Learning English for Academic Purposes: First Steps
Develop the academic language and study skills you need to learn in English at university.
32,575 enrolled on this course
Duration
6 weeksWeekly study
4 hours100% online
How it works
Learning English for Academic Purposes: First Steps
Improve your English listening, speaking, reading and writing.
This online course will give you an introduction to the academic language and skills that you will need to study at a university where the teaching is done in English.
You will develop four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) using tasks that a university student would undertake: listening to lectures, taking notes, spoken presentations, reading academic texts (including long sentences and visual information) and writing reports using proper academic words.
Throughout the course you will be able to share your practice work with other learners, to give and get feedback.
Syllabus
Week 1
Building academic understanding
Welcome to the course
Welcome to Learning English for Academic Purposes: First Steps. Find out more about what you will be doing over the next six weeks to improve your listening, speaking, reading and writing in preparation for university study.
Introducing our theme: water
You can only develop your skills in academic English through actual examples, so we have chosen examples on the theme of water, which can be studied in many academic disciplines. Here you start to think about this theme.
First steps
Get started on your journey to academic English and learn how to develop important skills.
Reading an academic text
Find out about the importance of a good water supply as you practise important reading strategies.
Explaining what you have read: paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is a useful skill in academic writing. Try these quizzes to develop your ability to paraphrase.
Summing up
Time to review what you have learned this week, and check what progress you have made.
Week 2
Finding and interpreting information
Welcome to Week 2
Welcome back. Watch the video to find out what you’ll be doing in Week 2.
Finding and evaluating information
Learn some strategies for finding and evaluating information for an academic purpose.
Understanding and describing a map
Find out how to interpret and write about information that is presented in a map.
Understanding and describing a bar chart
Find out how to interpret and write about information that is presented in a bar chart.
Summing up
Time to review what you have learned this week, and check what progress you have made.
Week 3
Describing problems
Welcome to Week 3
Welcome back. Watch the video to find out what you’ll be doing in Week 3.
Strategies for listening to lectures
Learn some useful strategies for listening to lectures in English.
Vocabulary for a lecture
Learn strategies to build your vocabulary for understanding lectures and make notes of new words and phrases to use in your final report.
Listening to a lecture
Listen to an expert talking about current water challenges facing the world.
Language of cause and effect
Focus on the language used in the lecture to describe the causes and effects of the problems related to water
Over to you: speaking
Practise your skills by recording yourself talking about global water challenges.
Summing up
Time to review what you have learned this week, and check what progress you have made.
Week 4
Identifying solutions
Welcome to Week 4
Welcome to Week 4. Watch the video to find out what you’ll be doing.
Proposing solutions
Find out how to use academic language to propose solutions.
Using a table for note-making
Find out how to use a table to note down main points.
Being concise when making notes
Learn how to write short, formal notes.
Writing a coherent paragraph
Find out how to organise information when writing in English.
Referencing sources
Find out how to write accurate references to show where your information comes from.
Summing up
Time to review what you have learned this week, and check what progress you have made.
Week 5
Writing your report
Welcome to Week 5
Welcome to Week 5. Watch the video to find out what you’ll be doing.
Preparing to write your report
Follow the next steps to prepare and plan a report based on the topic of water.
Writing your first draft
Start writing your first draft and improve your editing skills.
Summing up
Time to review what you have learned this week, and check what progress you have made.
Week 6
Completing your report
Welcome to Week 6
Welcome to Week 6. Watch the video to find out what you’ll be doing.
Submitting your assignment and giving feedback
Find out how to make the most of feedback.
Writing your second draft
Now you have a chance to improve what you have written.
Summing up
Time to review what you have learned this week, and check what progress you have made.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Apply strategies for reading academic texts
- Assess the relevance of information for an academic purpose
- Describe problems and cause-and-effect using academic language
- Develop your academic vocabulary and vocabulary skills
- Produce effective notes from a spoken presentation
- Collaborate with other learners by engaging in peer-to-peer feedback
- Synthesise information and use it to begin writing a short piece of academic work
- Produce a final written piece of academic work using the skills learned
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for students who want to study in English at university. You’ll need an English language level of IELTS 5.5.
Who will you learn with?
I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics at the Open University and look back at 20 years of designing and facilitating distance learning opportunities including MOOCs
OU associate lecturer and materials writer. I have written materials on business communication, Academic English and Italian.
I began my English teaching career in China 14 years ago. On my return to the UK I completed my MA TESOL and have since then specialised in teaching EAP as well as writing course materials.
Who developed the course?
The Open University
As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.
Established
1969Location
Milton Keynes, UKWorld ranking
Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020
Ways to learn | Buy this course | Subscribe & save | Limited access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choose the best way to learn for you! | $79/one-off payment | $244.99 for a whole year Automatically renews | Free |
| Fulfill your current learning need | Develop skills to further your career | Sample the course materials | |
| Access to this course | tick | tick | Access expires 3 Mar 2025 |
| Access to 1,000+ courses | cross | tick | cross |
| Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
| Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
| Tests to check your learning | tick | tick | cross |
| Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$244.99 for a whole year
Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Tests to boost your learning
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$79/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Tests to boost your learning
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Limited access
Free
Sample the course materials
- Access expires 3 Mar 2025
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply. | |||
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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