Advanced English Language Communication (AELC)

(This mandatory 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.