STEMskiller: Skill Set Map for Mentors of Early Career Researchers
CAREER MANAGEMENT
Language training
Definition:
While English is currently “the” language to learn in STEM, mentees may also need additional language competencies for exchange experiences, postdoc stays, internships, and other stints abroad. Mentors should consider formalizing expectations about required language competencies for those they mentor, and create opportunities for mentees to improve their skills—either by utilizing existing language support entities at their institutions or by supplementing them whenever possible. This training should go beyond the acquisition of specialized vocabularies and include training in: discourse, creation of complex texts, explanation, argumentation, purpose, text and sentence structures, and related written and oral communication skills.[1]
For students wishing to study in English language programs, standardized test scores may be required, commonly TOEFL or IELTS. Links to these test information sites are provided below.
[1] Chmiel, M. (n.d.). Talking Science: Where STEM Literacy and Language Acquisition Meet. https://ssec.si.edu/stemvisions-blog/talking-science-where-stem-literacy-and-language-acquisition-meet
Useful Language training resources:
ETS. (2021). The TOEFL Family of Assessments. https://www.ets.org/toefl
Information for test takers planning to study in Australia and New Zealand, Canada, the U.K. and Europe, and the United States.
IELTS. (2021). IELTS Home of the IELTS English Exam. https://www.ielts.org/
Describes the IELTS testing system and its two tests, Academic and General Training.
Tags: All IPS; all PSR; all GL; all Comp
Peer Review: None
Table of contents:
- 3.2. Leadership and teamwork
3.3. Tenure process
3.4. Placement and job searching/seeking
3.5. Self-promotion
3.6. Where academia & the private sector intersect
3.7. Wellness/wellbeing & personal effectiveness
Author: Stephanie Krueger
Peer Reviewer(s): None
Last Updated: October 28, 2021