Online Summer Pre-Sessional, May Entry

A full-time intensive, online general pre-sessional course for students in all disciplines. The course develops predominately postgraduate (but also undergraduate) students’ academic skills and language proficiency to a level equivalent to IELTS 6.0 or higher in reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Timetable

ActivityMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday
Pre-recorded lecture 60 minutes 60 minutes 60 minutes 60 minutes 60 minutes
Guided independent study tasks 5 hours 5 hours 5 hours 5 hours 6 hours
Interaction 90 minute seminar 90 minute seminar 90 minute seminar 90 minute seminar 15 minute tutorial

Entry requirements

Overall IELTS 5.5, with 5.5 in writing, and no more than one skill at 5.0

Assessment

  • Listening: monitored discussion forum and guided independent listening tasks (60%) and listening exam: written summary of audio text produced under timed conditions (40%)
  • Reading: guided independent reading tasks (60%) and reading exam: written summary of extended text produced under timed conditions (40%)
  • Writing: a 700 word essay and guided independent writing tasks (60%) and a writing exam: written commentary on listening and reading texts produced under timed conditions (40%)
  • Speaking: monitored discussion tasks (60%) and viva (40%)

Course aims

This course aims 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 6.0.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course you will be able to:

  • 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 read critically to evaluate potential source-texts for writing.
  • Listen to and take notes on main ideas and details when listening to discussions and straightforward lectures of up to 15-20 minutes in length covering familiar and semi-academic topics.
  • Write essays of 550-700 words in length covering rhetorical/genre functions such as cause/effect, argument and research report, demonstrating analysis and evaluation skills and incorporating sources from background reading.
  • Speak coherently on general and less familiar topics in both everyday & academic situations, including seminar discussions in which students support their stance by referring to reading.

Learning and teaching

Teaching is task-based and communicative in approach.

It is delivered wholly online via Moodle. The course includes:

  • pre-recorded lectures - approximately 1 hour per day
  • guided independent study tasks - approximately 5 hours per day
  • interactive online seminars - approximately 90 mins per day Monday to Thursday (the average group size is 9 students per instructor)
  • three 15-minute individual consultations over the five-week course.

Course material

We will provide you with all course material.

Minimum Requirement to Progress

An ideal score of 6.0 overall (although a variety of other target outcomes may apply) will allow you to progress to Block B.