The School of Graduate Studies offers free workshops for Memorial University graduate students. These non-credit workshops are offered to registered students in graduate diploma, masters, or doctoral programs and designed to help improve speaking and writing skills for a variety of contexts.

Fall 2025 writing and speaking skills workshops will be held once a week from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the dates below. All workshops will be offered online in Newfoundland Standard Time (NDT) via Brightspace.

Writing and Speaking Skills Workshops:

Formal Speaking
This workshop explores the appropriate use of formal language, introduces essential formal English phrases, and provides strategies to enhance your effectiveness and confidence in formal communication settings. It also offers techniques for initiating and maintaining casual conversations when conversing with classmates.

Date and Time: Wednesday, October 1, 2025, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mode: Online
Registration Deadline: September 30, 2025
REGISTER

Note-Taking
This workshop outlines several note-taking techniques and how to use them effectively to organize relevant information. It includes note-taking using flashcards, Word, and Excel for research papers.

Date and Time: Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mode: Online
Registration Deadline: October 7, 2025
REGISTER

PowerPoint Design
This workshop explores ways to organize PP slides to effectively coincide with the objectives of the presenter. It highlights ways to make the slides clear, concise and effective for the audience.

Date and Time: Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mode: Online
Registration Deadline: October 14, 2025
REGISTER

Presentation Skills
This workshop explores strategies to present clear and coherent ideas, while engaging the audience. It includes giving a presentation with visuals and giving a speech without visuals and some unique examples of what not to do.

Date and Time: Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mode: Online
Registration Deadline: October 21, 2025
REGISTER

Writing Process
This workshop explores the writing process; brainstorming, gathering information, organizing, drafting, revising, editing & proofreading. It touches on clear and concise writing to improve academic writing.

Date and Time: Wednesday, October 29, 2025, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mode: Online
Registration Deadline: October 28, 2025
REGISTER

Debates
This debate workshop explores the structure, keys terms, and the skills necessary to present your perspective in a clear, polite, and articulate manner while understanding and confirming other viewpoints.

Date and Time: Wednesday, November 5, 2025, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mode: Online
Registration Deadline: November 4, 2025
REGISTER

Effective Emails
This workshop outlines the structure of formal and informal emails while highlighting the use of clear and concise language to capture the readers’ attention especially for cold introductions before an interview and follow- up emails.

Date and Time: Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mode: Online
Registration Deadline: November 11, 2025
REGISTER

Interviews
This workshop presents ways to secure an interview, common interview questions and tips to optimize the interview experience and outcome.  It also includes some follow advice after an interview.

Date and Time: Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mode: Online
Registration Deadline: November 18, 2025
REGISTER

Academic Proposal Writing
This workshop introduces how to write grant and thesis proposals with some tips to obtain the best results.

Date and Time: Wednesday, November 26, 2025, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mode: Online
Registration Deadline: November 25, 2025
REGISTER

Incorporating In-Text Citations
This workshop introduces strategies to smoothly insert citations in writing to optimize their effectiveness and to avoid plagiarism.

Date and Time: Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mode: Online
Registration Deadline: December 2, 2025
REGISTER

 

Individual Appointment for English Language Skills

If you are interested in improving your spoken and written English proficiency or have inquiries regarding improving your English language skills, please contact esl@mun.ca for more information or to arrange a 30-minute individual online appointment with an ESL instructor.