Study at Cardiff | International

Programme content

The English for University Study Programme (formerly known as the "Bridge" Programme) focuses on providing students with the academic study skills they need to study effectively in a UK environment, covering language, study and professional skills and British academic culture. Classes are normally held between 9.00am and 4.00pm. This will include approximately 20 class hours per week plus directed study. All students study all areas of the course. The combination and content of each module helps to produce confident students who are capable of operating in English in every aspect of their lives.

The modules are:

English for Academic Speaking

This module aims to enable students to communicate effectively in a range of academic situations. This is assessed at the end of the year through a formal interview and a presentation.

Key speaking skills covered in the module:

• Describing experiences
• Expressing opinions
• Developing an argument
• Paraphrasing and reformulating
• Conversation
• Giving presentations
• Taking part in informal discussions
• Taking part in formal discussion and meetings
• Taking part in interviews

English for Academic Writing

This module aims to provide students with the written skills they need to operate effectively in an academic environment.

• Key writing skills covered in the module:
• Planning and writing essays on complex issues
• Developing coherence and cohesion
• Developing sentence structures
• Developing arguments with ideas and evidence
• Writing reports describing data and processes
• Writing formal correspondence
• Referencing in an academic piece of work

 English for Academic Listening

This module aims to provide students with the listening skills they need to function efficiently in an academic environment.

Key listening skills covered in the module are:

• Comprehension of extended speech on simple, complex and abstract topics
• Understanding conversations, including discussions and debates
• Listening to recorded materials from the media, including academic lectures and talks
• Listening and taking notes
• Listening and paraphrasing
• Listening and writing summaries

English for Academic Reading

This module aims to provide students with the reading skills they need to function efficiently in an academic environment.

Key reading skills covered in the module are:

• Understanding long, complex and abstract texts
• Reading for information and argument
• Reading longer texts for gist
• Reading longer texts and locating specific information
• Reading and taking notes
• Reading and paraphrasing
• Reading and writing summaries
• Understanding formal correspondence

English Usage

This module aims to equip students with the English skills they need to communicate fluently and accurately in spoken English and to understand spoken English in a wide variety of contexts. Students will also be able to understand and produce a range of written texts.

The key elements of the English Usage module are:

• Developing oral fluency in a range of everyday situations
• Developing grammatical range, flexibility and accuracy
• Developing lexical range, flexibility and accuracy
• Developing a wide range of pronunciation features
• Developing listening skills for short and extended speech in a range of everyday situations
• Using appropriate register, style and genre to produce long and short written texts.

UK Study Skills

This module aims to develop the independent study skills that students need to succeed in a UK academic environment and to help them become familiar with UK education and UK culture.

The key elements of the English Usage module are:

• Producing a portfolio of study skills tasks
• Producing a group project based on research
• Planning and writing the different sections of a research project
• Lectures on UK culture
• Writing effective CVs and personal statements

Guidance and Support

Students studying on the English for University Study Programme will receive educational counselling and support throughout the year, including guidance and advice throughout the application process.