Advanced English Language Communication (AELC)

(This mandatory, credit-bearing course is for students whose language entry scores are below IELTS 7.0/TOEFL 90 or are seen to be at this level in other equivalent language tests)

This exciting, interactive course focuses on further developing and enhancing students’ English language communication skills critical to their scientific studies, research, and professional development. Providing expert guidance, feedback and support with the use of highly-relevant and stimulating materials throughout, students will gain the confidence and competence to clearly and sophisticatedly communicate in varied academic and professional contexts and for a range of different purposes. With small class sizes and students supported to practice and nurture their language skills in diverse-discipline international student groups, this course fully prepares students for the linguistic and communicative demands of scientific postgraduate level study and beyond.

Running in both the Fall and Spring semester, this semester-long course should be completed within a student's first year at KAUST and ideally during the first semester of a student’s arrival on campus. This course requires 3 classes per week of instruction and focuses on all key areas of English language development: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. As the AELC course is taken alongside other academic classes, course instruction and assessment incorporates meaningful and relevant subject-area language, topics and themes.

AELC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
For more information on our mandatory AELC course, please visit our FAQs page:
AELC FAQs
Kamran 22
Gerard-22
elcp--09
Kamran-19
What are our students saying about AELC?
For students' perspectives on the AELC course, watch an interview with Shahad below or read Zhilei's testimonial; they both successfully completed the AELC course in Fall 2022.

"The Advanced English Language Communication course equipped me with the writing and presentation skills I need to be a successful academic. The materials we used in class were varied and stimulating, and learning with the ELCP team was interesting and fun.”

Zhilei Han ,

Energy Resources & Petroleum Eng. (PhD)

Critical Writing Discussion and Debate

(only for students registered on the PG Dip program)

This credit-bearing, semester-long course serves as a core PG Diploma program course. It aims to develop students’ English language and communication skills to a sophisticated level to enable individuals to interact effectively and thrive in academic study and professional contexts. This course aims to build and expand upon these skills in relevant areas from scientific research writing through to critical discussion, debate and presentations. This course consists of 3 x 1.5 hour taught classes per week, plus 1.5 hours of weekly guided study tasks.

On completion of this course students will: 1. Appreciate the features of and engage in clear, effective communication. 2. Understand and appreciate the need to adopt a critical, analytical stance in academic contexts and work. 3. Be able to plan and produce critical academic work in written and varied, formal spoken formats.