In 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers,
a group of would-be New World settlers, set sail
from Plymouth harbour, their final destination
America. The ensuing trans-Atlantic voyage in
their small ship, The Mayflower, has become an
icon for courage, tenacity and most important
of all, discovery- qualities that are very much
alive and well in the modern city of Plymouth
today.
As one of Britain's largest 'new'
universities, Plymouth caters to the needs of
some 27000 students and in keeping with the tradition
of discovery established by the Pilgrim Fathers
over 4 centuries earlier, the university's English
Language Centre offers both international and
domestic students the chance to explore and experience
a broad range of exciting academic opportunities.
UNIVERSITY
FOUNDATION COURSES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Large numbers of international students plan to
study at universities and colleges in the UK each
year, but for many, the need to develop suitable
proficiency in English Language is the first major
hurdle that must be overcome.
The English Language Centre provides
a University English Language Foundation Programme
specially designed to meet the needs of international
students planning to study at Plymouth or indeed
any other British university. As the name of this
programme, 'English For University' (EFU) suggests,
students receive expert tuition and guidance on
those aspects of language, culture and study skills
that are most relevant for international students
entering the British Higher Education system.
'English for University' runs
for 1 academic year between September and the
following May (although students with a higher
level of English Language proficiency may take
a Fast-Track version of the programme from January)
and consists of 8 different modules at undergraduate
level and 10 different modules at postgraduate
level. Each separate module addresses an important
area in the development of language and skills
for university study.
A key feature of the course is its system of regular
tutorials in which students can expect to receive
up to 20 minutes of one-on-one attention from
their course tutor each week. This tutorial time
can be spent discussing either academic or pastoral
concerns, but both tutors and students agree that
it plays a very important role in supporting international
students' adjustment to British university life,
both socially and academically.
BUSINESS
MASTERS FOUNDATION COURSES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Courses such as MBAs (Master of Business Administration),
MBMs (Master of Business Management) and Masters
in Marketing, Logistics or any of the other specific
business disciplines continue to attract international
students to the UK.
Aside from high-level entry requirements in terms
of English language (typically IELTS 6.5 or in
some cases, IELTS 7.0), business courses like
these often expect students to have either worked
in business already or to have studied a specific
business subject during their undergraduate degree.
The English Language Centre's
Masters Qualifying Programme (MQP) is a specific
business foundation course, specially designed
for Diploma level students who lack the general
business knowledge and English Language skills
to progress directly onto a business Masters programme.
The Masters Qualifying Programme
runs for 1 academic year between September and
the following May and consists of 7 different
modules, focusing on the development of both English
Language and general Business Awareness.
Graduates from the Masters Qualifying Programme
can thus expect to be well-prepared, both linguistically
and academically, for the demands of any business-related
Masters degree they choose to follow.
TEACHER
TRAINING COURSES FOR BOTH DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS
In recent years, Teaching English as a Foreign
Language (TEFL) has become a major, worldwide
industry and universities have reacted by offering
a range of courses in teacher training. From the
summer of 2005, the English Language Centre is
planning to run a BA in TESOL with Modern Languages
(French, German or Spanish) and a Postgraduate
Certificate in Teaching English for Academic Purposes.
Whereas the BA course is expected to run for 3
years and is aimed at students with no experience
of TESOL whatsoever, the Postgraduate Certificate
will be a 1 month advanced qualification for experienced
teachers and is currently the only course of its
kind in the UK. A key selling point of this particular
programme is that successful graduates will be
offered one month of employment at the university
directly after the course ends.
Delivered by well-qualified and
highly-experienced teacher trainers, both the
BA TESOL and the PG Cert TEAP offer high-quality
routes to careers in the fields of English Language
Teaching and may be taken by both domestic and
international students alike.
CONTACT
DETAILS
Full details of these and other courses offered
by the English Language Centre, including entry
requirements, application procedures and costs,
can be found by visiting the Centre website: http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/elc
or by contacting the Centre Director, Douglas
Bell directly on:
douglas.bell@plymouth.ac.uk
or Tel +44 (0) 1752 233 586
Fax +44 (0) 1752 233 569.
