About the Courses

Online Reading and Grammar Tests

You may come to The Department of Languages and Translation Studies at any time if you feel you need help with communication in English for your studies. However, all new undergraduate and postgraduate non-native speakers of English  are given a diagnostic test in induction week. This is not a pass/fail test, but gives us an idea of any communication problems that students may face while at the University. After the test, your department may advise you to take some of our programmes. However, all students at the University may follow our programmes, and each year almost 50% of all students attending do so as a personal choice. 

English Language Support Programmes are for all University students, not just speakers of English as a second or foreign language. Many native English speakers also benefit from the programmes that we offer.

The English Language Support Programmes (ELSP) can help, if any of the following apply to you:

• feel you need language improvement to help you become more confident
• have language difficulties which might affect your academic performance
• wish to improve your study skills
• need practice at essay writing or technical report writing
• find note-taking from lectures difficult
• are preparing to write a thesis
• have never studied in the United Kingdom before