University English
Certificate
Accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English
Overview
The University English (UE) course helps you to improve your academic English for successful study at an English-speaking university.
The course can be joined at four levels to prepare you for foundation, undergraduate or postgraduate-level study.
Teaching, learning and assessment
Teaching is organised on a modular basis. The modules cover the essential academic English skills of writing, reading, listening and speaking; language and vocabulary development; and study and research skills.
Teaching takes place in small groups with no more than 16 students in a class. You will also have access to additional learning materials on Brookes Virtual – our online learning environment – to build on teaching in class.
You will gain experience of the variety of assessment techniques used in UK universities. Each of the four modules contains several different assessment tasks including research essays, in-class tests, seminar presentations and discussions, group assignments and portfolio assignments.
You will be taught by highly qualified academic staff who are specialists in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). They have many years of teaching experience in the UK and overseas. You will be allocated an academic adviser to help you with academic issues and guide you through the progression to your next course.
Accreditation and quality
The teaching staff are specialists in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) with advanced teaching and research qualifications. Our teaching and research expertise includes intercultural communication, academic reading, IT, critical English for academic purposes and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
We are accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English as a foreign language. The report from our last inspection stated:
The British Council inspected and accredited Oxford Brookes International in October 2009. The Accreditation Scheme assesses the standards of management, resources and premises, teaching and welfare and accredits organisations which meet the overall standard in each area inspected (see www.britishcouncil.org/accreditation for details).
The large English language teaching department of this university offers courses in academic English for adults.
Points of excellence were noted in aspects of general management, academic resources, course design and learner training.
The inspection report stated that the organisation met the standards of the Scheme.
In detail
CONTACT US
+44 (0) 1865 483874
pathways@brookes.ac.uk
The course is designed to build up your confidence, improve your English language abilities and equip you with the skills to succeed at university.
You will improve your listening and speaking skills for lectures, seminars and tutorials, develop comprehension and analysis techniques for reading academic texts, and develop academic writing skills for producing summaries, essays and reports. You will also learn more about British society and culture.
An optional IELTS preparation class is available for students who wish to take the internationally recognised test of English language skills.
Modules
The course contains four compulsory modules:
- Academic Writing helps you to prepare for, and write (research) essays, reports and critical reviews. You will also develop the micro-skills necessary for these, such as brainstorming, planning, editing and drafting; and gain a more thorough understanding of the academic features of texts. Specific attention is given to the linguistic micro-skills necessary to build your productive vocabulary and techniques for presenting an argument in a variety of writing genres. In addition, you will look at techniques to improve your critical analysis skills, such as synthesising information, drawing inferences and forming interpretations.
- Academic Reading is designed to raise your level of reading comprehension. There are two distinct aspects to the course: extensive reading of literary texts and intensive reading of academic texts. You will analyse and interpret the texts, write notes and summaries and gather ideas from the texts to use in extended pieces of writing such as academic essays and reports. It also covers the micro-skills: anticipating main ideas from headings, skimming for the main idea, scanning for specific information and deducing the meaning of unknown words in context. Library, internet and other source-gathering techniques will receive specific attention.
- Academic Listening and Speaking gives practice in listening to a range of authentic recordings including academic lectures and television documentaries. Activities such as note-taking, summary writing, evaluation of information gathered, intensive listening practice and preparing for lectures will be covered. Information exchanges, seminar discussions, debates and presentations will also be covered in this module. You will be given practice in individual, small-group and whole-class activities designed to perfect skills in these areas.
- For students on Level 1, Grammar and Vocabulary Skills, and for students on Level 2, Academic Language Development give you the opportunity to develop an awareness of the importance of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation in language learning. Classes will give you plenty of opportunities to practise and consolidate grammatical structures and vocabulary and explore the English sound system. The course will link in with the other modules to help you to speak and write clear, accurate English.
- Research (for students on Levels 3 and 4) aims to help you think critically and conduct small-scale research projects. You will study and use a number of approaches to doing research, and share and present the findings of your research in various ways.
An IELTS preparation class is available as an additional optional module.
