Pre-Sessional Courses

For information on accommodation options, please contact the English Language Centre.

Students must have a high level of competence in English in order to understand university lectures, take part in discussions and pass written examinations. 
 
 The principal aims of the course are to:
 

• raise students’ understanding of and ability to use academic English appropriately and effectively in an academic environment.
• help students learn to adopt particular approaches to their studies and learn strategies and skills that will enable them to succeed in the UK Higher Education system.
• allow students to familiarise themselves with the new environment and facilities of the university before their main course starts.
• ensure that students have met the minimum language requirements set for entry into degree programmes
  

 
To achieve these aims the course will:
 

• provide practice in seminar skills and academic discussion so as to help students express opinions and arguments clearly and concisely.
• improve students’ expertise in writing and extended writing (essays, reports etc).
• make students quick and effective readers.
• develop students’ ability to carry out independent research.
• improve students’ ability to critically assess the relevance and importance of the ideas of others.
• provide opportunities for listening to native speakers, lectures, etc. and for practising note-taking.
• develop students’ grammatical competence.
• expand vocabulary, idiomatic and social language skills.
• familiarise students with London, the British way of life and the academic environment.
• develop computer literacy skills to enable students to word process written assignments, to use PowerPoint for presentations and to access WebCT.

To be eligible to enrol for the course, students should normally have received a conditional or unconditional offer to study at a UK university or other institute of higher education. If the offer is conditional, students must find out from their department exactly what the condition is. Students should be able to provide evidence of their IELTS or TOEFL scores.
 
Please see attached document below for full entry requirements.

All students will receive a Handbook when they arrive. This will give full details of the course, teaching methods, methods of assessment etc. The Pre-Sessional Course takes place from Monday to Friday and involves 20 contact hours per week plus 1:1 tutorials. Periods for independent learning are also timetabled. Each stage of the course will include the following:
 
Morning Classes
Students follow a general ‘English for Academic Purposes’ syllabus in the morning. These classes include: focus on developing students’ reading and writing skills so that students will be able to cope with the demands of their UG and PG courses; focus on developing students’ listening and speaking skills to help students understand lectures and to be able to participate in tutorials/seminars; focus on academic grammar and vocabulary; focus on functional language to enable students to function on a day-to-day basis in an English-speaking environment.
 
Morning classes prepare students for the written assessment set each stage. Students receive instruction in the structuring of academic essays including guidance on referencing, conducting research and using primary and secondary source material. In addition, morning classes help raise students’ understanding of key terms such as ‘critical thinking’ and ‘critical analysis’, and develop students’ ability at producing persuasive, valid arguments and expressing an individual voice.
 
Seminar Skills
Once a week, students have a dedicated class focusing on developing the ability to express ideas clearly and concisely orally. Classes focus on discussion and seminar participation and develop the ability to present and defend a position as well as listen and respond to other people’s ideas. The class also focuses on developing students’ presentation skills.
 
Tutorials
The progress of each student is monitored carefully by class tutors. Regular tutorials are arranged throughout each stage, during which tutors give personal feedback on student progress.
 
Guest Lectures
Every week students attend a guest lecture on a range of topics including The English Language, Genetics, The English Legal System, and The Evolution of the EU. These lectures are given by members of King’s College academic staff and visiting lecturers and provide students with practice in listening to a live lecture on an academic subject and note-taking.
 
Academic Workshops
In Stages 2 and 3, there are twice weekly ‘academic workshops’ when students are grouped according to discipline. The focus of these sessions is not on the factual content of the various academic disciplines, but on the development of a critical approach to reading, writing and listening in your academic field through the use of appropriate texts.

Students attending stages 1 and 2 complete a written and oral assessment each stage. Marks awarded for these assessments do not count towards the final grade.
 
The stage 3 end-of-course assessment comprises a 1,500 – 1,750 word written project, an oral presentation and a final exam. The final exam consists of a reading comprehension paper, a listening paper and a writing paper. Students will receive a final mark based on their written project (40%) oral presentation (20%) and exam (40%).
 
Students with a conditional offer to study at King’s College London must meet the minimum English language requirement for their programme as stated on their offer letter.

King’s College is one of the oldest, largest and most prestigious colleges of the University of London. It has a proud tradition of excellence in teaching and research. King’s operates on five campuses in different parts of London. There are currently some 17,000 students engaged in study on both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. There are nearly 4,000 overseas students from 130 countries at the College.

Stages I, II & II: 15 June - 4 September 2009 - 12 weeks
Stages II & III:   13 July - 4 September 2009 - 8 weeks
Stage III:            3 August - 4 September 2009 - 5 weeks
 
Stages I, II & II: £2,800
Stages II & III:   £1,975
Stage III:           £1,300
 
Students are required to pay their tuition fees in full prior to the start of the course. Once we have received your fees, we will issue you with a letter confirming your place on the course.

Applications to attend the course should be made as early as possible. Please complete the application form below and return it with evidence of your IELTS/TOEFL score and full payment to the English Language Centre.
 
English Language Centre
King’s College London
26-29 Drury Lane
London WC2B 5RL
 
Tel: +44 (0)20 7848 1600
Fax: +44 (0)20 7848 1601
E-mail: elc@kcl.ac.uk