English for Academic Purposes (EAP) – what does it involve?

At Academia, we offer a wide range of English courses in Melbourne. One of the most popular is English for Academic Purposes (or EAP).

Before applying for an Australian university, it’s recommended that you complete a course that specialises in Academic English. This will help prepare you for your studies by providing the skills required to keep up with your workload, lectures, and fellow students.

What does English for Academic Purposes involve, and what do people use it for?

Why university applicants need a specialised English course

In short, the type of English you will encounter in an Australian university is much different from the type of English you will encounter in the street.

At a university, your lectures, tutorials and reading materials will all be in English. In many cases, it will be written in more formal language, and may involve more complex sentence structures or technical vocabulary.

Not to mention, during your studies you will read and use studies, reports, research and books. These resources will be essential to your assignments and exam preparation.

And many of these books, reports and studies will also use much more complex language than you will find on the streets of Melbourne.

Additionally, many of your assignments will be marked on English fluency: if you want to succeed, you’ll need to learn how to write to a university standard.

As such, university applicants from non-English speaking backgrounds should prepare for this by studying an English course in Melbourne that specifically teaches them the type of language they will encounter in higher education institutes like universities!

What is involved in English for Academic purposes?

Academia’s EAP course is made up of two different levels:

EAP 1: designed for foundation and diploma programs, EAP 1 is perfect if you want to go on to one of Academia’s other courses
EAP 2: designed for university applicants, EAP 2 is more advanced, covering more complicated language and advanced English skills

Each class is structured towards a specific English speaking level, ensuring you enter higher education with the required knowledge of English needed to thrive.

Classes for both levels run from Monday to Thursday, with 20 hours of class time per week. Students will be provided with a course book as well as some other vital learning materials.

As part of your academic English course, you will learn how to…

Write essays and reports

Many of the assignments you receive in university will be essays and reports. As part of the grading system, you will be marked on your level of English proficiency, as well as how clearly you present arguments, observations, and messages in your essays.

At Academia, you will learn how to write these essays and reports. You will learn the type of language that markers expect.

Additionally, you will also be taught how to format your essays and assignments to help you better communicate your ideas.

Read and understand sources

As part of your studies, assignments, and revision, you may find yourself looking for sources. You’ll spend a lot of time in the library database, reading a lot of different studies and research.

Our experienced instructors will teach you how to read through these sources and find the information you’re looking for.

Instead of spending minutes reading through part by part, you will learn how different sources are structured and where important information is located. You will be able to skip straight to the parts you need for your assignment, saving heaps of time!

Speaking

Speaking and making presentations is a daily part of many workplaces. To prepare you for this, many universities include presentations and public speaking as part of their courses.

To prepare you for this, English for Academic Purposes also includes training on how to prepare and make a presentation.

In addition to training your speaking skills, you will also be taught how to prepare supporting material like handouts, and how to use powerpoint presentations to make your point.

Academic English course Melbourne – how you can use it in a professional setting

An EAP course isn’t just for excelling in a university environment – many of the skills our Academic English courses in Melbourne offer also apply in the work environment!

Reading and summarising articles
Making presentations
Preparing reports
Drafting important documents
Writing professional emails

Each of these skills are also present in many workplaces.

Studying English for Academic Purposes will also allow you to present yourself in a professional manner in the work environment once you complete your degree.

The more you understand the English language and the more familiar you are with academic and formal language the easier you will find working in an English speaking country.

Study English for Academic purposes with Academia

When you decide to study English in Melbourne with Academia you can start as soon as next week! – our General English courses start every single week!

However if you are thinking about studying English for Academic Purposes, we offer several specially designed levels for you…

English for Academic Purposes 1 (EAP 1)

In order to gain entry into EAP 1 you will need to have successfully completed the General English course at an upper immediate level (GE5).

A GE5 with us is equivalent to an IELTS (International English Language Testing Scheme) score of 5.0, and will provide you the skills needed to succeed in tertiary education.

Upon completion of this course, you may be able to enrol in…

English for Academic Purposes 2 (EAP 2)

This course is ideal for students who desire to achieve a higher education and want to enter university.

In order to complete this course you will need to have an upper immediate or advanced understanding of English. This would be equivalent to an IELTS score of 5.5.

Why enrol with Academia?

When you enrol in Academia’s English courses in Melbourne, you’re enrolled with a well respected, reputable institution.

We have won many awards recognising our excellent support and services we offer international students.

Each of our courses is endorsed by the NEAS, and taught by experienced teachers and tutors. We also offer a range of free clubs and support services, giving you the opportunity to practice English with your classmates.

With opportunities like that regularly available to you, your English skills will be ready for further education in no time at all!

Interested in one of Academia’s English courses in Melbourne? Whether you want to work in Australia, or want to learn English before pursuing further education, we would love to hear from you!