Study Skills for Chinese Students

Dr Mike Courtney is an Academic Skills Tutor at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. He has taught in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, The Middle East and the UK. He has researched the influence of culture and language on learning styles and academic skill development. He currently teaches in the UK and in Hong Kong, in the area of academic skills development and Open Learning. Dr Xiangping Du is an Academic Skills Tutor at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, supporting students in a wide range of academic skills areas. She studied in both a Chinese and English higher education environment, and understands the different academic expectations from her own experience both as a student and as a Tutor. Her research in investigating Chinese students' perception of motivation towards, and identification with, the English language, enhanced her understanding of the academic challenges Chinese students face when they come to study in an English context.

Chapter 1: Introduction: Living and Studying in the UK Chapter 2: Developing Your Academic English Skills Chapter 3: Developing Your Academic Study Skills Chapter 4: Assignments, Assessment and Feedback Chapter 5: Research and Dissertations Appendix

'Study Skills for Chinese Students really helps me to understand how to study successfully in the UK. I really like the personal stories of some of the students, and Xiangping's tips in Chinese are really helpful and give me confidence.' -- Aoke Zhang, Student 'This book is very easy to read and understand. The tips in Chinese help me make sense of English texts. I also find the examples are very useful to demonstrate 'good' and 'bad' ways of writing. I wish I had this book when I first started studying in the UK. I would strongly recommend all Chinese students studying in the UK to get hold of the book and I am sure it will make a big positive difference to their academic studies and success!' -- Sean Song, Student 'I really like the clear and detailed explanations of the UK academic ideas and assessments. There are lots of good examples on how to structure answers and how to write and reference academically to avoid plagiarism.' -- Keith Tong, Student This is a really useful and comprehensive guide for Chinese students about the essential academic skills needed for successful study in higher education in the UK. It covers all skill areas as well as general information for Chinese students new to the UK academic environment. It includes helpful examples; short reflective tasks; self tests ; personal guidance from one of the authors and sections on study tips written in Chinese to aid students' understanding. It is a book that is perfectly designed for students to dip into or work systematically through. Importantly, it highlights where there may be dissimilarities in academic cultural practice and provides simple, easy-to-remember tips such as PEEEL for paragraph construction - (main) Point, Example, Explanation and Evidence, Link (to next paragraph) and KISS - Keep It Short and Simple for sentence construction in academic writing. Ranging from living and studying in the UK; through developing your academic English and study skills; assignments, assessment and feedback to research and dissertation, this book packs a great deal of useful information into its 250 pages. -- Julie Watson, Principal Teaching Fellow in e-Learning and Head of eLanguages, University of Southampton [The book] is a well-designed short course for students to dip into - through the use of the detailed contents pages and useful index - or work systematically through. Importantly, it highlights where there may be differences in academic cultural practice between the students' previous experience and what they may find in UK HE. The book includes a great deal of useful information and can be recommended for Chinese students studying - or preparing to study - in the UK at all levels. -- Andy Gillet