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Centre for English Language Teaching (CELT)

CELT offers a range of face-to-face and online English language workshops and one-to-one consultations for international students throughout the academic year.

The aim is meaningful, practical support.

The focus is on the enhancement and mastery of academic English language skills.

These sessions are voluntary and are offered at no extra cost to Ulster students.

As freestanding lessons, students can sign up to as many or few workshops as they wish. Lessons are offered at different times during the week to accommodate students’ timetables.

If you feel you can improve your use of English at university, you are very welcome to join a workshop and engage in the friendly learning process that CELT provides.

You are also warmly invited to arrange a one-to-one online consultation with a CELT tutor, where the focus will be entirely on your English and your work.

Register for a workshop

  • Academic Writing Workshops

    These sessions look closely at the core academic writing skills in English typically required of university students at all levels. Competence in these skills greatly enhances the process of producing confident, coherent, high-quality writing, a key component of academic success.

    There may be an opportunity to complete these sessions as part of the Certificate of Personal and Professional Development framework (CPPD). This would mean receiving 10 CPPD credit points. More information will be available during the first session.

  • Intercultural Fluency Workshops

    'Intercultural fluency' is vital as the world moves towards globalisation, involving accurate expression and interpretation when interacting with different cultures. This includes understanding meanings, intentions, and aligning language with its purpose. These sessions sharpen intercultural skills, empowering students to excel in communication while exploring Northern Ireland's social intricacies, fostering mutual cultural appreciation.

    There may be an opportunity to complete these sessions as part of the Certificate of Personal and Professional Development framework (CPPD). This would mean receiving 10 CPPD credit points. More information will be available during the first session.

  • Extended Writing and Research Skills
    • Selecting information effectively
    • Project management and planning
    • Use of evidence to support ideas
    • Note-taking, summarising and paraphrasing
    • Acknowledgement of sources
    • Development of content
    • Writing abstracts
    • Proof-reading practice
  • English for Everyday Life

    Developing everyday conversational competence and effective communication for academic settings is crucial. "English for Everyday Life" prioritizes enhancing international students' speaking and listening skills through relevant expressions, strategies, grammar, and vocabulary for both social and academic contexts, aiming to bridge these communication gaps.

    There may be an opportunity to complete these sessions as part of the Certificate of Personal and Professional Development framework (CPPD). This would mean receiving 10 CPPD credit points. More information will be available during the first session.

One to one Consultations Booking

CELT offers free, online one-to-one academic consultations for non-native speakers of English who are registered students at Ulster University.

These are friendly and supportive sessions and are held during Semesters 1 and 2 (September – December; January – May).

The main purpose is to identify and address problems that may occur frequently in the student’s writing.

The Consultation

During your 30-minute online session, the Teaching Fellow will provide you with direct specific support. For example, the Teaching Fellow may look at your structure, paragraphs, coherence, lexical skills or any other areas of concern.

We strongly advise you to make a one-to-one appointment well in advance to avoid disappointment.

All consultations are for 30 minutes and you will receive a reply confirming your time and the name of the Teaching Fellow you have selected to meet.

Please bear in mind that all classes and consultations are UK time, although one-to-one consultations will show up in your emails in the local time zone from where the booking was made.

  • Prepare for the Consultation

    Please email the Teaching Fellow with a draft of your work no later than 24 hours before your consultation and highlight any particular areas you would like to focus on.

    Remember that the consultation will last for a maximum of 30 minutes and it is in your interest to be as clear as possible about your specific tutorial needs.

  • Proof-reading

    The Teaching Fellow will identify and correct examples of certain errors which may occur frequently in your writing.

    It is also possible to focus on the development and organisation of your ideas.

    The tutor will not correct all spelling and grammar errors, but s/he will help you avoid them in future.

    Our goal is to help you to become a more confident writer.

    This is a teaching and learning service to help you develop your academic skills, not a proof reading and finalising facility.

Consultations are limited to one per student per week.