English for Academic Purposes (EAP) prepares learners to study through English: understanding lectures and academic texts, writing assignments, taking part in seminars, and working with sources.
Course types
| Type | Learners | Typical length | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-sessional | Offer holders below the entry score | 5-20 weeks before the degree | Academic skills + language to reach the progression level |
| In-sessional | Enrolled students | Weekly classes or workshops | Discipline-specific writing, presentations, dissertations |
| Foundation / pathway | School leavers | 1 year | Academic English + subject modules |
| IELTS / test preparation | Applicants | 4-12 weeks | Test tasks, strategies, band criteria |
| ESAP (specific) | One discipline | Varies | Genres of that field (lab reports, case studies) |
A rough guide used by many UK providers: about 5-6 weeks of full-time pre-sessional study (around 20 hours a
week) for a half-band shortfall and 10-12 weeks for a full band, which matches the roughly 200 guided hours per
band used by ielts_gap.py; treat it as a starting point.
Syllabus strands
| Strand | Content |
|---|---|
| Reading | Academic text structure, skimming abstracts, reading for argument, critical reading, note-making, reading speed |
| Listening | Lectures: signposting, note-taking (Cornell, mind maps), identifying main points and stance |
| Writing | Paragraph structure, essay types (argumentative, discursive, compare/contrast, cause/effect), reports, literature reviews, summaries, paraphrasing, synthesis, editing |
| Sources | Finding and evaluating sources, quoting, paraphrasing, summarising, referencing styles (APA, Harvard), avoiding plagiarism |
| Speaking | Seminar discussion (agreeing, challenging, building on), presentations with Q&A |
| Language | Academic vocabulary (e.g. the Academic Word List, Academic Collocation List), hedging, nominalisation, cohesion, formal register |
| Study skills | Time management, independent learning, using feedback, academic culture and integrity |
| Critical thinking | Evaluating claims and evidence, identifying assumptions, constructing arguments |
A 10-week pre-sessional outline (example)
| Week | Writing | Reading/listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Academic paragraph; formal style | Text structure; lecture signposting | Discussion language |
| 2 | Paraphrase and summary | Note-making from texts | Seminar roles |
| 3 | Comparison essay; referencing | Lecture note-taking | Short presentation |
| 4 | Cause/effect; hedging | Critical reading: claims and evidence | Seminar on a text |
| 5 | Mid-course assessment: timed essay + presentation | ||
| 6 | Argumentative essay; counter-arguments | Reading for argument | Debating positions |
| 7 | Source synthesis; literature review paragraph | Evaluating sources | Group project planning |
| 8 | Extended essay drafting; tutorials | Discipline texts | Seminar leading |
| 9 | Editing and proofreading; feedback use | Lecture + reading integration | Presentation rehearsal |
| 10 | Final assessment: extended essay, presentation, reading-into-writing exam |
Assessment
- Pre-sessional exit assessments mirror university tasks: extended essay (with sources), timed reading-into- writing, lecture-based listening, presentation and seminar.
- Map exit grades to the required IELTS (or equivalent) score; moderate marking; double-mark borderline work.
- Formative: tutorials on drafts, portfolio of work, self-assessment against criteria.
IELTS and CEFR (approximate, from IELTS published alignment)
| IELTS | CEFR |
|---|---|
| 4.0-5.0 | B1 |
| 5.5-6.5 | B2 |
| 7.0-8.0 | C1 |
| 8.5-9.0 | C2 |
Typical university entry: 6.0-7.0 overall, often with a minimum per skill (for example 5.5 or 6.0).
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