English for Academic Study

The aim of this term is to develop your ability to communicate effectively in a range of academic contexts to a level at least equivalent to an IELTS score of 5.5.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this term you should be able to:

• Read texts up to 1,000 words long on general and familiar topics in academic and everyday contexts. Use basic text analysis skills to identify the structure and purpose of different sections of text.
• Distinguish main ideas and details when listening to in-class discussions and straightforward lectures up to 10 minutes long on familiar and semi-academic topics.
• Write short essays 400 – 500 words long describing a process, a narrative, or comparing and contrasting. Link information effectively within and between paragraphs. Refer to reading and listening material to support points.
• Communicate 1-1 on general, familiar and semi-academic topics using a range of structures to describe and clarify information and ideas and express your views. Give presentations 8-10 minutes long and respond to questions.

Timetable

Each week comprises 15.5 hours of in-class learning per week divided into 2-hour and 1.5 hour sessions and 10-15 minutes per week for individual consultations, plus approximately 15-18  hours per week homework.  

Assessment

You will be assessed in all four skills through class work, homework, and end-of-term tests. 

• Reading: 40% End-of-block test; 40% Class tasks; 60% Monitored class work
• Listening: 40% End-of-block test; 40% Class tasks; 60% Monitored class work
• Writing: 40% In-class timed writing; 60% Tasks completed at home or in class
• Speaking: 40% short presentations (8-10 mins); 60% Monitored class tasks

Teaching methodology

Working collaboratively is an important part of the language learning process. In your classes you will be working independently and collaboratively. This can take place in pairs, or small groups of three or four. Groups can be mixed in nationality, gender and language ability to maximise opportunities for communication.

The aim of the Spring term is to develop your ability to communicate effectively in a range of academic-related contexts to a level of at least equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.0 in reading, listening, writing and speaking.

The term consists of two four-week blocks.  The first block begins in April and focuses on group work and collaborative learning.  The second block begins in May and focuses on core academic skills and language.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the Spring term, you should be able to:

• Reading - Read a range of texts of up to 2,000 words including short journal articles using reading strategies to navigate sections of texts, infer meaning and critically evaluate potential source-texts for writing.
• Listening - Comprehend and take effective notes on main ideas and details when listening to discussions and straightforward lectures of up to 15-20 minutes in length covering familiar & semi academic topics.
• Writing - By the end of April: write a group research report of 1,000 words demonstrating analysis and incorporating sources from background reading. By the end of May: write essays of 550-700 words in length using rhetorical functions such as cause/effect, research report, and argument, demonstrating analysis and evaluation skills and incorporating sources from background reading.
• Speaking - By the end of April: deliver a short presentation, along with team members, on your research project.  By the end of May: communicate effectively on general and less familiar topics in both everyday & academic situations, including seminar discussions in which you support your stance by referring to reading.

Timetable 
Classes may be scheduled any time 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday.

Each day will typically comprise:

• 90-minute small group tutorial
• 60-90 minute-lecture
• Around 4 hours of guided independent and group study to be completed in your own time

Over each 4-week block, you will also have 2 or 3 individual or small group consultations with your teacher.

Your class and teaching methodology

For each four-week block you will be working in small groups of 8 to 12 students.  You will have one teacher responsible for: teaching the tutorial sessions, monitoring your progress, and meeting with you for your individual or small group consultations. Your lectures will be in larger groups, most likely delivered by a different teacher from your tutorial sessions. These lectures will give important input to help with independent study and give you the chance to clarify independent study tasks.

The April block of teaching has been designed around group work, so you will be working very closely with team members on your research project.  Groups will, wherever possible, be mixed in gender and nationality.  Working collaboratively is an important part of the language learning process.  It necessitates interaction and communication, and it also develops life skills that are transferable to future study and work contexts.  There may be times when your group will need to work outside of scheduled classes - it is important to be aware of this and to prioritise your time and tasks.

As well as working in a team, you will also be expected to work independently to demonstrate your knowledge and skills through individual tasks.

Assessment

You will be assessed in all four skills through class work, homework, and end-of-term tests. 

Assessment is based on the completion of all assessment tasks and attainment of the ILOs.  Assessment criteria as outlined in the EAS Assessment Descriptors are used in the evaluation of all tasks.

Core material

All course materials will be provided on Moodle, the University's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) or accessed through the University Library.

The aim of the summer term is to develop your ability to communicate effectively in a range of academic-related contexts to a level at least equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with no sub-skill less than 6.0.

The Face-to-Face Programme consists of two five-week blocks.  The first block begins in June and focuses on core academic skills and language.

The second block begins in July and focusses on skills and language relevant to specific academic disciplines or clusters of related disciplines.  Students will be allocated to the most appropriate of our seven Bridging Programmes:

• Accounting and Finance
• Management
• Science, Technology,  Engineering & Urban Planning
• Law
• Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities
• Education
• Biomedical Sciences

All students on the Face-to-Face Programme will join one of the above Bridging Programmes.
Bridging Programmes are not offered as part of Pre-sessional Online.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the term, you should be able to:

• Reading: find, select, understand and critically read a variety of academic and professional texts appropriate for your discipline, using genre knowledge and appropriate reading strategies to select relevant information for use in a range of spoken or written academic tasks.
• Listening: listen, understand and critically engage with one-to-one academic exchanges, text-based group discussions and extended lectures on themes appropriate for your discipline, making use of appropriate listening strategies.
• Writing: write developed, coherent texts of up to 1500 words on a range of topics and genres relevant to your discipline, synthesising and integrating source material, using clear and precise language, register, organisation and critically appropriate for the academic task.
• Speaking: speak clearly and effectively on complex topics and problems in academic contexts, interacting critically in discussions, one-to-one exchanges, and presentations in a register appropriate to the audience and with support from appropriate sources or data where relevant.
• Graduate Attributes: engage reflectively and autonomously with the teaching and learning cultures and disciplines of UK higher education and develop key transferable academic skills such as planning learning, problem solving, working in diverse teams, and critical and ethical thinking.

Timetable

Classes may be scheduled any time 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday. However, each day will typically comprise:

• 90-minute small group tutorial
• 60-90 lecture or seminar
• 4-5 hours of guided independent and group study to be completed in your own time

Over each 5-week teaching block, students will also have 2 or 3 individual and/or small group consultations with your teacher.

Your class

For each teaching block you will be working in small groups of 8 to 12 students. You will have one or more teachers responsible for: teaching live sessions, monitoring your progress, and meeting with you for your individual or small group consultations.  Face-to-face Bridging course students will also have lectures and/or seminars delivered by academic colleagues in the relevant disciplines.

Assessment

You will be assessed in all four skills:

Assessment is based on the completion of all assessment tasks and attainment of the ILOs.  Assessment criteria as outlined in the EAS Assessment Descriptors are used in the evaluation of all tasks.

Core material

All course materials will be provided on Moodle, the University's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) or accessed through the University Library.

Outcomes and Progression

At the end of the final block of teaching, progression to your academic programme depends on the outcome of your assessment in the four skills.  In most years, circa 97% of students progress onto their intended programme of study, with the majority of the remaining students finding a suitable alternative.