UP’s Centre for Language Learning is accepting students for a full-time two-month course in English, which will help international students meet the demands of academic writing.

The University of Pretoria’s (UP) Centre for Language Learning is gearing up for its third 2024 intake of international students looking to learn English. The centre offers five intakes per year, whereby students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) are immersed in a two-month full-time course that will enhance their communication skills for their academic and professional journeys.

“I urge all UP staff members to tell international students who are struggling with English that they can do an intensive course for two months to improve their English,” says centre Director Dr Trish Cooper. “It will make a huge difference in how well they’re able to meet the demands of academic writing.

“These full-time courses are primarily for postgraduate students who have more time as they have fewer classes. Undergraduate students would need to do the course before they enrol because you can’t study full time and do this course as well. If you would like to get into an English-speaking university, then this is a really good way to start. It doesn’t guarantee admission to UP, but you can learn more about the University’s programmes and admission policies while doing an English course on campus.”

Prior to each intake, students are assessed so that they may be placed in the most appropriate level: beginner, elementary, pre-intermediate, intermediate, upper intermediate or advanced. The advanced course covers English for academic purposes as well as preparation for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam.

“If English isn’t an official language in your home country, one of the criteria to study at an English-medium university in countries such as South Africa, Canada and New Zealand is that you have to pass an IELTS exam,” Dr Cooper says. “This is a language proficiency test run through the British Council.”

The centre offers lessons in small groups, with a maximum of 16 students in each class, in an interactive setting that will enable students to be immersed and interact in the target language.

“The classes are capped at 16 in order to encourage interaction in the classroom,” Dr Cooper says. “Generally, the most successful type of language learning occurs through personal interaction and immersion in the target language. This is why we don’t offer online courses, but instead require students to attend classes in Pretoria on Hatfield campus.”

Dr Cooper explains why immersion is key.

“The difference between foreign-language and second-language students is that second-language students would have grown up in a country like South Africa, where they’re surrounded by English. So their listening and speaking skills are good, although they sometimes need assistance with improving their reading and writing skills. On the other hand, foreign-language students are from countries in which English is not an official language and so it’s hardly spoken. As a result, these students don’t have the opportunity to interact in English, and tend to struggle primarily with speaking and listening skills. In many cases, EFL students have done some English at school and have a grasp of basic grammar, but they tend to struggle with the application of grammar rules.”

The centre also offers English classes for professionals who are second-language English speakers.

“We offer business English classes on Saturday mornings,” Dr Cooper says. “The main target is South African adults who would like to develop their English skills in order to improve their career prospects. Our next course runs from 17 August to 25 October this year.”

The 2024 fees for the two-month full-time EFL course (180 contact hours) are R11 800 per student, while the course fees for the part-time Saturday morning classes are R5 200 per person, all inclusive.

“UP provides a wonderfully cosmopolitan environment,” Dr Cooper says. “We look after the students, and it’s a safe environment. They come to South Africa and they just love it – they love the people; they love Pretoria; and they love the University. It’s really enriching and positive to hear their feedback about UP.” 

Follow this link for registration details: https://www.languagecentre.up.ac.za/calendar