PROGRAMME INFORMATION

This 6-week pre-sessional course, offered in six sessions of four hours each, helps incoming postgraduate students develop the communication skills required for success in their programmes. It builds core academic literacy skills through clear and focused instruction. Students learn how to apply Purpose, Audience, and Context (PAC) to shape both written and spoken communication. They develop coherence in their writing by using cohesive devices effectively. The course also strengthens essential reading-to-writing abilities. Students practise summarising key ideas from academic texts and writing concise reader responses that show understanding and critical thinking.

To support participation in graduate classes, the course includes training in audience engagement and presentation skills. Students learn how to organise their ideas, design clear visuals, and communicate complex information in an accessible way. Activities include guided practice, short tasks, and targeted feedback.

By the end of the course, students will have a stronger foundation in academic communication. They will be better prepared to handle reading workloads, produce clear writing, and speak confidently in academic settings. These skills support success across disciplines and help students transition smoothly into their postgraduate programmes at NTU.

This course is optional and non-credit bearing. Participants will receive a certificate upon successful completion.

In this course, students will learn to:

1. utilise the Purpose–Audience–Context (PAC) framework to craft communication that is precise and appropriately tailored to its context;
2. apply a variety of cohesive devices to improve clarity, ensure logical flow, and maintain coherence in academic writing;
3. produce concise, accurate summaries of texts by identifying central arguments and synthesising insights across multiple sources;
4. compose reader responses that show thoughtful engagement with the text, clear interpretation of the author’s ideas, and well-supported evaluation using relevant evidence; and
5. plan and deliver clear, well-organised presentations that demonstrate confident delivery, purposeful slide design, and a strong awareness of communicative aims.

Duration: 5 to 7 Minutes

This assessment requires each student to select one research article from a curated list of approximately 15 readings on current events and present it to the class. The task is designed to strengthen students’ ability to interpret academic research and communicate complex ideas clearly to a non-specialist audience.

To develop a well-informed stance, students must also locate two to three additional readings. These may include reputable news reports or expert commentaries that challenge or extend the arguments in the main article. The supplementary sources help students develop a deeper understanding of the topic.

Students are also expected to apply reader response and critical engagement skills when working with their selected texts. This includes interpreting claims, evaluating the strength and credibility of the evidence, and forming a thoughtful personal response that links the articles to wider perspectives on the topic.

In this scenario, students take on the role of a postgraduate researcher giving a practice academic presentation to an imagined undergraduate audience. The aim is to explain the key insights from the chosen articles in a manner that is intellectually stimulating for a younger audience.

Students must apply the Purpose–Audience–Context (PAC) framework when planning and delivering their presentation.

• The purpose of the task is to inform undergraduates about key findings from the selected articles and to present a well-supported stance using additional readings.
• The audience consists of undergraduates who have limited background knowledge of the topic.
• The context is an academic presentation designed to communicate ideas clearly and meaningfully to the audience.

Through this task, students practise analysing research, integrating different perspectives, and presenting challenging ideas in a way that is engaging for non-experts.