Study English at UOWD

Overview

Know your current level

Plan your study

Important dates

Teaching & Facilities

Register now

Delivery

Face-to-face classes

Duration

20 hours per week

English at university

English to study at university, to use in the work place, and for everyday life and social interactions

Global English Skills course

The Global English Skills program provides students with the opportunity to learn English within an international context. It is an English language program for students who need to enhance their English language skills for study, work or social communication.

The program is taught by native speaker-level, highly qualified and experienced instructors who provide students with the opportunity to acquire and practise their language skills in a communicative and interactive learning environment. You will study the coursebook ‘Life’ and you will watch videos, learn lots of vocabulary, develop your grammar, participate in discussions, learn in pairs and groups.

Global English Skills provides a preparation for general English and academic pathways at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. It usually takes 12 weeks to complete a full level. Achievement of the learning outcomes at each level is determined by unit quizzes, oral assessments and writing assessments

We believe that students say it best! Here is what some of our students say about learning English at UOWD.

"My experience at the UOWD College has positively impacted my life. I have had excellent teachers who have helped me to significantly improve my speaking, writing and reading skills much faster than I expected. In addition, I have had the opportunity to have classmates from different countries, which has allowed me to have more confidence in myself to communicate."

Sandy Patricia
Colombian

"The experiences I have gained at the UOWD College has made a big impact on my personality; it has helped me integrate well into an international professional network."

Imane Sadoq
Moroccan

"I had the opportunity to improve not only in my language skills but also my social skills. The great ambience and teaching techniques helped me broaden my mind and motivated me to pursue my higher degree at the university."

Abdoul Rachide Korgo
Burkina Faso

"The improvement I acquired in the English language at UOWD College helped me start my challenging program smoothly."

Tianyi Ding
Chinese

Study English Brochure

Campus Virtual Tour

How do I know my level?

When you are ready to join the classes, we will send you a code to log in to the Cambridge English Placement Test. You can do this online at home or you can come to campus. It is not a pass or fail test; we use your score to place you in the best class for you. It is important that you do the test yourself, without any help.

We offer English courses for people with a range of learning levels. English language levels are measured in different ways and below is a table showing some of these ways. People progress at different rates but It usually takes 12 weeks to complete one of our levels. For example, if your English is at IELTS band 5, it will probably take around 12 weeks to reach a band 6.

Tips to improve your level

Speak as much as possible and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You learn faster by making mistakes.
Watch TV and movies in English – it will take time but you will gradually understand more and more. Your brain will absorb the rhythms and sound of the language.
Read in English as much as possible. Read about something that interests you.
Trust your teacher. In Dubai you will hear a lot of English but it is not all good English.
Use an app such as Babel or Duolingo for extra practice
Have fun and don’t stress!

Plan your study

Planning your English language journey is an essential step towards achieving your desired proficiency level. Once you know where you stand by taking the Cambridge English Placement Test, you can set a target score that you would like to achieve and estimate the duration it may take to reach that goal. This information will empower you to plan your study schedule in advance, ensuring you stay on track and make steady progress towards success.

What do the levels mean?

Language levels are measured and described in different ways. You may be familiar with the bands related to the IELTS exam. We also use the Council of Europe Framework (CEFR). When you take our placement test, you will receive a result that says A2 or B1. The table below shows how these relate to our course levels.

Level	Score at time of application	Estimated time required to reach higher scores (Weeks)
	IELTS / TOEFL	IELTS 5	IELTS 5.5	IELTS 6	IELTS 6.5
Advanced	6.5 / 86				4 - 8
Upper Intermediate	6* / 70			4 - 8	8 - 12
Upper Intermediate	5.5* / 54		4 - 8	8 - 12	12 - 24
Intermediate	5* / 40	4 - 8	8 - 12	12 - 24	24
Intermediate	4.5	8 - 12	12 - 24	24	24 - 36
Pre-Intermediate	4	12	24	24 - 36	36 - 48
Pre-Intermediate	3.5	24	24 - 36	36 - 48	60
Elementary	3	36	36 - 48	60	72
Starter	-	48	60	72	94

*where one or more skill is below the overall band score

Important note: People learn at different rates and the number of weeks shown is only a guide. Your rate of progress depends on many factors including your attendance at class and how much you practise your English outside of the class.

What you will learn?

Level 1 – Starter | CEFR A0-A1 | IELTS 0 – 2

At this level you will know a few English words and expressions. You will learn to understand and use familiar everyday expressions and phrases. You will be able to give information at a basic level. You will learn to understand simple English that is spoken very slowly and clearly.