University of Essex

The programmes at the University of Essex provide students with integrated training in Academic English Language and Study Skills to prepare them for University undergraduate and postgraduate degree level study. These programmes will be available online or at the Colchester campus and run for 10, 15 and 20 weeks, providing the skill needed to improve IELTS scores equivalent to 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 respectively. Pre-sessional English Language with Study Skills (PELSS) will help you to develop the following skills:

• Reading: critical reading and note taking skills

• Writing: academic essay writing and citation skills

• Listening: understanding lectures and seminars and note-taking skills

• Speaking: seminar discussions, debate and presentation skills

All students will be given opportunities to focus on the English language and study skills development in areas related to their chosen degree area at the University of Essex.

"Like any other foreign student, I was nervous, and didn’t know what to expect at first. However, when I got to campus, the feelings of nervousness and fear were replaced by feelings of joy and excitement. I suddenly realised coming to study at Essex was the best decision I ever made. Everything from the infrastructure, students, teachers and cheerful environment made me feel welcome. I ended up taking part in no less than three societies (Catholic, Latin American and yoga and meditation society), which not only provided me with incredible memories, but also gave me friends for life. I ended up being an executive in the Catholic Society, which helped me improve my leadership and communication skills. Furthermore, I frequently attended the Essex Sports Centre to shake off the stress of everyday tasks and exams. The SU Bar became my favourite place for, believe or not, doing my homework and studying. At Essex, you have something productive to do every single day: whether is hanging out with people from all over the world and going with them to all sorts of recreational or cultural events, or learning new languages (German and Polish, in my case). As a person from a small country with little contact with international cultures, it was an amazing opportunity to get to know great friends from countries I had just known from movies or pictures such as Greece, Poland, Iran, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and the list goes on and on."

• Francisca Garces Narvaez, Ecuador

"I was able to study alongside students from a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines. I learned from students who came from backgrounds in politics, policing, the military, and others. I am confident that my studies abroad greatly contributed to my understanding of complex political conflicts and situations. My professors were all deeply committed to human rights and humanitarian law, and they were active practitioners in the field. They helped me to understand the realities of working in areas of conflict and elevated my comprehension of human rights and humanitarian law from the perspective of victims and survivors. My fellow students, who came from all over the world, inspired me to dream big and push beyond myself. Studying at the University of Essex gave me access to a global network of inspiring human rights advocates around the world. No matter what country I landed in, I knew that I would be able to connect with either a former student colleague of mine or someone within the alumni network."

• Stephanie Case, Canada