Credible courses for language improvement or proofreading Thread poster: Anna Moorby DipTrans
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Dear all,
as part of my CPD, I am thinking of doing either a course to improve my English (as a native language, not a foreign one!) or a professional proof-reading course. I have found two that I think could be interesting
One is run by the London School of Journalism called Improving your English, which deals with writing style and grammar etc, and the other is run by the ICS homelearning organisation for a Diploma in Proof-reading, which also includes topics about grammar etc.
... See more Dear all,
as part of my CPD, I am thinking of doing either a course to improve my English (as a native language, not a foreign one!) or a professional proof-reading course. I have found two that I think could be interesting
One is run by the London School of Journalism called Improving your English, which deals with writing style and grammar etc, and the other is run by the ICS homelearning organisation for a Diploma in Proof-reading, which also includes topics about grammar etc.
I would like to do a home-study course, and was wondering if anyone could tell me whether these two are good/creditable/well though of etc, or whether there are any others out there. I would prefer UK English distance learning courses if poss.
thanks in advance for your help
Anna ▲ Collapse
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Angel Biojo
United States
Local time: 15:40
English to Spanish
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nramirez
Brazil
Local time: 19:40
Spanish to Portuguese
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| I'm looking fo the same | Aug 11, 2005 |
Thanks to a friend that give the expalnation about the free courses to improve my english !By"
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| for native speakers! | Aug 11, 2005 |
Thanks to everyone for their advice, but can I make it clear that English is my native language, and therefore I am not looking for normal English language courses, but the kinds of things that journalists and writers study in order to improve their style in their own native language.
cheers
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Maria Karra 
United States
Local time: 18:40
Member (2000)
Greek to English
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| editing/correction of English technical texts - distance learning | Aug 11, 2005 |
Anna,
Universitat Rovira i Virgili offers a short distance-learning course for editing English technical texts.
Course title: CEAL/I1/2006/4 - Correcció i Edició de l'Anglès Tècnic (No presencial)
Duration: 40 hours (4 credits)
Adreçat a: Tothom que hi estigui interessat i tingui un bon nivell d'anglès.
Objectius: Explicar les normes de la redacció de textos tècnics en anglès. Detectar i corregir problemes de redacció, tant de gramàtica... See more Anna,
Universitat Rovira i Virgili offers a short distance-learning course for editing English technical texts.
Course title: CEAL/I1/2006/4 - Correcció i Edició de l'Anglès Tècnic (No presencial)
Duration: 40 hours (4 credits)
Adreçat a: Tothom que hi estigui interessat i tingui un bon nivell d'anglès.
Objectius: Explicar les normes de la redacció de textos tècnics en anglès. Detectar i corregir problemes de redacció, tant de gramàtica com d'estil o de continguts.
Títol al que dóna dret: Certificat d'Aprofitament
Preu:400.00
Go to this website
http://www.fundacio.urv.es/formacio/ofFrameset
and on the left menu select "ESPECIALITATS" -> LLENGÜES|COMUNICACIÓ. The course will be the last item on the list.
Maria ▲ Collapse
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Italian Linguist (X)
Italy
Local time: 00:40
English to Italian
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Natalia Elo
Germany
Local time: 00:40
English to Russian
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| What's your goal? | Aug 13, 2005 |
Your posting makes me want to ask you if you can define what you are trying to achieve! You say you want to improve your writing style, but style is very genre-specific, and I'm not sure that the style cultivated by journalists would be appropriate for someone working outside the media. There are a number of courses for creative writers - people who write stories, novels and poems - but, again, if creative writing isn't what you aspire to that's probably not for you. Do you think that your gram... See more Your posting makes me want to ask you if you can define what you are trying to achieve! You say you want to improve your writing style, but style is very genre-specific, and I'm not sure that the style cultivated by journalists would be appropriate for someone working outside the media. There are a number of courses for creative writers - people who write stories, novels and poems - but, again, if creative writing isn't what you aspire to that's probably not for you. Do you think that your grammar or vocabulary need improving? - or do you write correctly but still feel it's not as good as you would like it to be? And are you referring entirely to writing in the course of translating - where the source text gives you a "model" to start from, or are you looking at this in a wider context? ▲ Collapse
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| More in-depth knowledge and streamlining | Aug 15, 2005 |
My grammar and spelling are sound, but I would like to have a more solid knowledge base with regards grammar, since much of the time, what an English person would say and what is technically correct can vary, for instance with hanging pronouns. So I would just like a more solid foundation on which to work. Sometimes, academic papers that I translate are for publication, and the magazines are a great deal more demanding than other clients with things such as correct hyphen usage etc.
I am a... See more My grammar and spelling are sound, but I would like to have a more solid knowledge base with regards grammar, since much of the time, what an English person would say and what is technically correct can vary, for instance with hanging pronouns. So I would just like a more solid foundation on which to work. Sometimes, academic papers that I translate are for publication, and the magazines are a great deal more demanding than other clients with things such as correct hyphen usage etc.
I am also just looking to streamline my English and make it slicker. Avoiding unwealdy or clumsy sentence structures.
The London School of Journalism course does seem to be what I'm looking for, but I suppose I just wanted to know if it was well regarded, or whether they actually deliver a good course.
many thanks
xx ▲ Collapse
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| Book suggestion | Aug 16, 2005 |
Anna
I'm afraid I can't help you with courses, but there's a new book out called "Mind the Gaffe: the Penguin Guide to Common Errors in English (author: Larry Trask). Its written in a lighthearted tone, and points out many of those little matters of style which I, being a stickler for correctness, had often wondered about. It's just a suggestion, while you look for your course!
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| Books & things | Aug 17, 2005 |
I'm not absolutely convinced that a course is the best way forwards - or at least you would have to look very carefully to be sure a course was going to do the specific things you want. If you fancy doing it more or less alone (and of course that depends on how gregarious/self-motivated you are), I would have thought you could get a long way by reading style guides (particularly those of academic organisations, and you'll find quite a few on the internet) - or books on the subject; you'll find s... See more I'm not absolutely convinced that a course is the best way forwards - or at least you would have to look very carefully to be sure a course was going to do the specific things you want. If you fancy doing it more or less alone (and of course that depends on how gregarious/self-motivated you are), I would have thought you could get a long way by reading style guides (particularly those of academic organisations, and you'll find quite a few on the internet) - or books on the subject; you'll find some listed at http://www.mantex.co.uk/samples/bib1b.htm. In addition, doing your own reading in an alert and critical fashion can be quite instructive - looking at, for example, newspaper articles and weighing up whether you think they are well written - and if not, why not. But if you can find a group that does that sort of thing that would also be good fun. ▲ Collapse
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| Exercising at home vs going to the gym! | Aug 17, 2005 |
I suppose I could read books, but I have little time, and I just get the feeling that if I had a deadline for handing in work, I'd actually do it. It's been something I've been meaning to do for ages, and do have a few books on it, but they just sit there gathering dust!
Oh well, I'll give it my best shot.
Thanks everyone for all your good advice!
xx
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