Course Descriptions

This course follows the Monterey Institute's English for Academic and Professional Purposes curriculum, focusing on the academic rhetoric of various academic disciplines and asking students to conduct field specific research in their academic areas. The goal of this course is to provide students the foundation for written competency at the graduate level in their fields enabling them to become independent writers and readers of academic English. Students will draw upon skills learned in the Computer Training and Research Basics course as they compose course assignments and include them in their Graduate Studies Portfolio.

Content for this course will be tailored to academic disciplines, and course activities will familiarize participants with the lexical and rhetorical conventions of their chosen fields. Scholars will write a 4-6 page focus paper, following the guidelines for either the natural or social sciences, depending on the scholars' field of interest. In this course students will:

• develop reading and rhetorical skills specific to the academic context through practice with a variety of sources such as textbooks, periodicals, journals, and books
• conduct research through writing a brief source-based paper
• learn to write from sources and use published material in research
• practice strategies to avoid plagiarism
• complete the Graduate Studies Portfolio

Public Speaking for Academic Purposes is specifically designed to give participants the necessary skills and confidence to deliver professional and articulate presentations for academic and professional forums where English is the medium of communication. This course is also intended to provide students with an arena for sharing research components from their Graduate Writing class in the form of a Power Point presentation. In this workshop, students will:

• practice impromptu and expository speaking and formal debating style
• analyze their audience
• improve verbal and non-verbal communication skills, articulation, and projection
• problem solve at the podium
• develop a Power Point presentation
• analyze and critique professional speeches
• provide constructive feedback of thier own speeches and those of their peers
• target specific strengths and areas for improvement
• prepare and deliver a final presentation
• conduct a question and answer session

The goal of the Academic Communication course is to increase students' knowledge of American classroom protocol, emphasizing participation in a typical graduate classroom or seminar. This course is specifically designed to complement the Lecture Series: American Issues/Academic Discussion (see below). Academic Communication will meet weekly in preparation for Thursday guest lectures. In addition to conducting pre-lecture surveys with native speakers to gain background of lecture topics, students will compare and contrast American graduate classrooms with those of their home countries. Through discussions of professor-student classroom expectations and classroom etiquette, students will develop ways to maximize participation. Students will also practice interaction strategies, turn-taking skills, and clarification tactics. Thursday lecture topics will serve as the basis for classroom discussions. Students can expect to:

• become acquainted with United States classroom dynamics
• learn how to recognize classroom discourse strategies and speech patterns
• improve active participation in classroom discussions
• become aware of and refine obvious pronunciation problems
• build confidence in expressing ideas and opinions
• interact with classmates and professors by asking questions and interrupting appropriately

Community leaders and professionals will be invited to speak as guest lecturers in the Lecture Series. An effort will be made to invite a diverse number of lecturers from various ethnic, as well as professional, backgrounds.

The goal of the Lecture Series: American Issues/Academic Discussions is to offer background knowledge in American culture, government, politics, and the media while providing students with the opportunity to practice the skills they are learning in the Academic Communication course. Faculty from the Monterey Institute and other Monterey area institutions will lecture on selected topics each Thursday for approximately one hour. Prior to each lecture, students will learn strategies for effective listening and note-taking skills to be used in context. Immediately following the lecture, students will take part in faculty-led seminar discussions using their note-taking and participation skills.

Research is at the heart of graduate education. Preparing students for graduate research is the goal of this course, which uses the resources of the Institute library, computer labs, and multimedia centers to familiarize students with research basics. As graduate students are now both required and expected to be conversant in the use of computers to conduct and report research, as well as to participate in courses in and out of the classroom, this course will enable students to use the Internet to conduct research in their field of study, and communicate effectively and appropriately with their classmates and others through online learning platforms (such as Moodle) and email correspondence.

As portfolios represent activities and processes as much as they do products, the goal of this portfolio is to demonstrate that the student is prepared for graduate studies while acquainting the student with the specific university locale to which he or she is headed. Additionally, the portfolio will require students to synthesize knowledge and skills from different program components. Using the Internet, students will investigate their universitites' home pages, use email to contact university personnel, and research the surrounding community. Elements of the portfolio include:

• samples from each course in the program with student commentary
• samples of any information collected via the Internet from the student's target university
• relevant e-mail exchanged between student and university representatives
• brief discipline-specific research paper
• Power Point presentation (developed in the Public Speaking course)

Fulbright scholars will have the opportunity to meet a broad cross-section of speakers and personalities from the local community. Scholars will learn from housing placement counselors and local landlords what the options and challenges of graduate life living arrangements can be. Scholars are also given tips on living with a roommate and versed in strategies of conflict resolution. Regarding community life outside the classroom, scholars are introduced to the coffee culture of the U.S. as they visit a local coffee house and peruse the free publications (available in most cities) which post announcements on a variety of cultural events. A discussion of alternative lifestyles described in the publications is also facilitated. Moreover, scholars are made aware of the kinds of organizations and events that are usually found on most American university campuses and discuss ways scholars can get involved with their campus community. The class culminates in a graduate student panel of both American and international students (including current Fulbright scholars) who offer the new scholars insight into the American university system. Topics may include gender issues, intercultural communication, and American customs.