Writing Courses and Writing Advisory Service

With the individual Writing Advisory Service, we support international students enrolled at the University of Kassel. We support these students during the writing process of assignments, in phrasing academic texts, as well as, by giving ideas on how to develop linguistic strengths and pay attention to aspects of the academic language in German.

To fulfil these purposes, we discuss the text (no more than five pages at a time) of a term paper, Bachelor's or Master's thesis, etc. in a personal advisory session. The focus lies on the logic and objectivity of the text, the scientific/academic nature of expressions, correct citation etc. and, of course, grammar and spelling.

However, the Writing Advisory Service does not include proofreading of the entire text. It is more about "helping you to help yourself": together we find ways to omit linguistic weaknesses so that the academic text complies to the standards of academic language and writing in German.

After the completion of the written assignment, proofreading is usually required to check the text for spelling, typing errors, grammar, etc.

The Protestant Student Community of the University of Kassel offers competent and free proofreading help: www.esg-kassel.de/beratung/vermittlung-von-korrekturhilfe/

The seminars and workshops on academic writing for international students offer a variety of opportunities to deepen the knowledge of academic language standards in German and to apply it to texts relevant to the studies. In addition, the courses improve comprehension and processing of reading academic texts as well as academic writing, thus strengthening one's self-confidence as an intercultural academic personality.

Seminars and workshops address questions such as "How do I find suitable topics for written assignments or term papers? How do I narrow my topic and phrase the research question? How do I quote correctly? How can I structure texts argumentatively?". These and other issues will be tackled in a practical approach. The following aspects of written assignments are illustrated by texts and phrases and focus on topics, such as:

• performing targeted research work,
• phrasing a hypothesis,
• structuring a text logically,
• quoting indirectly and paraphrasing other people's thoughts,
• phrasing in a scientific way,
• writing an argumentative text.

Numerous linguistic exercises for phrasing and structuring own academic texts build further focal points of the courses. In addition, students have the opportunity to present their own academic work, reflect on it and receive linguistic support.

Currently, all courses on Academic Writing and the Writing Advisory Service are offered in ONLINE format.

Course offers in the winter semester 2021/22

In the winter semester 2021/22 the following courses are offered free of charge and in ONLINE format:

We offer workshops at irregular intervals during the semester break. These include short workshops before the start of the semester as part of the "Fit ins Semester" programme, but also longer workshops on specific topics (vocabulary, grammar) or, just before the time of writing assignments, workshops with compact content.