Write and speak like a pro Are you sure that you are not using Hunglish* when you think you are always using English? Would you like to work abroad or for a foreign company, and want to make sure that your job interview will be a success with language as well? Have you ever been afraid to speak up at meetings or conferences because you knew you could not speak as well as the other participants? IF YOU RECOGNIZED YOURSELF OR YOUR PROBLEM IN ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS, THEN THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU. *Hunglish is the term used for a particular version of English affected by Hungarian. It comes about when rules of Hungarian grammar are applied instead of the rules of English. Speakers often do not even notice their mistakes: they think they use the proper forms forgetting the fact that these are proper in Hungarian only. To give a very simple example, Hungarians often make the mistake of using the definite article before abstract nouns (the nature, the society), simply translating the Hungarian construction into English. The use of the article is regulated by a very complicated system of rules in English, and their wrong use immediately identifies a non-native speaker.
English in Use Master Course Write and speak like a pro Nobody can compete internationally without writing and speaking well and according to accepted standards. It is not something we are born with: good writers and good speakers (whether native or non-native) have always been schooled in rhetoric, composition, and critical thinking. This is why we offer our course to leadstudents to excellence in various writing and presentation styles used in high-level professional communication. Our English in use master course is offered by the Mesterkurzusok for those whose English is very good, but want to become professional English communicators too. It is a course in modern English rhetoric focused on writing and speaking in public: students will learn the standards operative in the various styles and genres, together with the basics of critical thinking, without which they could not formulate their thoughts and ideas clearly and cogently. Moreover, students will acquire the practical skills necessary in professional writing and public speaking, from writing succinct memos to asking questions to giving elaborate and winning presentations. Who do we recommend this Master Course to? 1. Employees who use English for their work, whether for communicating with clients, superiors, or colleagues in English: lawyers, interpreters, guides, research workers and research assistants, journalists, secretaries, spokespersons. 2. Job seekers with international companies within Hungary or companies abroad. 3. University students who would like to improve their language skills. 4. High school students soon to enter Hungarian or foreign universities. 5. Managers who would like to improve their writing expertise so that they can produce better presentations, synopses, memos, or other professional material. 6. English teachers who would like to refresh their knowledge, and learn outside school but still in an English speaking community, and who would like to implement the acquired knowledge in the framework of school lessons. 7. Lovers of English.
Our students wrote: The master course has changed my life in a positive way; I pay much more attention to much more things. It felt good to leave the everyday world of working behind. Thanks a lot! I got to know new people during the course, where I spent pleasurable Saturday mornings. Since the course I have paid more attention to grammatical structures when reading English articles, which has resulted in constant development in the language I use. It was a delight to listen to high-quality English presentations again. Since the course I have had more courage to use the language orally and in writing. Instructor Enikő Bollobás, Professor, Chair (ELTE) Dr. Bollobás is an academic and a writer. She has taught American literature at ELTE and several U.S. universities and has published scholarly books and articles in Hungary and internationally. As a senior diplomat posted in Washington, D.C., she lectured nationwide on East- Central Europe's democratic transition, Hungary's foreign and security policy, and other topics of interest. Her opinion pieces have appeared in The Washington Post and The International Herald Tribune, and were incorporated into the Congressional Record of the U.S. Congress.
Form of the Master Course: I. Semester: Lectures with practice sessions II. Semester: Interactive practise sessions Schedule: I. Semester: Writing in use (5 lectures with practice sessions, 120 minutes each) 1. Critical thinking and clear writing; reasoning and arguments Practice session: identifying claims and arguments 2. Logical fallacies Practice session: identifying flaws of logic 3. Organizing the composition I: diction, bias-free language Practice session: word choice 4. Organizing the composition II: the paragraph and the sentence Practice session: the well-structured text 5. Organizing the composition III: the lead and the ending The practical writer: business letters, the CV, electronic communication II. Semester: Speaking to win (5 interactive practise sessions, 120 minutes each) 1. What all professional speakers must know: how to make a point, how to structure a talk 2. Bringing yourself to ask questions; types of questions; asking the right questions 3. The well-spoken professional: the business interview, conducting meetings, coaching and managing employees, responding to objections 4. Presentations I: structuring, signposting, slides, delivery 5. Presentations II: practice session (learning from the master, Steve Jobs)
Accredited training The course is registered by Felnőttképzési Akkreditációs Testület (FAT in Hungarian, or Adult Educational Accreditation Committee in English, PL-3645). Time: I. Semester: November 9, 2013, to December 7, 2013 (Saturdays only) 5 sessions, 120 minutes each II. Semester: January-February, 2014 (Saturdays only) 5 sessions, 120 minutes each Venue: Budapest, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 5. Tuition fee: Full price: 65. 000 Ft Reduced price: 50.000 Ft The following individuals are entitled to pay the reduced price: school teachers, students, expectant mothers, pensioners, journalists who are members of MUOSZ, former students of Magyar Író Akadémia and of Mesterkurzusok. Please show relevant documents in all cases. Registration: You can register by returning the application form. Please attach a copy of the certificate of your highest education level, a copy of your language exam (if there is) and a copy of the document that might entitle you to pay the reduced price. A colleague of ours will get in touch with you soon. Registration requirements We do not require you to have a language exam. However, since this is not an ordinary language course, we do insist that you only apply if you speak very good English (at least intermediate-level, but preferably higher). Applicants can write a self-placement test if needed. More information about the master course: Address: Budapest, Semmelweis u. 25. Telephone: 06 1 266 7601 Mobile phone: 06 20 339 9044 (Kardos Bernadett) Fax: 06 1 266 7603 E-mail: bernadett.kardos@dft.hu Web: www.mesterkurzusok.hu
Quality philosophy The masters live among us. We do not believe in theoretical experts, our lecturers are the most acknowledged and well-known practical representatives. Our curriculum is unique and irreplaceable We only transmit ideas that are not present in the system of higher or postgraduate education, and cannot be found in any course books. We start a new era in our students way of thinking We do not teach our students how to act but how to think, so that they will be able to control their actions independently. We mobilize the whole personality of the participants. We affect attitude which later remains in thinking and action. We build communities We inspire the participants to be open, co-operative and solid. A work relation or companionship comes to being between students and lecturers. We put You in the circulation of the profession We make a personal relation to the lecturers possible, so that everyone can receive feedback about the work done at least in writing. Our students success is our success The measure of our efficiency is not only the satisfaction of our students. We are truly efficient, if our students fate, career is positively affected by the completion of the Course.