participants
Programme context:
Scotland and Edinburgh
Top 10 best City in the World
Voted by Wanderlust readers, 2008
Voted Best place to live in the UK
YouGov Poll of 10,000 UK residents, 2009
“Edinburgh isn’t so much a city, more a way
of life ... I doubt I’ll ever tire of exploring
Edinburgh, on foot or in print.”
Ian Rankin, bestselling crime writer and
alumnus of the University of Edinburgh
Programme context:
Edinburgh University
We are consistently ranked one of the top 50 universities in the world*
* THES – QS Ranking
96% of our disciplines have research that is world leading*
* 2008 UK-wide Research Assessment Exercise
Sharing our Global Vision with
China.
France.
Germany.
Australia.
We are also part of the Russell
Switzerland.
Group which represents 20 of
Norway.
India.
UK’s leading Universities.
Belgium.
Mexico.
It
is
similar
to
US’s
Ivy
League
America.
group of Universities and
Africa.
Japan.
Australia’s Group of Eight.
Austria.
Fiji.
Pakistan.
Influencing the world
since 1583
Our role in shaping the modern world
“One scientific epoch ended and another
began with James Clerk Maxwell … the
special theory of relativity owes its origins to
Maxwell’s equations of the electromagnetic
field.”
Albert Einstein, physicist and philosopher
Masters study in Edinburgh
Short timescale
High expectations
High aspirations
Large investment
Lots to do, not just work
-How to succeed and make the most of your
studies?
Your blueprint for success –
assessment and feedback
Your expectations
Vocational or research masters?
Costly – should have value to you in future
Should give you specific and generic skills
PTES highlights challenges – confidence in
new settings, transkills, career support – we
are working on these, so must you…..
Your School
Provides teaching, but you may also take
courses from other Schools or Colleges
Provides advice and administrative support for
your Programme
Sets and marks your exams
Through the Board of Examiners ratifies your
degree award
The academic year 2010/11
Dates
Events
19 September – 2
December
5-21 December
Teaching
Revision and exams
Vacation
16 January – 6 April
Teaching (ILW)
23 April – 25 May
(Exams), first BOE
28 May –
Dissertations
September
Final Boards of
Examiners
Taught component of masters
Two taught semesters
Most courses assessed by course work and
exam
Must pass first time, you should check
your local progression rules to see if
you can continue with the Masters if you
fail any elements of a course.
Common marking scheme
Mark
What it means
> 70 %
Excellent, really good work
60-69%
A high level of achievement
50-59%
Competent but not exceptional
40-49%
A pass but not at Masters level
– diploma standard
Fail
< 40%
Feedback
How to do better next time – must be timely
and forward looking
Comes from Programme Director,
Lecturers, Demonstrators
Make sure they do this!
Can come from Peers
Audit yourself – how to do this….
Dissertation
Research dissertation over the Summer
Prepare for this early
Talk to staff, use personal contacts
Make sure you get on with your Supervisor
Make sure you are clear about what is
required from you
Nag, bully, be persistent in getting the help you
may need
Where next?
ACTIVE LEARNING
Tony Lynch
English Language Teaching Centre
Expectations of PGs
LECTURES
What are lectures for?
• One local view:
“I don’t want just to hear my voice. What I
really want is to hear students who are
willing to question and challenge me, and
take the debate forward”.
• An alternative view:
• “Being quiet in class, listening carefully
and taking precise notes are regarded as
traits of a good student”
Decisions in note-making
• What the lecturer has said
• What it means
• Whether it’s important enough to go into
your notes
• How to note it down efficiently
Is a point important?
A critical attitude:
- Analysing
- Evaluating
- Applying if relevant
Lecturing styles
• Reading (more formal language)
• Conversational (more informal)
• Multi-modal (speech, writing, image, and
body language - SWIBL)
Active = Interactive
• Interaction inside your head: KEL
KNOWLEDGE
EXPERIENCE
LECTURER’S WORDS
• Interaction with other people
LECTURER
STUDENTS
Lecturers’ language
• Markers of importance
• Markers of topic change
DIGRESSION and RETURN
• Markers of summary / conclusion
• But relatively informal speech
(so conversation practice helps)
Markers of importance
• Central / key / core / vital
• Stress / underline / highlight
• What this boils down to is…
• The crux of the matter is…
• The $64,000 question is…
Markers of topic change
• Having looked at X, let’s turn to Y
• I’d like now to move on to …
• Incidentally / By the way / While I think of
it… = DIGRESSION
• Anyway … / As I was saying …
= RETURN
Markers of summary /
conclusion
• To sum up / In conclusion
• What does all this mean?
• At the end of the day…
• For my money…
• In a nutshell…
SEMINARS
What are they for?
The local view:
• Exploration
• Exchange
• Participation
An alternative view:
“We just talk”
What can go wrong?
• “It was a disaster. They hadn’t done the
reading. Nobody wanted to say anything,
so I thought we might as well finish early”
Stages in participation
•
•
•
•
•
•
Understanding
Processing
Forming a response to the speaker’s point
Producing that response
Listening to the next speaker
(Understanding, etc.)
Sources of difficulty
• Not understanding the previous speaker(s)
• Not having anything to say
• Having something to say, but not working
out your response in time
Improving your understanding
• Listen to a range of accents
• Listen to discussions
• Listen in on others’ conversations
Improving your speaking
• For fluency - talk (to yourself, if necessary)
in English
• For conciseness : the 4-3-2 technique
Asking questions
“Any questions?”
• Complex relationship
• Threat to ‘face’:
- for the person asking
- for the person asked
Intercultural differences
An Indonesian example
TL: Any questions?
S: No questions.
TL: What about the others?
S: They have no questions, either.
TL: How do you know they don’t have any
questions?
S: Because...
... you are a good teacher.
Replies to requests
• I’ll see what I can do
• I’ll do my best
• I’ll do what I can
• You’re not asking much, are you?
• Send me an email
Ask…
… the right question
… of the relevant person
… at the appropriate time
Time Management
What will be the two biggest
time management challenges
that you face this year?
Please write them down
General advice
• Understand yourself:
– How and when do you work best?
– What are your bad habits?
– Rewards and targets
• Maintain a healthy work/life balance:
– Stay healthy
– Don’t get over-tired
– Pace yourself
On-course
•
•
•
•
•
Managing your workload: Be prepared
Quality of work: Compromise
Task prioritisation: Assignments
Using feedback
You and your co-students are a brilliant
resource for one another
Dissertation Projects:
planning & management
• Have a plan! : the process is significantly
aided by clear project design
• Research problemspecific
questionsmethods and implementation
• Accept the need for flexibility
• Set intermediate targets and short term goals
& deadlines
• Discuss with supervisor(s)
Write down two examples of
effective time management that
you will try to follow this year
www.ed.ac.uk/iad/postgraduates
Reading and Writing
Effectively
Tony Lynch
English Language Teaching Centre
Reading effectively
 Economically
 Strategically
 Selectively
Everyone’s problems

