Course structure and content

The classes listed below make up the course timetable.

Classes

Academic writing and study skills

This class will help you to understand and plan your assignments. It will develop your sentence and paragraph structure, introduce the conventions of academic writing and help you to use other sources to develop discussion in your writing. It will also help you to develop effective research and study skills.

Academic reading and critical thinking

This class will help to develop your skills in reading and critical thinking. You will read a variety of texts including books, academic journals and online resources. The class will help you to identify arguments and conclusions, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in an argument and summarise texts in your own words.

Grammar and vocabulary workshops

Accurate grammar and good sentence structure are closely linked. Our grammar workshops will focus on developing the grammar you need for academic work. Our vocabulary workshops will develop your academic vocabulary so that you can understand books and tutors and express yourself clearly in the appropriate style.

Academic listening and note-taking

In this class you will develop your listening, note-taking and summarising skills during lectures and seminars. You will practise many of the skills you have learnt in the other classes.

Lectures

Regular lectures provide you with information related to each project and give you an opportunity to practise your listening and note-taking skills.

Academic speaking

In this class you develop effective skills and strategies for delivering individual and group presentations. You also develop your pronunciation skills and your ability to lead and participate in seminars. We video your presentations and use the footage in our feedback on your performance. You are assessed on both your seminar and presentation skills, including the use of PowerPoint slideshows.

Independent study and tutorials

Independent study is a vital part of the learning process at university in the UK. We therefore organise regular independent study sessions each week. During this time you may be given work by your tutor or work on your own projects. You will also have at least one individual tutorial with your tutor each week. In tutorials you can discuss feedback on your work, receive guidance and discuss your progress.