This first session will cover academic style, use of sources, and practical aspects of writing – word limits and formatting. In addition, we will also point out the differences between writing in an IELTS exam and in an academic context.

Depending on your discipline, course and school, you will be expected to write a variety of texts that meet a certain set of criteria. In this session, we will briefly examine the organisation of three genres, namely essays, reports and dissertations to see what basic elements each genre has and look more closely at the text features that distinguish one genre from the other. Particular attention will be paid to the concept of caution in academic writing and the language you could use to achieve it.

In this session, we will focus on the types of reading you will be expected to do when studying and a UK university, both academic and specialist. We will give you tips and strategies on effective reading and talk about reading with a specific aim. We will also discuss the similarities and differences between IELTS reading and the reading you will be doing at Lincoln.

Speaking and listening are two key skills that students should have if they want to fully engage with lectures, seminar discussions as well as face-to-face talks with peers, lecturers and administrators. In this session, we will look at the best ways you could improve your listening skills in order to understand the content of lectures and spoken messages in general. After that, we will look at giving presentations as part of your assessment at a UK university. This part of the session will contain some tips on planning your presentation, preparing a talk and delivering your presentation in front of your tutors and peers. We will also point out transferrable speaking and listening skills that you will know from IELTS.