size of reading lists

making time to do the reading
Strategies

Look for clues on priorities
Decide your own priorities

Structure your reading

SQRRR (SQ3R)
SQRRR





Survey (sample, skim)
Question
Read
Recall
Review
Advice on effective reading
 www.uefap.com
→ Links
→ Skills
→ Reading
→ Effective reading
Writing Effectively
Key elements in academic writing:
APPROPRIACY (STYLE)
ACCURACY
CARE with REFERENCES
Appropriacy
 ‘Style’
= vocabulary > grammar
 Use your reading to extend your
stock of words and expressions
 Make a note of those you find useful
 Use them in your draft
 If in doubt, google for them
Accuracy
Importance of writing “cycles”:
Rough plan
Reading and note-making
Outline
First draft
Revision
Second draft etc…
Revision
 “The
difference between successful
and unsuccessful writers is that the
successful ones revise more often”.
 Final
revision
Editing
Spellchecking
Proofreading
Acknowledging your sources
The five Cs:
Care
Consistency
Completeness
Correctness
eConomy
Care
If you note down all the details of your
sources when you do your reading,
this takes care of itself.
It also means you save time when you
are finalising your essay.
Consistency
Ask your Programme Director if there
is a programme ‘stylesheet’ for the
presentation of References.
If not, analyse and follow the system
used in one of the journals you are
recommended to read.
Completeness
ALL the sources you have used
ALL the details required for the types
of source you are using:
book
journal article
chapter in an edited collection, etc.
Correctness
Make sure you get right:



Spelling of authors’ names and
technical terms in your field
Surname versus first name
Order of presentation in your
References (alphabetical order,
chronological order, etc.)
eConomy
Brown, G. (2009) “The value of the
semi-colon in academic writing”.
Journal of Pedantry, volume 56,
issue 3, pages 200-214.
Brown G. 2009. The value of the semicolon in academic writing. Journal of
Pedantry 56/3: 200-214.
Guidance on academic writing
 www.uefap.com
→ Links
→ Skills
→ Writing
Your blueprint for success –
assessment and feedback
Your expectations
Vocational or research masters?
Costly – should have value to you in future
Should give you specific and generic skills
PTES highlights challenges – confidence in
new settings, transkills, career support – we
are working on these, so must you…..
Your School
Provides teaching, but you may also take
courses from other Schools or Colleges
Provides advice and administrative support for
your Programme
Sets and marks your exams
Through the Board of Examiners ratifies your
degree award
The academic year 2010/11
Dates
Events
19 September – 2
December
5-21 December
Teaching
Revision and exams
Vacation
16 January – 6 April
Teaching (ILW)
23 April – 25 May
(Exams), first BOE
28 May –
Dissertations
September
Final Boards of
Examiners
Taught component of masters
Two taught semesters
Most courses assessed by course work and
exam
Must pass first time, you should check
your local progression rules to see if
you can continue with the Masters if you
fail any elements of a course.
Common marking scheme
Mark
What it means
> 70 %
Excellent, really good work
60-69%
A high level of achievement
50-59%
Competent but not exceptional
40-49%
A pass but not at Masters level
– diploma standard
Fail
< 40%
Feedback
How to do better next time – must be timely
and forward looking
Comes from Programme Director,
Lecturers, Demonstrators
Make sure they do this!
Can come from Peers
Audit yourself – how to do this….
Dissertation
Research dissertation over the Summer
Prepare for this early
Talk to staff, use personal contacts
Make sure you get on with your Supervisor
Make sure you are clear about what is
required from you
Nag, bully, be persistent in getting the help you
may need
Where next?
UNDERSTANDING LOCALS and
MAKING YOURSELF
UNDERSTOOD
Tony Lynch
English Language Teaching Centre
(Video clip)
Comprehension