Teaching hours
You will have 18 class hours per week. Classes are held Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays), usually between 9am and 5pm. The length of classes will be 2 hours each with a 1 hour lunch break.
Independent study time is up to a maximum of 30 hours per week, which includes homework, assignments, tutorials, reading and preparation for classes (in groups or individually).
Course dates
The course is available on the following dates:
- 19 September - 14 December 2011
- 23 January - 4 May 2012
- 31 May - 24 August 2012 (12 weeks teaching. 31 May - 1 June are induction days. Teaching starts on 6 June)
- 29 June - 24 August 2012 (8 weeks teaching. 29 June is an Induction day. Teaching starts on 2 July)
- 29 July - 24 August 2012 (4 weeks teaching. 27 July is an Induction day. Teaching starts on 30 July)
(See our university calendar for details of bank holidays.)
Key facts
CONTACT US
+44 (0) 1865 483874
pathways@brookes.ac.uk
Taught by
Course length
Full-time: One semester (with additional entry points to do 12, 8 and 4 weeks in the summer semester)
Teaching location
Headington Campus, Gipsy Lane
Start date
September
or
May
or
June
or
July
2012
January
or
June
or
July
or
August
2013
Contact
Oxford Brookes International
pathways@brookes.ac.uk
+44 (0) 1865 483874
Progression and degree options
CONTACT US
+44 (0) 1865 483874
pathways@brookes.ac.uk
Students can progress through the four levels, or onto foundation, undergraduate, pre-master’s or postgraduate level courses in a wide range of academic subjects.
Undergraduate:
Students satisfy the English language requirements for entry to most Oxford Brookes undergraduate courses if they complete:
- Level 2 with an average mark of 60%, plus 60% in reading and writing
- Level 3 with an average of 40%
- Level 4 with an average of 40%.
Postgraduate:
Students satisfy the English language requirements for entry to most Oxford Brookes postgraduate courses if they complete:
- Level 3 with an average mark of 60%
- Level 4 with an average of 50% (some courses ask for an average of 60% at Level 4).
Entry onto a foundation, undergraduate, pre-master’s or postgraduate programme at the university will also require appropriate academic qualifications. Please check the specific language and academic entry requirements of the course you wish to enter.
Tuition fees
CONTACT US
+44 (0) 1865 483874
pathways@brookes.ac.uk
| Start date | Course length | Tuition fee GBP |
|---|---|---|
| May 2012 | 12 weeks | £3,150 |
| June 2012 | 8 weeks | £2,100 |
| July 2012 | 4 weeks | £1,200 |
| September 2012 January 2013 June 2013 | 12 weeks | £3,300 |
These fees are the same for international, EU and UK students.
Please note: These are the correct fees as at January 2012 and replace any fees published elsewhere in print.
Apply / Entry reqs
CONTACT US
+44 (0) 1865 483874
pathways@brookes.ac.uk
Entry requirements
You will need to take a recognised English language test before applying for this course. This will enable the admissions staff at the university to place you on the most appropriate course and level. A list of acceptable language tests can be found on our English Language requirements page.
Applicants are welcome from any academic discipline. The minimum entry requirements for each level are:
- Level 1: IELTS 4.5 (minimum 4.0 in all skills); TOEFL ibt 53; PTE* 30 or equivalent
- Level 2: IELTS 5.0 (minimum 4.5 in reading and writing), TOEFL ibt 59; PTE* 36 or equivalent
- Level 3: IELTS 5.5 (minimum 5.0 in reading and writing); TOEFL ibt 65; PTE* 43 or equivalent
- Level 4: IELTS 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in reading and writing); TOEFL ibt 72; PTE* 51 or equivalent.
Our admissions team will make the final decision on the most suitable level for you taking into account your scores in each element of your English language test and your overall academic performance.
* PTE: Pearson Test of Academic English.
How to apply
The Oxford Brookes International application form is available from our website. Alternatively please call us on +44 (0) 1865 483874 or email us on pathways@brookes.ac.uk.
Conditions of acceptance
When you accept our offer you agree to the conditions of acceptance. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
