Resources that trainees can access to improve their writing skills
There are two reasons why trainees might seek to improve their writing skills:
a) because they themselves have concerns about their writing skills, or
b) because concerns about the quality of written work have been raised by
course staff or placement supervisors, and the trainee has been asked to
develop an action plan to remedy these concerns
Trainees who have been asked to develop an action plan will usually need to access
a combination of resources, tailored to their learning needs.
Self-help resources
Books
There are a number of books that set out the rules of English grammar in a way that
is very accessible – a good example is Michael Swan’s Practical English Usage.
Online resources for improving grammar
A very helpful guide to grammar can be accessed at www.ucl.ac.uk/internetgrammar.
A
more
extensive
site
is
Purdue’s
“online
writing
lab”
(http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl). This includes an excellent overview of the basics
of grammar, punctuation and spelling, along with more detailed sections on specific
topics (for example, a section on the correct use of commas).
Online resources for developing academic writing
A wide range of resources on academic writing is available via Moodle (once logged
in these can be accessed via the ‘Personal & Professional Development’ menu).
Individual tutoring
Individually tailored guidance is available from UCL's two Royal Literary Fund
Fellows - professional authors who offer free one-to-one tutorials in effective
academic writing to all students at UCL. Their principal aim is to foster good writing
practice across all disciplines and media, helping students to write clearly and
effectively. They are based in the Graduate School and operate during academic
terms. Tutorials can be booked through the graduate school website:
www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/students/mphil_phd/training_and_skills_development/royal_literary
_fund_fellows/
The Graduate School Skills Development Programme website contains details of
both one-to-one tutorials and one- to three-day writing workshops specifically
designed for postgraduate students whose first language is not English
(www.grad.ucl.ac.uk/courses - look at “course list”).
These courses are free to trainees, but timing may be an issue as they cannot take
priority over teaching days on the DClinPsy programme.