English Studies for Academic Purposes

An important aspect of studying at a university in an English-speaking country is the English language courses and support provided by the institution. Nearly all British universities provide English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses for students who have been offered a place, or who simply plan in the future to apply for a place, to study at a British university.

What is an EAP course?
There are two main types of courses in English for Academic Purposes. One is for students who want to improve their English for study purposes before they attend their main courses at a British university. These courses are called Pre-sessional courses. The other type is for students who are already attending courses at a university and who want to help with their academic English. These are called In-sessional courses.

Pre-Sessional Courses
Pre-sessional courses can run for 1-12 months depending on the student's English language level on entry. They are full-time courses with 20-25 hours of classes per week. The aim of a Pre-sessional course is to prepare students for life and study at a British University. Students who want to study at a university in Britain should first of all apply to the university for a prospectus. This will explain the level of English that is needed for entry to the course of study. The student will then probably have to take a test to assess their level of English. The most widely recognised international tests of English for Academic Purposes are IELTS and TOEFL. When the results and completed application form are sent to the university, the Registrar or Admissions Office of the University will advise whether it is necessary to attend a pre-sessional EAP course in the university before the main course begins.

Pre-sessional EAP courses give students practice in communicating in academic English, that is in writing essays, reports and other academic papers, reading academic texts, listening to lectures and taking notes and, of course, making academic presentations. Pre-sessional courses prepare students for a life of study at a particular university by establishing personal contact with their department before their main course begins and enabling them to become familiar with, for example, the library, the computing facilities, and so on. In addition, as academic expectations vary greatly from country to country, pre-sessional EAP courses are an invaluable time for international students to come to understand the academic responsibilities and expectations they will meet in their new academic environment.

Pre-sessional courses normally include trips to places of local interest in order to help students settle into their new community. In addition to this, a social programme is normally provided, and attention is given to the welfare of students, helping them settle into their accommodation, find banks, food shops, health facilities, etc.

Students who attend Pre-sessional EAP courses in British universities remark on their usefulness in helping them settle and prepare for the academic course ahead. These courses help students psychologically (getting accustomed to the new culture, customs and climate), practically (finding their way around), socially (they make lots of lasting friendships on Pre-sessional courses) and of course linguistically by helping them become accustomed to academic English and to brush up their everyday English.

In-Sessional Courses
Most universities offer In-sessional classes which help students with the same areas of academic study as Pre-sessional courses, ie academic writing, reading, listening and participation in academic discussion. These classes are for students who have already been accepted onto courses at the university, and are designed to support work which students are already carrying out in their departments. The classes normally are for 1-3 hours per week. In many universities, these courses are run free of charge, while in others a payment is required.

Choosing a Good EAP Course
To ensure that they are attending an EAP course of high quality, students should apply to a course which is accredited by BALEAP (British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes).

BALEAP is an organisation which works towards maintaining and improving the quality of EAP courses and protecting the interests of international students and ensuring they get good value for the fees they pay. One of the ways it does this is by its Accreditation Scheme. This is a quality assurance mechanism which assesses and accredited EAP courses that meet nationally accepted standards in the following areas: Management and Administration; Staffing; Resources and Facilities; Course Design; Teaching and Learning; Assessment; Student Welfare; and Course Evaluation. Currently, over 70 British universities are BALEAP members, and over 30 of these have courses accredited by the BALEAP Accreditation Scheme.

For further information about BALEAP and BALEAP-accredited institutions, contact the BALEAP Chair:

Margaret Khidhayir
Language Institute, Arts A
University of Sussex
Falmer
Brighton
Tel: 01273 678006
Fax: 01273 678476
E-mail: M.Khidhayir@sussex.ac.uk

Author
Magdalen Ward Goodbody
University of Bath