English Language Program – Academic (ELICOS)
Course overview
TasTAFE offers the English Language Program – Academic to provide English as an Additional Language (EAL) students the opportunity to obtain the English language competency necessary to enable enrolment in certificate and/or diploma courses at TasTAFE. Students coming from non-English speaking countries will appreciate having the extra time to settle into the English speaking environment at TasTAFE, become accustomed to listening to and speaking English with others, and become familiar with cultural differences in the classroom and in daily life.
This English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course will equip students with the academic English language skills and knowledge necessary to operate more effectively in the English medium classroom environments at TasTAFE. The program integrates the broad skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Each broad skill area breaks into a number of related academic language skills, as outlined in the table below. Our experienced teachers ensure that individual student needs are taken into account in the design of learning activities.
Successful completion of the English Language Program – Academic will provide students with direct entry into TasTAFE certificate and diploma courses, as well as greater confidence in using English for study purposes.
Below are the focuses of each skill area:
Skill Area | Main focus |
Reading | Comprehension, note-taking, summarising |
Listening | Comprehension, note-taking, paraphrasing |
Speaking | Conversation, spoken presentation, tutorial and discussion, pronunciation, fluency practice |
Writing | Giving information, describing processes, describing problems, suggesting solutions, expressing opinions, constructing arguments, giving instructions, comparing & contrasting, writing paragraphs, essays and academic reports |
Study Skills | Effective study habits, note-taking, paraphrasing, avoiding plagiarism, referencing conventions, critical thinking skills, research skills, ICT skills |
English language test scores required:
IELTS | PTE | TOEFL | TOEFL Paper | Oxford Online | CAE | |
English Language Program – Academic (ELICOS) | 4.5 (no band less than 4.5) | 30-35 | 32-34 | 450-499 | B1 | 147-153 |
All other TasTAFE courses, except Diploma of Nursing | 5.5 (no band less than 5.0) | 42-49 | 46-59 | 527-549 | B2 (62-80) | 162 |
TasTAFE’s English Language Programs are endorsed by NEAS (the National ELT Accreditation Scheme).