School of Languages and Area Studies (SLAS)

English for Academic Purposes Courses

Pre sessional English plus

The English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in-sessional team welcomes you to the School of Languages and Area Studies. By now, you will have already been studying at the university for 4, 6 or 9 weeks and will probably be fairly familiar with many staff and students with whom you have worked together over the summer to improve your English language skills.

You now need to build on all the skills you have learned so far in order to get the most out of your studies. With this in mind, you are now required to continue with academic English study to enable you to read, write, listen and speak confidently throughout your degree studies. If you have followed a University of Portsmouth pre-sessional language course for 6 or 9 weeks, this is obligatory. Attendance on these courses is monitored very carefully. If you have completed a 4 week pre-sessional course, then EAP study in semester 1 and 2 is optional.

ALL 6 and 9 week pre-sessional students will follow the EAP ESSAY WRITING course in semester 1. Please click on the essay writing link on the EAP website to have an overview of the course. In semester 2, you will follow the EAP GRAMMAR AND ACADEMIC STYLE. Again, click on the link to this course on the main EAP website in order to have an overview of the course. You will normally study these two courses at Intermediate level and you will be assessed throughout the courses. Students who perform exceptionally well in semester 1 may be exempt from the semester 2 EAP courses, although we highly recommend that you do continue in order to maximise your chances of academic success as you follow your main degree course.

All post graduate students who have completed one of the pre-sessional courses (6 or 9 weeks)  over the summer will be required to follow the course ‘Specialist Academic English for Postgraduate Study’.  Click the link on the main EAP website to have an overview of the unit.

ALL students who successfully complete the EAP courses, at any level, will receive a 'Certificate of Specialist Academic English' at the end of each semester