This course is for participants whose level corresponds to level A2 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
A2 Preparing for Academic English is a course for participants who have an A2 (Elementary) level of English and who aim to improve their language skills so that they can begin to use English in academic settings. 

The course is open to all students, researchers and staff from across the university and its partner institutions; it is highly interactive and active student participation is required. This course can be taken individually or consecutively with: A2 Preparing for Academic English: Autumn Semester. 

Course contents and teaching method
A2 Preparing for Academic English focuses on developing participants’ speaking, reading, writing and listening skills (integrated skills). Examples of tasks include:

Speaking
You will be able to practice your speaking skills in every lesson. For large parts of the lesson you will work in pairs or small groups, speaking in English together to complete tasks. You may also be asked to:

• Give a 1-2 minute presentation to a small group
• Participate in small group discussions 
• Participate in class debates 

Reading
We will use interesting academic texts, magazine articles (such as TIME magazine or The Economist) and internet articles to help you to:

• Identify the main purpose and relevant information of a range of texts 
• Understand a range of academic terms
• Improve your note-taking skills 

Writing 
Through writing activities, you will be introduced to grammar and vocabulary related to general English (past simple, present continuous etc.). You will have the opportunity to develop your skills in writing small paragraphs.

Listening
We will use video and audio recordings from lectures and seminars to:

• Develop your understanding of university lectures & note-taking skills 
• Develop your ability to understand seminar discussions 

Activities may also include watching news reports, TED talks or other interesting video recordings in order to improve your listening skills. 

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
Some lessons will use exercises from the textbook: Oxford EAP: Elementary/A2 (ISBN: 9780194002042). Students are welcome to purchase this book, however, it is not obligatory. Students will be provided with materials in class. 

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

• Understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to their immediate situation (basic personal information, information about the area of study etc.) 
• Communicate in simple and routine tasks about the following: 
  • Events in the past (previous studies etc.)
  • Future plans (career, study etc.)
• Ask and answer questions about university study
• Present basic information to small groups using academic language of presentations
• Compare and contrast different aspects of academic and everyday life

The General Conditions for Participation in Language Courses apply. 

Director(s)