Learn English for Academic Purposes (LEAP)

Learn English for Academic Purposes (LEAP) is a programme which is designed to help international students at the University of Salford with their academic English skills.

LEAP offers: 

• free online English Language workshops
• free online skills workshops
• 1-2-1 tutorials
• help and support.

LEAP gives you the opportunity to develop your academic English language skills, so that your academic work is of a higher quality. Our online workshops are student-centred and interactive, allowing you to practice your skills.

Depending on the online workshop you choose, you will develop academic fluency for:

• speaking
• listening
• reading
• and writing.

You will do this through a combination of tutor input, discussions, and practical activities with students from a range of disciplines across the University.

Our online workshops, which are usually 30-40 minutes in length, take place via Microsoft Teams. At the end of your workshop, you will have the opportunity to ask your teacher workshop-specific questions, and for extra practice materials. If you are based on campus, you can also benefit from dedicated learning space in the Language Resource Centre, on the 9th floor of the Maxwell Building.

There are no formal assessments on our LEAP course, but there are a lot of informal activities which take place in each session so that you can monitor your progress and receive feedback from your LEAP tutor.

LEAP is delivered by passionate, highly qualified, and experienced English language lecturers who make sure that every session is enjoyable and valuable. Our sessions are also accredited by the British Council to provide you with the assurance that you are receiving the highest level of teaching and support.

Our online workshops run at various times throughout the week in trimesters one, two, and three, and are open to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The workshops focus on challenges that are commonly encountered by international students adapting to the requirements of academic study in the UK.

English language competency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking enhances the quality of your academic work, which is crucial for success during your study at the University of Salford.

Highly competent English Language communicators are more highly valued by employers in whichever country you plan to work in when you graduate.

LEAP helps you interact with people from different backgrounds and enables you to make new friends. This will have a positive impact on your mental wellbeing.

Our LEAP sessions are designed to be interactive and help you practice your academic skills, so that you can communicate more effectively with your peers, tutors, and wider academic communities.

Depending on which online workshop you choose, you will cover a range of topics.
Our current online workshops are listed below and are bookable through Advantage by clicking on the workshop title. If a session has no remaining spaces, you can email LEAP@salford.ac.uk to register your interest.
The only thing we ask is that you attend all online workshops that you have booked onto (unless you have a valid reason for absence, such as illness).

Should you know beforehand that you will be absent, please cancel your tutorial slot on Advantage, so that another student can make use of it.
LEAP workshops are added on a regular basis, so keep checking back to see what’s new!

Academic Listening

• Note-taking Systems
• Note-taking Skills

Academic Reading

• Reading Skills
• Understanding Writer Stance
• Reading Critically

Academic Writing

• Hedging and Cautious Language
• Linking Ideas
• Paraphrasing
• Citations
• Referencing
• Signposting Ideas
• Planning and Organising Written Work
• Synthesising Ideas
• Thesis Statements

Academic Speaking

• Presentation Essentials
• Effectively Using your Voice
• Engaging your Audience

Study Skills

• Academic Word Lists
• Useful Websites for Academic English
• Understanding and using Teacher Feedback
• Understanding and using Assessment Documents
• Learning Independently: Vocabulary
• Learning Independently: Grammar
• Writing Effective Emails

Dissertations (Structure and Language)

• An Overview
• Introduction Section

Literature Review Section

• Methodology Section
• Findings Section
• Discussion Section
• Conclusion Section

Dissertations (Presentations)

• Introduction Section
• Referring to Literature
• Methods and Procedures
• Results and Discussion
• Handling the Conclusion Q&A
• Understanding and preparing for the Oral Defence
• Networking at Conferences

If you have questions about your own work or you would like help about a particular problem, our 1-2-1 tutorial slots are bookable through Advantage. Tutorial slots are added on a weekly basis, so please check back here if the sessions are fully booked up.

Our 1-2-1 LEAP Tutorials can be used to improve your English Language skills, to practise your speaking and presentation skills, to discuss feedback on your essays, and to plan and structure your assignments. Please upload any attachments of the work you would like to discuss beforehand. 

Instructions for Online Appointments:

• You should aim to log in to the tutorial 5 minutes before the scheduled start time.
• Please log in from a quiet location and use headphones to reduce background noise. 
• Your tutor will call you via Microsoft Teams, at your scheduled tutorial time.

Instructions for Face-to-face Appointments:

• Please arrive to your location 5 minutes before your scheduled appointment time.

The only thing we ask is that you attend your 1-2-1 tutorial once you have booked onto it (unless you have a valid reason for absence, such as illness). Should you know beforehand that you will be absent, please cancel your tutorial slot on Advantage, so that another student can make use of it, and email leap@salford.ac.uk, so that we can inform your tutor to rearrange your 1-2-1.

Bespoke LEAP Courses

The LEAP team may be able to offer bespoke courses to Programme Leaders who request them for their students, as part of their academic programme.

Please contact LEAP@salford.ac.uk for more information.

LEAP Practical Academic Writing Course

(LEAP) is offering a new five-week course on practical Academic Writing skills for all students whose native language is not English.

If this is something you are interested in, please book your place using the links below. Please only book onto one slot.

• Fridays 11am-1pm, in person

Places are limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you wish to cancel your place, please email LEAP@salford.ac.uk.

LEAP is a service directed primarily at international students, but we have collated below resources which may be useful to members of staff.

Wordscope

Wordscope

Skills for Life

• Skills
• Improve your English, maths and IT skills

EAP

• Using English for Academic Purposes for students in Higher Education
• eapfoundation.com
• Academic Phrasebook
• The Purdue OWL® - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University
• Academic English Online

General

British Council - Learn English online

Listening

• BBC Learning English
• English Listening Lesson Library Online

TED Talks

TED: Ideas worth spreading