The course
  • You will develop the receptive skills (reading and listening) which you need to follow an English-language course at the university.
  • This course focuses explicitly on the specific characteristics of the more formal academic style. The primary emphasis is on academic vocabulary.
  • You learn to apply the academic register in writing academic texts.
  • You brush up that important grammar you’d forgotten.
  • Practical exercises give you the opportunity of improving your presentation skills.
  • Important: this course demands preparation before each lesson and an active attitude during the lessons. 
Target group
  • This course is intended for those with a good basic knowledge of English who wish to further  develop their English language (academic) skills further.
  • Enrolment is open to VUB students only.
Teacher

Karen Verheyden

Number of hours

10 lessons of 2 hours on campus

Click here for the timetable & classroom

Please note: as for any language course, regular attendance in class is important in order to make progress. This is why attendance in class is compulsory. Students who cannot attend one out of two contact hours due to a lesson overlap will not be able to enrol in this course.

Maximum number of participants

25

Registration conditions

In 26-27 this course is only intended for VUB students who can take this course as an optional course in their study program.

Before you may register for this course, you must first take an online placement test. You cannot enroll for this course without passing the test. A few days after participation in the test, you will receive an email with information about the course you are eligible to enroll in. The placement test is identical for all courses. As a result, you can enroll for the test via any of the Academic English course pages. The key is to participate in this placement test first and foremost.

Please note: the placement tests are always scheduled before the course starts. That means that you already have to participate in the test before the start of the course. Unfortunately, you cannot enroll for the course once the deadline for the placement test has passed. 

The placement test for the first semester will be available from 17 August 2026 and will close on 22 September 2026 at 23:59. 

Click here to participate in the placement test.