English Language Institute

Program Details

Benefits of EAP

Successful completion of the Advanced Level of our EAP program meets the English Language Proficiency Requirement for undergraduate and graduate admission at the University of Lethbridge. Students who complete EAP 0140 and EAP 0141 will not be required to submit a standardized English language test score (e.g., CAEL, IELTS, or TOEFL). The program also provides students with the skills necessary to succeed in an academic English environment. In this program, you will gain:

  • Academic communication skills
  • Academic reading and writing techniques
  • Library research and information gathering skills
  • Study skills for success in university academics
  • Interdisciplinary knowledge and intercultural skills

Program Length

  • The exact duration of the EAP program will depend on your starting level.
  • The English for Academic Purposes program is comprised of four levels (see details below).
  • Each level of study takes one semester (approximately four months) to complete; a placement test before the first day of classes will determine in which level you will begin.
  • For example, a student placed into the Advanced level may require only one semester to complete the program, provided they achieve a passing grade. Students placed into the High-Intermediate level would require two semesters of study, etc.
  • Each year, EAP semesters begin in January (Winter semester), May (Summer semester), and September (Fall semester).

Courses

  • Each level of EAP consists of two courses: Reading & Writing and Communication.
  • Each course is 10 hours per week, for a total of 20 hours of scheduled instructional time. (Students should expect to complete additional coursework outside of scheduled class time).
  • Students registered in both EAP courses are considered full-time status. Students registered in only one EAP course (either Reading & Writing or Communication) are considered part-time.

Program Levels

Pre-Intermediate Level

CEFR A2 (IELTS 4.0)

  • Reading & Writing: Students will develop and master grammatically correct sentences leading into short paragraph writing and reading. Students will be introduced to academic reading and writing through the comprehension and creation of short articles, paragraphs and narrative stories. (EAP 0110)

  • Communication: Students will deliver and respond to brief academic presentations and engage in short responsive discussions. Students will work towards identifying main ideas in academic discourse and answering ‘why’ questions and engage in short English discourse on class topics. Students will be expected to deliver several short presentations throughout the term focussing on organisation and pronunciation. (EAP 0111)

Intermediate Level

CEFR A2/B1 (IELTS 4.5)
  • Reading & Writing: Students will write and read quality paragraphs in English. Extra practice in vocabulary and grammar development will be conducted to develop confidence and competence in both reading and writing. In this course, students will critically examine a variety of readings that will be encountered in a university setting. Text types include scientific articles, newspaper and magazine articles, information booklets, editorials, short stories and various other literary forms. (EAP 0120)
  • Communication: Students will listen to brief academic lectures, engage in discussions, and deliver longer presentations. Students will take notes from lectures in order to identify and share key vocabulary, and to engage in discussion using critical thinking skills. This course will focus on the introduction of academic classroom discourse with emphasis on pronunciation. (EAP 0121)

High Intermediate Level

CEFR B1 (IELTS 5.0)
  • Reading & Writing: Students will improve sentence writing ability, demonstrate effective application of writing process and strategies, develop paragraph reading and writing skills through the exploration of particular rhetorical styles, investigate essay reading and writing, and explore the relationships between writing and technology and the potential of technology in developing communicative writing skills. The course is also organized to support and develop learners’ academic reading skills around two broad goals: to develop and expand reading comprehension skills, and to integrate new ideas based on knowledge and experiences. (EAP 0130)
  • Communication: Students will listen to longer lectures, engage in academic discussions, and deliver multiple researched presentations, with the use of visual aids. Students will take notes from lectures in order to identify and share key ideas, and to engage in discussion using critical thinking skills. This course will focus on academic classroom discourse with emphasis on
    pronunciation.     (EAP 0131)

Advanced Level

CEFR B1/B2 (IELTS 5.5)
  • Reading & Writing: Students will practice essay structures that are commonly used in English language essays; practice APA writing format; understand and implement reading and writing processes and strategies; improve fluency and accuracy in academic reading and writing; and improve essay-writing and reading comprehension skills through teacher, self, and peer editing and feedback. Students will engage in research writing, including choosing a topic, identifying audience, beginning to write, including supporting ideas with in-text citations, summarizing, paraphrasing, and referencing. Students will also identify and explain points of view, personal attitudes, and emotions in editorials, articles, personal essays, and fictional writing. (EAP 0140)
  • Communication: Students will participate and respond to academic lectures and prepare presentations on researched topics. During the course, students will take notes on key ideas in extended academic lectures in order to summarize, restate and discuss academic topics in both teacher and student-lead discussions with a focus on pronunciation. Students will present fluent, academically researched presentations to a formal audience with the advanced use of visual aids. (EAP 0141)

For more details about the EAP program, please refer to the University of Lethbridge Academic Calendar, or you can view our brochure here.

The EAP program is only offered at the Lethbridge campus