About this course
Academic English is for students who have the language to live in English but not yet to be assessed in it. The gap is usually not grammar — it is source use, argument structure, register and the sheer volume of reading.
The course is built around one long assessment: a 2,000-word source-based essay, developed across the twelve weeks through a proposal, an annotated bibliography, a draft and a final submission with supervision at each stage. That is how a real assignment works, and it is how we teach it.
Plagiarism and AI. Unit 5 deals directly with paraphrase, citation and academic integrity, including where generative AI sits in your institution's rules. Getting this wrong ends degrees, and most students who get it wrong did not mean to.
Seminar skills are taught live: you will disagree with somebody in front of an audience every week until it stops being frightening.
Who it is for
- Students holding an offer for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree taught in English
- Researchers preparing to publish or present in English
- Students who met the IELTS requirement but are struggling with assessed work
Entry requirements
CEFR B2 or above, roughly IELTS 6.0. This course develops academic skill, not general fluency.
Scope & sequence
Printable versionThe full teaching map — what is covered, in what order, and how each unit is assessed.
| Unit | Focus | Language | Skills | Assessment | Hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Academic register and expectation | What "academic" actually means: formality, caution, objectivity and the reader you are writing for. | Formality markers; hedging; nominalisation | ReadingWriting | Register conversion task | 6 |
| 2. Reading at volume | Surveying, selective reading, and deciding in ninety seconds whether a paper is worth your afternoon. | Abstract and discussion conventions; signposting in academic prose | Reading | Timed reading of three abstracts | 6 |
| 3. Note-taking and synthesis | Notes you can still use in six weeks. Building a synthesis matrix across several sources. | Reporting verbs and their stance | ReadingWriting | Synthesis matrix from four sources | 6 |
| 4. Argument and essay structure | Thesis statements, paragraph structure, counter-argument and the shape of a whole essay. | Cohesion; topic sentences; concessive structures | Writing | Essay proposal and outline | 6 |
| 5. Citation, paraphrase and integrity | Quoting, paraphrasing, summarising and referencing. Where the plagiarism line sits, and where AI use sits. | Citation conventions (APA, Harvard); attribution language | Writing | Annotated bibliography | 6 |
| 6. Writing the literature review | Organising by theme rather than by source, and showing where your own work fits the gap. | Comparison and contrast; tense choice in reporting research | WritingReading | Literature review section, 600 words | 6 |
| 7. Data, figures and description | Presenting and interpreting data honestly; the difference between describing and claiming. | Trend and quantity language; cautious interpretation | Writing | Results paragraph from a dataset | 6 |
| 8. Seminar participation | Entering a discussion, disagreeing with a peer or a tutor, and building on what someone else said. | Turn-taking; polite disagreement; attribution in speech | SpeakingListening | Assessed seminar contribution | 6 |
| 9. Academic presentations | Conference-style delivery, slide discipline, timing and the question you did not expect. | Signposting; emphasis; handling questions | Speaking | Ten-minute presentation | 6 |
| 10. Drafting and self-editing | The second draft. Cutting 15% without losing content, and finding your own recurring errors. | Individual error profile; concision | Writing | Full essay draft submitted for supervision | 6 |
| 11. Feedback and revision | Reading tutor feedback accurately, peer review, and revising without starting again. | Feedback language; revision strategies | WritingReading | Peer review + revision plan | 6 |
| 12. Final submission and viva | Final essay submitted, then defended in a short oral discussion. | Full-course consolidation | WritingSpeaking | Final 2,000-word essay + oral defence | 6 |
Course hours & duration
Total learning time is about 144 hours. One-to-one students cover the same map at their own pace — most finish in 43–72 hours because the whole session is theirs. ELOQUA Certificate in Academic English, with a 2,000-word assessed essay in your portfolio.
Course learning outcomes
On successful completion you will be able to:
Pricing
Small group
Includes supervision on the assessed essay at proposal, draft and final stage.
For students referred by a partner institution.
One to one
Minimum block of 10 hours. Bring your own assignments.
Language supervision only. We do not write, edit to order, or proofread for submission.
All prices in AUD. Payment plans are available on courses over $800 — ask us before you register.
Upcoming intakes
Questions
Will you proofread my assignments?
No. We teach you to find and fix your own errors, and we will discuss a draft with you. Editing work for submission would breach your institution's rules and ours.
Which referencing style do you teach?
APA and Harvard in class. If your department requires another, your teacher will cover it with you individually.
Is this the same as IELTS preparation?
No. IELTS gets you the offer; this course gets you through the first semester. Many students do both, in that order.