We spoke to Dr. Dina Awad, Associate Professor of Research and Academic Writing at Richmond, about her new book and the difficulty students face when reading & writing academic English.
What do you teach at Richmond?
Dr. Awad teaches everything from undergraduate to postgraduate: Foundations of Academic Writing/Reading (Foundation), to our liberal arts core course Research and Writing (1 & 2), to postgraduate class Advanced English for Business Studies. Dr. Awad saw how much Business and wider STEM students were struggling with producing written projects and dissertations; she set up the latter class to help these students. Those in her classes often “struggle with opening paragraphs and where to start,” and she wanted her book to encourage production (as opposed to editing or ‘correctness’ that other Academic English books focus on). She likes that Richmond offers English classes as part of the programme rather than charging for it separately like other UK universities do.
Tell me about the book!
Advanced Academic English: A handbook for university writing with glossary is a sparkling gem in a crowded sea of writing & reading resources. “Academic English is nobody’s first language”, Dr. Awad tells me. “(The book is) for native speakers and second language learners alike.”
Learning how to present a topic, how to logically connect ideas, reference properly and avoid idioms are crucial skills for all students. No matter if you are a maths, computer science, international relations or business student, you need these skills.
What is unique about the book?
The book takes a logical structure using simplistic language. “Simplicity is key,” she tells me. “Lots of other writers use heavy terminology,” which, we both agreed, defeats the point of publishing a book on how to write in academic English. The material is adapted from actual class materials in her years of teaching experience. Particularly, the glossary at the back is taken from real life examples in student’s work. “I wanted to give them a useful alternative.”
Dr. Awad also wanted the book to be useful for a younger generation. “I wanted the content to be easy to scroll,” whether that be on a phone, tablet or e-reader. The pages of the book are simple, short and clean, affording students the ability to dip in and out as needed.
Q: What was your favourite experience while writing & getting the book published?
“Every learning experience is joyful, as long as I’m learning. I loved learning about the publishing industry, something I knew nothing about before.”
Advanced Academic English: A handbook for university writing with glossary is available at all major book retailers (ebook & paperback) from 22nd February 2024. Dr. Awad is looking to do a visual guide for more sight-based learners in the future.
