Study, Research and Language Skills

The Academic Skills and Learning Centre

There is an Academic Skills and Learning Centre on campus, open every day. The ASLC runs courses on writing and research skills, makes many resources available online and offers appointments for discussion of specific issues.

Twice a year, the Academic Skills and Learning Centre runs a one day induction program for new research students on behalf of the ANU, which is highly recommended.

If English is not your first language and you would like to improve your oral and written English skills, the ASLC runs the University English Language Program, a series of courses designed to improve listening, presentation and pronunciation skills. You can also book individual sessions with the Second Language Advisor who will even read a draft of a paper and help you identify areas that could be improved upon.

Research skills

The Research Student Development Centre web site lists a comprehensive set of workshops, seminars and programs to support research candidates. In addition CEDAM has a monthly Research Theory and Methodology workshop for candidates enrolled in Education research degrees.

Foreign language skills

If a substantial component of work discussed in your thesis is originally in a foreign language, you may need to undertake language training; and of course it is best to start as early as possible.

You may enrol, free of charge, in any undergraduate language course at ANU. Go to the College of Arts and Social Sciences Student Office (Haydon-Allen Building) and explain that you are a research student and need to do the course as an adjunct to your graduate work, and they will arrange enrolment.