Course overview and content

For the 2025/26 academic year, Pre-sessional English courses are scheduled to take place on campus with online provision available on select 10-week courses.

"I've found it incredibly helpful, not just for language learning. It's a course I would recommend to any new student"

Two PSE students and a teacher pose for a photo in the Language Lounge

Our Pre-sessional English course has five entry points depending on your current level of English and how long you need to study for. Normally, all students finish their Pre-sessional English course on the same Friday in early September. Fully online students will usually begin and end their studies about three weeks earlier.

Longer courses

Our longest courses are divided into three stages:

The 40-week course begins in Stage 1 (October start date)
The 30-week course begins in Stage 2 (January start date)
The 20-week course begins in Stage 3 (March/April start date).

Shorter courses

Our shorter courses (10 and 6-week courses) begin in the summer and have start dates between June and July, except for the 10-week Autumn course which starts in October and ends in December. If you study with us in Stage 3, you will need to successfully complete assessments to progress to the 10-week summer course.

During Stage 1-3, you will study with students holding offers for all different subjects. For 10-week and 6-week courses, you will be grouped with students studying the same subject as you, or a subject from the same family of disciplines.

What can I expect?

Before you begin your studies

On the 40, 30 and 20-week courses, you will normally take a placement test to allow us to place you in the most appropriate class for your current level of English. On the 10 and 6-week courses, there is no level test but you will take a diagnostic writing test.

During your classes

When you study on any of our Pre-sessional English courses, you will have:

A full-time, intensive course requiring approximately 35 hours per week. This includes up to 18 hours of lessons and tutorials and approximately 20 hours per week of directed self-study after class and at weekends
Lessons that are usually held between 9am and 6pm GMT, Monday to Friday
Regular homework and self-study tasks
Small class sizes
Regular individual and/or small-group tutorials
Classes with students studying the same subject as you, or a subject from the same family of disciplines (summer courses)
Regular recorded lectures to help you improve your listening and note taking skills (summer courses)
Text books and materials necessary for your course (included in the course fee)
Highly experienced and motivated teachers - Meet the ELC team
Access to University facilities, eg libraries, University email account
Access to self-study materials in the Language Lounge
Visa support through the International Advice and Guidance team
A range of social activities and trips to introduce you to Liverpool and life in the UK, or where appropriate an online equivalent
University accommodation on the Liverpool campus with the option for you to keep the same room when you begin your academic course.

All students will use Microsoft Teams and the University's virtual learning environment Canvas to submit assessments and access policy documents.

You will need to bring an audio and video enabled laptop to your classes as ebooks and elearning materials will be used. It might also be beneficial to bring a headset or headphones and a webcam when studying on campus.

Some aspects of the on-campus courses, such as 1:1 tutorials, may be held online.

For self-study outside of scheduled class times, you may also find it convenient to occasionally connect with your classmates via the internet and to complete work online and at home independently.

It is not possible to effectively study the course on a mobile telephone or tablet computer. Therefore, you should ensure you have the necessary equipment and a stable internet connection at home.

After your course

Online students will receive a transcript and on-campus students will receive a transcript and a certificate of participation, provided the attendance requirements have been met
Successful completion of the Pre-sessional course at the required level will allow you to progress to your academic programme at the University of Liverpool.

Course content

On all our Pre-sessional courses, we focus on a combination of language and skills necessary for academic study alongside regular formative assessment and feedback.

The overall aims of our Pre-sessional courses are:

To help you meet the English language requirements of your academic programme
To develop the academic English language and study skills you'll need to succeed in your chosen degree
To raise your awareness of the expectations of UK academic culture
To show you how to become a more autonomous (independent) learner
To familiarise you with the University’s systems, facilities and regulations.

40-week course

The 40-week course introduces basic academic writing, speaking, reading and listening skills. You'll learn how to plan, organise and write in an academic style, and develop speaking and listening skills. This will help you to communicate in both informal and formal university contexts. The course also introduces you to independent learning strategies and how to develop the reading habit.

30-week course

The 30-week course provides further practice of academic skills and knowledge. You'll complete several short academic essays, a group presentation and a series of integrated reflective assignments. There are also lessons focusing on the specific grammar and vocabulary needed in academic writing. At this stage of the course, you'll begin to consider the skills and demands of your future programme of study.

20-week course

On the 20-week course, you'll continue to develop your ability to deal with academic listening and reading texts. You'll learn essential academic reading and writing skills such as purposeful notetaking, using notes to paraphrase, and synthesising source texts to create a coherent argument. You'll also practise presentation and seminar skills and learn how to manage your time effectively, participate in group work and understand tutor feedback on your work. You'll take assessments during this stage to demonstrate that you're at the required level to progress onto the final 10-week block of study.

10-week and 6-week courses

The content of your lessons will reflect the real-life, authentic tasks and skills that you'll need on your academic programme. Your course is divided into lessons focusing on the research project, lecture and seminar discussion skills based on recorded or live lectures and reflective presentations. You'll be divided into different pathways according to your future academic programme. While the assessments for all pathways are the same, the topics and content are discipline-specific and will be different. There may be some slight differences in the delivery of assessments on online courses in response to the particular circumstances of online assessments.

"It's good for learning academic writing, speaking, and gives us a lot of chances to practice our skills. All the tutors are so friendly and professional. The most important thing is we can make some good friends, who will help us to overcome every challenge we may face at university."