Japanese student, Satoko Suzuki joined 4-week unconditional Pre-sessional in Summer 2023 before starting her Master in Innovation Management.
How has your experience in the Pre-Sessional English programme transformed your language skills and overall confidence using English?
It was a great opportunity to improve my integrated English skills. I struggled to improve my speaking skills in my home country, but now I gained confidence in my verbal communication skills through class discussions.
What were some of your favourite learning activities within the programme? How did these activities contribute to your language development?
I loved the interactive discussions; live communication is the biggest strength of the course on campus.
Did the program enhance your understanding of English-speaking cultures? How did it help you navigate cultural nuances?
Tutors explained the expectations from main course tutors, which are based on British culture. There is a wide gap between Asian ones. Having this information before the main course starts is so helpful to be confident for in my future study.
How did the program equip you with the skills necessary to succeed in your academic studies or future career? Were there specific areas that you found particularly valuable?
Experience in academic writing is beneficial. Especially, knowing the structure of essays and tips for speed reading was absolutely valuable for me.
Did you develop meaningful connections with classmates during the program? How did the social aspect enhance your learning experience?
Daily conversation with classmates is not only fun but also full of learning. I could learn some idiomatic and informal phrases which I had never seen in academic texts.
Would you recommend the Pre-Sessional English programme to others? If so, what would you highlight as its main strengths?
Absolutely yes. The biggest strength of this course is that students can gain practically integrated English skills through the materials. I found that listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills are intertwined, and a physical class is the best place to improve all of them together. Additionally, classmates from other countries are so valuable that I got so many insights through communication with them. I strongly recommend other students come and join the pre-sessional on campus before their main course start.