is active

exploits linguistic input, context, and the
listener’s background knowledge

involves looking for reasonable
interpretations of input
Extract from a radio interview





sex bender
six bender
sick spender
suspender
sex spender
Six-bender?
Ballyregan Bob
Input: British accents
(1955)
What ear jar ye?
High yoldar ye?
Aim seven
Accents
There is no Scottish accent

There are lots of Scottish accents!

Main ones are: Edinburgh, Glasgow,
Borders, Galloway, Dundee, Aberdeen,
Highland, Western Isles, Orkney, and
Shetland
Good news
about Scottish accents



S England
N England
Scotland
part
path
/pαt/
/pat/
/paRt/
/pαФ/
/pæФ/
/pæФ/
Practical tips
Listen to Radio Scotland news:
1.
2.
3.
Newsreader (written English, slight
accent)
Reporters (spoken from notes, stronger
accent)
Interviewees (spontaneous,
accent/dialect)
Dialect words
Listen out for:
 -nae instead of –n’t (“cannae”, “didnae”)
 “wee” for small
 “stay” for live (“where do you stay?”)
 “will” for shall
 “that’s me” = I’ve finished
Tips for speaking practice

TANDEM (EUSA)

Talk to shop assistants, lab technicians,
servitors

Listen out for feedback from people
listening to you
PROFILE
(book)
Principles, Resources and Options for the
Independent Learner of English
Kenneth Anderson & Tony Lynch
Available for £5 from:
English Language Teaching Centre
21 Hill Place
That’s me
University of Edinburgh
Help
Advice
and
Resources
Kim Pearson and Johanna Holtan
University of Edinburgh
Ongoing visa and
immigration advice and
services with trained
advisors
Police registration
University of Edinburgh
Information Events
Working after Studies
Preparing to go home
University of Edinburgh
University Sources of Help
Careers Service
Counselling Service
Student Disability Service
University Health Centre
University of Edinburgh
Other Resources
Online Study Skills Support at the IAD http://www.ed.ac.uk/schoolsdepartments/institute-academic-development
Also: courses offered by
English Language Teaching Centre
Institute for Academic Development
EUSA
Edinburgh University Students’ Association
The Advice Place
Edinburgh University Students’ Association
Edinburgh University Students’ Association
Best resource?
University staff and other
Students…………..
University of Edinburgh
16th September 2011
Sandra Morris, International Office
Johanna Holtan, EUSA
Edinburgh University Students’ Association
Student Life
Freshers’ Week
Clubs and Societies
Sports Facilities
Volunteering
Events Programme
Go Global
PG Representation
Tandem Language Exchange
Edinburgh University Students’ Association
The International Student Centre
(ISC)
The ISC is run by students for
students.
Trips
Social events
Coffee evenings
Pub Nights
Facebook: “International Student
Centre Edinburgh”
Web:www.isced.blogspot.com
Edinburgh University Students’ Association
The International
Student Centre (ISC)
Friday 16th September
@ 13.00 and 16.00
Historical Tour of
Edinburgh
Meet outside Teviot
Debating Hall
Saturday 17th September
All day – trip to St
Andrews
Tickets: £8.00
University of Edinburgh
Some examples of events last year
Trip to Stirling
Trip to Culzean Castle
Trip to Lindisfarne
Trip to Bamburgh Castle
Trip to Loch Katrine
Trip to Whisky Distillery
Web:www.isced.blogspot.com
University of Edinburgh
The University’s
Hospitality Scheme
All new international and EU
students can apply.
Hosts include staff of the university,
alumni, friends of the university,
students.
Applications for the Hospitality
Scheme for 2011 academic year will
open shortly.
University of Edinburgh
Some useful websites and
places to go
theOracle.co.uk
( Google “free things to do in
Edinburgh”)
Edinburgh.Gumtree.com
For furniture, electrical items,
accommodation
Charity Shops
For clothes
University of Edinburgh
5 Things you MUST do while you are
in Edinburgh!!!
You must climb Arthur’s Seat
You must attend at least one ceilidh
You must eat haggis (at least once!)
You must visit a castle
You must visit another part of
Scotland
(for instance catch a train to North
Berwick)
University of Edinburgh
All good people agree,
And all good people say,
All nice people, like us, are We
And everyone else is They:
But if you cross over the sea,
Instead of over the way,
You may end by looking on We
As only a sort of They!
From We and They“, Rudyard Kipling
University of Edinburgh
Enjoy your Studies! Enjoy Edinburgh!