This course is for participants whose level corresponds to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Please only register if your level corresponds to the course. Participants of our partner institutions and Unifr employees can contact us to take a placement test if they are unsure of their level. Unifr students are automatically guided to the placement test when registering for a course on MyUnifr.

Target audience
This is a challenging workshop-style course, covering typical situations in which participants will need to use English in academic contexts. This course is open to all participants from across the university and its partner institutions with a B2 (Upper-Intermediate) level of English. 

Course contents and teaching method
This course is focused on improving students’ skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing in academic English. Class activities will include delivering presentations, participating in group discussions and improving essay writing skills. Regular interaction with interesting and engaging reading and listening texts will provide students with the ideal platform in which to develop their skills in terms of fluency, accuracy, grammar and vocabulary. This course can be taken alone or consecutively with the B2 Improving Academic English: Autumn Semester.

Workload and evaluation
There is no final exam for this course. Instead, students will be asked to complete weekly homework tasks (approx. 1 hour) which will reinforce what is learnt in class. 

Attendance and regular participation in the course is compulsory. Students must attend 80% of the classes to pass the course. 

Materials
Students will be provided with materials in class. 

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Express ideas more clearly and accurately, and in an appropriate academic style
• Speak more fluently, accurately and with clearer, more intelligible pronunciation
• Better understand natural spoken English in academic, business and everyday contexts
• Connect ideas using a greater range of linking words and phrases
• Use a greater range of academic vocabulary and grammatical structures
• Speak with improved accuracy, especially with present and past verb tenses
• Plan and deliver professional presentations to an audience
• Participate more actively in and with greater confidence in group discussions
• Respond effectively and appropriately to feedback from peers and the lecturer

The General Conditions for Participation in Language Courses apply. 

Director(s)