Graduate Science Academic English Tutorial

This program is designed to equip our graduate students with valuable language skills that enable them to get the most out of their studies.

Each year, the Faculty of Science offers graduate students the opportunity to apply for the Graduate Science Academic English Tutorial.

These series of workshops are free, require no additional assessment and are a great way to develop and apply valuable language skills for class participation, assessment tasks and research.

The sessions are facilitated by one of the University’s highly qualified Academic Skills Advisers and offer you the opportunity to develop and learn among fellow science students in a welcoming and supportive environment.

Areas of focus

These workshops cover a range of skills and include three key areas of focus:

  • English language for success at university

    • Writing in a clear academic style
    • Speaking and communicating
    • Reading for research purposes
    • General academic vocabulary

  • Academic skills

    • Referencing
    • Notetaking
    • Critical reading processes
    • Time management

  • Teamwork and confidence building

    • Interaction and support
    • Using English confidently
    • Building friendships

Previous participants of the GSAET program

What motivates students to improve their academic English, and what have they achieved?

Tutorials will begin in Week 2 of Semester 1, 2021

Space is limited and applications are necessary. Tutorials start in week 2 and finish in week 11 (excluding non-teaching weeks) for a 10-week series of tutorial sessions. Tutorials will be held on Wednesday or Thursday each week (either on campus or via Zoom). Please choose which stream you wish to attend depending on your availability, location and preferred learning environment.

Apply for the GSAET

Week Session stream options Academic Skills Topic
 Online option - see Canvas pageOn-campus option - 757 Swanston St 
2Wed, 10 March
9am - 10:30am 		Thurs, 11 March
3:15pm - 4:45pm 
Session 1: Speaking in tutorials, time management, academic culture
3
Wed, 17 March
9am - 10:30am
Thurs, 18 March
3:15pm - 4:45pm  
Session 2: Presentations – language, organisation, delivery
4
Wed, 24 March
9am - 10:30am
Thurs, 25 March
3:15pm - 4:45pm 		Session 3: Reading critically, notetaking – 6Rs
5
Wed, 31 March
9am - 10:30am
Thurs, 1 April
3:15pm - 4:45pm 		Session 4: Reading, notetaking – NOW technique
No classes this week - non-teaching period
6
Wed, 14 April
9am - 10:30
Thurs, 15 April
3:15pm - 4:45pm 		Session 5: Academic writing 1 – referencing and plagiarism
7
Wed, 21 April
9am - 10:30am
Thurs, 22 April
3:15pm - 4:45pm 		Session 6: Academic writing 2 – paragraph structure
8
Wed, 28 April
9am - 10:30am
Thurs, 29 April
3:15pm - 4:45pm		Session 7: Academic writing 3 – academic register
9
Wed, 5 May
9am - 10:30am
Thurs, 6 May
3:15pm - 4:45pm		Session 8: Academic writing 4 – cohesion and complexity
10
Wed, 12 May
9am - 10:30am
Thurs, 13 May
3:15pm - 4:45pm		Week 9: Fact or opinion – reading critically
11
Wed, 19 May
9am - 10:30am
Thurs, 20 May
3:15pm - 4:45pm		Week 10: Synthesising sources and review

Applications will be reviewed within 3 working days of submission. Successful applicants will be invited to self-enrol into subject’s Canvas page, allowing access to relevant subject information and resources as well as links to individual Zoom sessions.

If you can't attend these sessions but would like access to other language and academic skills resources, please visit the Academic Skills webpage. Here you can enrol into a workshop, access online learning modules or book a time with an Academic Skills advisor.

For more information contact sci-studentexperience@unimelb.edu.au