In-sessional English courses

Improving your skills

Derby Language Centre (DLC) provides free, in-sessional language classes to help you perform better in your studies. You can take them at any point during your time at Derby, whether you are studying for an undergraduate degree or a postgraduate degree.

These sessions will boost your academic English skills and build your confidence, as well as helping you navigate the expectations of UK study. We can support you to give better presentations, improve your academic writing skills, help you to produce reports, essays and literature reviews or provide help with communication skills. 

Courses and sessions run throughout the year to help you fully develop your skills. The courses are made up of blocks of one to four sessions. 

Certificates are available on completion of each course. These courses are available for international students and/or any student whose first language is not English. Free individual support sessions for help with assignments and coursework can be booked in on Friday mornings, for either a face-to-face or online meeting.

Book your place

Register your interest for our in-sessional English language courses by filling out our form.

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Communication skills and writing courses

The content of our communication skills classes includes a general overview of good communication skills for study and employment, conversation and discussion to improve spontaneity and fluency of spoken interactions, seminar skills and presentation skills. 

We offer courses at two levels: Introductory Academic Writing and Advanced Academic Writing.

Introductory Academic Writing

The content of these courses includes referencing, citation, paraphrasing skills, improving academic vocabulary, and writing style, writing structure, common grammar errors and developing a critical voice.

Advanced Academic Writing and Independent Study Support

Content will include further development of referencing and citation, paraphrasing, academic vocabulary, and style, as well as further developing a critical voice and style, and writing abstracts and sections of your research report.

Join us at our Kedleston Road campus this September for face-to-face in-sessional English courses. Further information including how to book will be shared soon.

On-campus class timetable

Communication skills

Course What you'll learn

Details
Communication skills at University and in the world of work Improve and develop your discussion, presentation and overall communication skills

2 week course

Wednesdays 1-3pm in N414, Kedleston Road campus.

5 November 2025

12 November 2025

An introduction to academic writing

Course What you'll learn

Details
An introduction to academic writing
  • Referencing, citing and paraphrasing
  • Structuring arguments and ideas (sentences and paragraphs)
  • Academic style
  • Critical evaluation vs description

4 week course

Wednesdays 1-3pm in N414, Kedleston Road campus.

1 October 2025
8 October 2025
15 October 2025
22 October 2025

Online class timetables

Advanced academic writing 

Course What you'll learn

Details
AI Research assistance and study support Introducing positive use cases for integrating AI for ethical research and professional development.

Tuesday 28 October 2025

9am-12pm
Using referencing and paraphrasing to develop your arguments and strengthen your structure Develop basic referencing skills, so that evidence and paraphrasing don't just appear in your work, but guide the arguments forward.

Tuesday 4 November 2025

4pm-5pm
A review of academic skills, including structure and criticality Review academic skills to act as a checklist before you submit your assignments.

Tuesday 18 November 2025

4pm-5pm

An introduction to academic writing (online)

Course What you'll learn

Details
An introduction to academic writing
  • Referencing, citing and paraphrasing
  • Structuring arguments and ideas (sentences and paragraphs)
  • Academic style
  • Critical evaluation vs description

4 week course

Thursdays 4-5pm

2 October 2025
9 October 2025
16 October 2025
23 October 2025

 

Individual support

Individual support is available to ask questions or for guidance with assignments. 

Fridays 10am-1pm

Either face-to-face, in the Language Centre (South Tower S203) or online.

Email englishsupport@derby.ac.uk to book an appointment.

 

More information

For more information, email englishsupport@derby.ac.uk

Please note that we are an advisory and support service and not a proofreading service. 

We can offer feedback on things like structure, style and development of arguments and part of this could include some feedback on grammatical use and language accuracy. To do this, we will look at 1-2 pages of work. To get the most from this service, you should indicate which section you want us to focus on and highlight specific questions for us.