Workshop "Trim the Fat: How to write clear and concise academic English"

Academic writing by Russian speakers often carries over habits from Russian academic style: heavy hedging, nominalizations, and impersonal constructions used more often than English conventions call for. This workshop covers how to cut unnecessary hedging, use articles ("the" and "a") correctly, and use passive voice deliberately rather than by default.

We'll go through real excerpts from abstracts, rewrite dense sentences live, and get hands-on practice making these edits yourselves. You'll leave with a checklist for self-editing so your writing meets the expectations of English-language journals and reviewers.

Speaker: Alex Hughes is an English teacher, technical writer, and proofreader. He guides students at Russian research institutes in editing their academic papers, and helps software development companies refine their technical content. With over 10 years of TEFL experience, Alex also runs speaking clubs and prepares students for international English language exams. He holds a BA (Hons) in Russian Civilisation and a TEFL Certificate.