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Language matters (English). Fabian Beijer Director of studies (the English unit ) fabian.beijer@englund.lu.se. Your language teacher /tutor. Claes Lindskog Ph.D . & Senior lecturer claes.lindskog@englund.lu.se. Why involve the English unit ?.
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Languagematters (English) • Fabian Beijer • Director of studies (the English unit) • fabian.beijer@englund.lu.se
Yourlanguageteacher/tutor • Claes Lindskog • Ph.D. & Senior lecturer • claes.lindskog@englund.lu.se
Whyinvolve the English unit? • UKÄ havecriticiseddegreepapers in physics, claimingthat the language is not alwaysgoodenough. Somethinghadto be done! • Experts in physicsare not alwayslanguage experts. • If wetakecareofsomelanguageissues, your professors and supervisors caninstead focus on physics (theory, method, etc.). QUALITY.
Language problems? (1) • Sometimes a text can be almostimpossibleto understand becauseoflanguage problems. Thenit’svery hard for the supervisor, the examiner, UKÄ, or anyreadertoknowof the ideas and arguments aregoodenough or not. • If therearemanymistakes in a text, the readerwill get a bad impression, whether or not the ideas expressed in it aregood.
Language problems? (2) • Many different levels: • Word level (spelling, choice ofword, formality, etc.) • Sentencelevel (grammar, information structure, sentencestructure) • Paragraphlevel (topicsentences, supportingsentences, etc.) • Paragraphand sectionlevel (coherence and cohesion, linking, logic/contradictions)
Writing and feedback • Weknowthat in order tobecome a good writer, youneedtopractice a lot. • It’salsoveryimportantto get feedback on yourwork. • Perhaps students ofphysics at Lund University don’twriteenoughor get enough feedback on theirwritingbefore the degree paper?
Whatwillwe offer you? • Twolectures by Claes Lindskog + individual and collective feedback • The firstlecturewill be partlybased on what Claes has found in a numberofdegreepapers (physics) from previousyears/terms. • Youwill hand in 1500 wordsofwritten text to Claes. • Youwillreceiveindividual feedback. • The second lecturewill be partlybased on what Claes has found in your texts.
The lectures • Lecture1.) 29 January. Room: F (K404). 1.15-3 • Lecture 2.) 3 March. Room: F (K404). • Group 1: 1.15-3 • Group 2: 3.15-5 • Please note that the lecturesareobligatory.
The groups • Group 1: Initial letter offamilyname a-l • Group 2: Initial letter offamilyname m-ö
The deadlines • Youwill hand in your text to Claes as an attachment no later than 17 February, noon. • Youwill get yourindividual feedback no later than 27 February, midnight.
Whattowriteabout? • Two alternatives: • ”The motivation for yourscientificthesiswork” • ”The contents/meaning/impact/philosophicalimplicationsof quantum mechanics in the modern world”
Style? • Please try towrite in academic English, using the typeoflanguage and style thatyouwoulduse in a degree paper. • Take the task seriously. Otherwise it won’t be usefultoyou.
AWELU • Don’tforgetto make useof AWELU (Academic Writing in English at Lund University) whenyouwriteyourthesis. • http://awelu.srv.lu.se/
Anyquestions? • Goodluck!