1. Academic Language and Learning Development at Curtin for HDR Students

2. Becoming a university researcher is a great achievement.
It also provides you with many challenges.
You may be great at researching your chosen topic,
but you must also
strive to become an excellent research writer.

3. is your responsibility.
The challenge of converting excellent research into excellent scholarship may seem great.
As a research writer,
continuous academic
language development
is your responsibility.
Even though it may take time,
and often feels like you are
making little progress…

4. WRITE OFTEN AND WRITE WELL!
‘learning to write well means learning to use writing to
think well’.
Writing should be seen as a ‘way of generating and
shaping thinking’.
Writing is also a ‘sustained act of reflection’.
(Rossenwasser & Stephen, 2009)

5. A range of options to help you keep developing your writing skills
UniEnglish & English Language Challenge
CBS Communication Skills Centre
FELDs (Faculty English Language Development)
CHAtS - Conversation-al Help And Support
The Learning Centre

6. What is ?
An online tool to assess your strengths and weaknesses in English
UniEnglish is optional, free and confidential
Quick to complete, and is automatically marked
Accessible on any computer with internet
Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking
Plus - English Language Challenge
UniEnglish is an online instrument that can help you to diagnose your strengths and weaknesses in English if English is not your first language. The results will help you to decide whether you would benefit from additional language support, and if so what kind of assistance you should seek out. It is not a test, as it is not supervised and there is no pass/fail grade - rather it is an educational tool.
It is optional, free of charge and confidential. The results are only accessible to you and the UniEnglish team, they are not passed on to your lecturers or tutors.
It's accessible on any computer that has internet access, you just log in and press the button to start. It consists of three sections: Use of English (grammar, vocabulary and reading), Listening and Writing. The first two sections are automatically marked - in other words the computer gives you an instant score. The Writing section is analysed by a language expert, who will respond in WebCT and by with a detailed analysis of your strengths and weaknesses.
UniEnglish takes about 15 minutes each for the first two sections. With the third section you can take as long as you wish up to a maximum of one hour.

7. CBS Communication Skills Centre
A free CBS service for student
support and development
HDR seminars
Conversation classes
Webpage:

8. Graduate Research School (GRS), The Library & Faculties
Regularly check which research and writing workshops are being held by:
The Graduate Research School (GRS)
The Library
Your faculty

9. The Learning Centre (TLC)
Betters Essays
Betters Sentences
Better Grammar
Better Writing Academic Writing
Analytical Writing
Critical Thinking
Book these seminars and also check online programs at:

10. Faculty English Language Coordinators
Each Curtin faculty has a qualified and experienced English Language Development (FELD) Coordinator, who is responsible for designing and delivering discipline-aligned English language development in both face-to-face and online environments. The Faculty English Language Development Coordinators are as follows:
Curtin Business School: Dr Janine Rutledge (Tel: , Health Sciences: Dr Maggie McAlinden (Tel: , Humanities: Dr Trish Dooey (Tel: , Science and Engineering: Dr Reva Ramiah (Tel: ,

11. CHAtS (Conversational Help And Support)
CHAtS provides volunteer mentors to assist students with a variety of activities on a weekly basis. The focus is on speaking in English and joining in conversation-based games.
CHAtS is run by Curtin Volunteers!
Telephone:
For full information on all services, or to send us a general query: