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Due to the global pandemic and visa delays some international students have been unable to make it here in person for the start of term.

When they do arrive in person, they will need to adapt quickly to the British academic culture. We also know that students who arrive late benefit from targeted support to help them perform as well as their peers and to integrate. English Language for Academic Study sessions are free non-credit bearing tutorials and workshops designed to help improve international students’ academic English and their understanding of British academic culture.

Building on the success of teaching online last year, the English Language for Academic Study (ELAS) team have been hosting workshops and one-to-one tutorials online again this term, so that students can participate whether they have arrived in the UK or not. This is live, interactive teaching in different time slots, to accommodate different time zones and lifestyles. Students have told us how invaluable they have found this support:

“Under the situation of full remote learning year in 2020-2021, I could not think overcoming my work without the support I received from ELAS! Especially on the tutorials, they provide critical and helpful advice and helped me to reflect and improve my work. Even if you are fully understanding how to write essays and so on, it is great opportunity to interact and practice before working on your actual assignments.”

Lena G SHINOZAKI, MA Human Rights

In fact the workshops, which cover topics such as Introduction to Reading Critically and Taking Effective Notes, the Process of Essay Writing and Speaking in Seminars, have been so successful that they are almost all fully booked for the next couple of weeks, although waiting lists are in place. A total of 1381 out of 1400 workshop places have been booked until week 7.

To accommodate more students additional online workshops will be able from week 5, and from week 8 there will be a new series of workshops both online and in person, including Proofreading/Editing and Developing Academic Style and Vocabulary. Any late arriving students will be notified first of these new workshops to give them a chance to book.

There are also plenty of spaces on one-to-one tutorials. For a tutorial a student must submit a piece of work to be discussed 24 hours in advance of the tutorial. Examples include a draft essay, a report, a dissertation proposal, a presentation, a sample piece or reading. We are also offering drop-in Student Hours in person for quick questions.

For more information and how to book on Sussex Direct: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/languages/english/elas

You can also refer students to the Canvas site: https://canvas.sussex.ac.uk/courses/6806

For any questions please email elas@sussex.ac.uk

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