Presessional English Summer Course (Eight Weeks)

This eight-week course is taught by tutors in our Language Centre and helps students to improve and develop their general and discipline-specific English language and study skills, with a particular emphasis on writing and speaking, in order to allow them to function effectively in their postgraduate master's programmes.

Once you are accepted onto the presessional English course, you will not need to retake a language test. This means that you can concentrate on developing your postgraduate study skills.

The course runs for eight weeks and is comprised of 160 hours of teaching and 120 hours of self-study.

Due to reasons relating to COVID-19, the course will be delivered online via ICE @ XJTLU, an online platform designed to support and enhance learning and teaching at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. We will provide you with a high-quality language learning experience by utilizing innovative teaching methods, including synchronous and asynchronous activities.

Who Should Take A Presessional English Course?

If you have applied for an XJTLU Master’s programme and meet the minimum English language requirements for the course as shown below, you may be accepted onto the Pre-sessional English summer course subject to Programme Director approval. Upon successful enrolment on the Pre-sessional English summer course, you will be able to change your XJTLU Master’s offer letter to ‘Unconditional’ for English level. If you are simply looking to improve your academic English language skills and meet the minimum language requirements for the course as shown below, then you are welcome to elect to take this course.

Knowledge and Skills

After the course students will be able to:

• write clear and coherent paragraphs;
• understand the purpose of an academic essay, its components and structure;
• understand the purpose of an academic report, its components and structure;
• read and identify key information from extended academic texts;
• summarise, paraphrase and synthesize key information from a variety of sources;
• use references and citations skillfully to correctly synthesize material from outside sources into original work;
• deliver an academic presentation;
• lead and contribute to an academic seminar discussion.

Structure

This 8-week course includes a combination of seminar classes, weekly lectures, tutorials, and self-study. The 8th week will include large group workshops, 1:1 feedback tutorials on the assessments, and induction activities.

Syllabus

The course will focus on transferable academic skills and language, with typical content covering:

Writing:

• Adopting a process approach to your writing
• Writing clear and well-organised paragraphs and essays
• Referencing and understanding principles of Academic Integrity
• Paraphrasing, summarising and quoting
• Improving awareness of academic style
• Improving cohesion and coherence in your writing

Speaking:

• Giving academic presentations
• Participating in academic seminar discussions
• Using appropriate functional language in your academic speaking
• Using information from sources in academic discussions and presentations

Reading:

• Skimming, scanning, getting the gist
• Identifying important information and selecting key ideas
• Evaluation of texts (including critical analysis of author, bias, purpose, genre, etc.

Listening:

• Following and taking notes in a lecture
• Strategies to deal with lecture listening

Academic skills:

• Reflection
• Time management
• Conducting secondary research
• Critically evaluating sources
• Creating Powerpoint presentations
• Editing your work

Fees

• RMB 23,000 (full fees as a deposit)
• Course fees include course textbooks, supplemental materials, and a final certificate.
• Students who pay the fees by June 15, 2020, will receive a 20 per cent discount.

Entry Requirements

How To Apply

If you are not applying for an XJTLU Master's programme

To apply for PSE as a separate course please email LearnEnglish@xjtlu.edu.cn.

If you are also applying for an XJTLU Master's programme

Please inform your Admissions Officer should you wish to attend the PSE course and meet the entry requirements.

If you do not have evidence that you meet the English language requirements, you can apply for a free placement test by emailing pgadmissions@xjtlu.edu.cn. We will arrange a test for you on campus. The results will normally be back within two days.