Communication in English - A must for a PhD student

Abstract

In an increasingly globalised world, the role of English is indisputable. It has become the international language of communication, a lingua franca, so it is imperative that postgraduates and novice academic professionals be able to use the language as an interactive tool. They must communicate effectively and professionally in both written and spoken forms. For Tomas Bata University in Zlin, the language competences of PhD students are a priority. Therefore, the University has long been offering courses adapted to its requirements. The skills students should master include stylistic variation in different kinds of text, recognising various genres and aims, producing coherent and structured texts, giving oral presentations in formal settings or recognising differences in grammatical and stylistic patterns in speech and in writing. Postgraduates should be able to take an active part in discussions in academic contexts of their discipline and to interact with a high degree of fluency and spontaneity. They should be able to present clear, logically organized presentations or arguments in a style appropriate to the context and given audience, presentations with an effective structure and with appropriate conclusions. Besides spoken communication, great attention is also paid to clear and unambiguous written scientific communication. Students are required to present their research results as accurately and professionally as possible, so in cooperation with a supervisor and under the guidance of the English teacher, they write a research paper for potential publication in a chosen suitable journal. In doing so, they practise the language and structural patterns learned in the course and obtained from their individual reading of authentic texts (effective writing models) and get detailed feedback from the teacher. The result of the course is a complete research paper on the student's topic of interest, ready to be submitted for publication.