Academic English
For Higher Education Excellence
A comprehensive Academic English program designed to prepare students for university study in English-speaking environments. Develop advanced listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills through structured, skills-focused modules.
75+
Total Digital Lessons
15
Study Skills Videos
B1–B2
CEFR Target Levels
IELTS 4–6.5
Exam Alignment
What is Academic English?
Academic English focuses on the language used in lectures, seminars, academic texts, essays, and research environments. It prepares learners to succeed in higher education by strengthening formal vocabulary, critical thinking, structured writing, and analytical reading skills.
Academic Word List (AWL)
Vocabulary is based on the Academic Word List — a collection of high-frequency academic words commonly used in university-level texts.
Designed for Study Success
The course prepares students for understanding lectures, writing essays, participating in discussions, referencing sources, and presenting research.
Skill-Based Modules
Academic Speaking
30 Digital Lessons | ~60 Minutes Each
- ✔ Giving structured presentations
- ✔ Academic discussion participation
- ✔ Asking and answering analytical questions
- ✔ Referring to graphs, charts & data
- ✔ Formal spoken language development
Academic Writing
15 Digital Lessons | ~60 Minutes Each
- ✔ Essay organization & structure
- ✔ Developing balanced arguments
- ✔ Paraphrasing & summarizing
- ✔ Referencing & citation basics
- ✔ Formal tone & clarity
Reading & Listening
30 Lessons | ~45 Minutes Each
- ✔ Identifying arguments & main ideas
- ✔ Inference & implication skills
- ✔ Note-taking strategies
- ✔ Understanding academic lectures
- ✔ 15 Study Skills Video Lessons
Building Reading Fluency
At the beginning of Need to Read, students take a short adaptive diagnostic test to determine their appropriate level. Each lesson starts with a warm-up activity to introduce the topic. This is followed by focused reading exercises to practice reading for general understanding and specific information. Students can then reflect on the article and share their ideas in the Need to Read forum.
The Skills Training section helps students practice new words and phrases in context and learn how to express ideas and opinions. A Word Bank supports vocabulary learning and reviews key business concepts. Finally, a feedback section allows students to comment on the lesson and rate their experience.
How the Need to Read Program Develops Reading Fluency
Need to Read is designed as a structured reading development program that gradually improves reading speed, comprehension accuracy, vocabulary knowledge, and critical thinking. Each lesson combines authentic business content with guided reading strategies so learners develop the ability to interpret real-world written information.
1. Diagnostic Level Assessment
Students begin the course with a short adaptive diagnostic test that determines their appropriate reading band. The system evaluates comprehension responses and automatically recommends the correct lesson level. This placement ensures that students work with texts that are challenging enough to promote progress but still accessible for learning.
2. Topic Introduction & Warm-Up
Each lesson begins with a short warm-up activity designed to introduce the topic and activate background knowledge. Students become familiar with the theme of the article, key concepts, and vocabulary that will appear in the reading text.
3. Reading for General Understanding
The first reading task focuses on identifying the overall meaning of the article. Learners practice skimming techniques to determine the main message, recognize the structure of the text, and understand the author's central argument.
4. Reading for Specific Information
After understanding the general idea, learners complete detailed comprehension tasks that require locating facts, interpreting data, and analyzing specific information within the text. These activities strengthen accuracy in reading and reinforce analytical thinking.
5. Vocabulary Development
A dedicated Word Bank supports vocabulary learning by explaining important words and expressions found in the article. Students learn how these words are used in context and develop a stronger understanding of business and professional terminology.
6. Skills Training
The Skills Training section helps students practice interpreting meaning, recognizing opinions, and identifying the author's perspective. These exercises strengthen reading strategies that are essential for academic and professional environments.
Developing Critical Reading Skills
Beyond basic comprehension, Need to Read encourages learners to evaluate information, interpret viewpoints, and reflect on the significance of real-world issues presented in each article.
Understanding Arguments
Students learn how to identify the main argument presented in an article and recognize the evidence used to support it.
Recognizing Opinions
Learners distinguish between factual information and the writer's opinions or interpretations.
Interpreting Data
Students practice understanding numbers, statistics, and references found in business and economic texts.
Expressing Ideas
Reflection activities allow learners to comment on articles and share their opinions through the Need to Read discussion forum.
Need to Read Features
- • 800+ lessons across B1–C1 level.
- • Articles that cover a wide range of topics within business and finance.
- • Structured practice to help learners read more fluently and expand their vocabulary.
- • An ability to share opinions with others in the Need to Read community and rate each lesson.
- • Printable lesson content including results, commentary, and a Word Bank.
- • An end-of-course test to measure reading progress.
Lesson Flow
Lessons follow a systematic cycle of introducing a topic, practicing macro and micro reading skills, stating opinions, and focusing on new vocabulary and usage. The material is broken down into short modules so that students can begin a lesson, take a break, and simply pick up where they left off.
Skills Training sections help students focus on useful words often used with the topic to help them identify a writer’s opinion.
Learning Progress & Student Feedback
At the end of each lesson, students have the opportunity to review their performance, reflect on what they have learned, and provide feedback on the lesson experience. This feedback helps improve engagement and supports continuous learning throughout the course.
Regular practice over several months helps learners significantly improve reading fluency, expand vocabulary, and gain the confidence to understand and discuss complex ideas in English.
