Develop Your Academic Vocabulary for Study

Enhance your understanding of academic English, guided by leading ELT educators

To succeed in further study, you need a rich vocabulary of words used in academic contexts, though heard less often in daily life.

On this three-week course, delivered by Madelize Bekker, an expert in English Language Teaching (ELT), you’ll develop your spoken and written academic vocabulary and gain a headstart in your further studies.

Learn the meaning, form, and use of the first 180 words of the Academic Word List

The Academic Word List contains 570 words commonly used in general, rather than subject-specific, academic contexts. They are useful for learners interested in any subject.

On this course, you’ll be introduced to the first 180 words on the list. As the most commonly used words, these will help you understand lectures, read course texts, and take part in academic discussions.

Using examples and interactive activities, you’ll be able to recognise these words within your learning and engage more fully in your studies.

Improve your listening skills and English pronunciation

With an accompanying audio clip, you’ll learn how to pronounce every new word and be able to follow spoken lectures and learning content quicker. Each week will contain a speaking activity to help you gain confidence in using your knowledge in spoken contexts.

You’ll create sentences using your newly learned vocabulary and discover strategies for learning, remembering, and putting your learning into practice.

Develop your reading comprehension and formal writing skills in English

Using activities that focus on spelling, word forms, meaning, and use, you’ll ensure that your written work, whether in online discussions, exams, or essays, makes perfect sense.

By the end of this course, you’ll have expanded your academic vocabulary and be confident in using it in spoken and written contexts.

This course is designed for learners who want to improve their academic English vocabulary or formal writing skills. It’s particularly suitable for those wanting to pass exams including IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, FCE, CAE, and PTE, or study at an English-medium university, as well as ELT educators who wish to use the Academic Word List with their class.

You don’t need any specific software or tools to complete this course but we do recommend that you keep a digital or print vocabulary notebook where you note down each new word you learn and where you type/write your practice sentences.

• AWL Sublist 1
• Welcome
• Sublist 1 Day 1
• Sublist 1 Day 2
• Sublist 1 Day 3
• Sublist 1 Day 4
• Sublist 1 Day 5
• Week 1 in a nutshell
• AWL Sublist 2
• Welcome to Week 2
• Sublist 2 Day 1
• Sublist 2 Day 2
• Sublist 2 Day 3
• Sublist 2 Day 4
• Sublist 2 Day 5
• Week 2 wrap up
• AWL Sublist 3
• You've made it to Week 3!
• Sublist 3 Day 1
• Sublist 3 Day 2
• Sublist 3 Day 3
• Sublist 3 Day 4
• Sublist 3 Day 5