Intensive Academic Preparation 

Do you want to maximise your chances of success at an Australian university? Hawthorn-Melbourne’s Intensive Academic Preparation Program (IAP) course can help you further improve your English skills, whether you have a conditional or unconditional offer.

Academic English can be very different to the English you use in conversation, even if you are an advanced English speaker. IAP is an intensive program at a B2+ to C1 level that will prepare you for university study in English and introduce you to the academic requirements of Australian universities.

In this course, you will complete activities and assessment tasks that use the same standards of English required at university level.

You will develop the English language and study skills that you will use throughout your university course. These skills, which are in the key areas of reading, listening, writing and speaking, along with study skills, are similar to those learnt in EAP but are at a much more sophisticated level.

Writing skills for academic purposes

• summarising and paraphrasing, writing essays and reports on a range of academic genres
• planning, drafting and editing skills
• referencing skills

Reading skills for academic purposes

• introduction to academic texts
• techniques for efficient reading, including skimming for main ideas and scanning for specific information
• analysing and describing graphs, diagrams and charts
• predicting content from context
• understanding the writer’s tone, style and purpose
• extending your academic vocabulary for further studies

Listening skills for academic purposes

• listening skills for lectures and tutorials
• note-taking strategies and skills

Speaking skills

• oral presentation skills
• collaborative speaking skills such as active listening and turn-taking
• expressing, explaining and supporting a point of view confidently

Introduction to study skills

• developing effective study habits
• time management
• effective collaboration with peers
• research skills, including sourcing and evaluating academic materials
• develop familiarity with learning management systems used in further studies