What our students say

Mengshu, from Jinan, China

Mengshu graduated from university in China and studied Environmental Design at a college in Tokyo. After working as an officer, she decided to change career path and applied to study a Master’s in Marketing for the Creative Industries at the University of Leicester. Her desire is to one day create a media company or become a university professor. She joined the Online Presessional Programme with the ELTU to improve her English skills.

When Mengshu started her course, she didn’t feel confident in her English abilities, but now she can express opinions freely and with ease. She finds social activities such as Reading Club ‘relaxing’ and valuable to improve her speaking and listening skills. She finds online study beneficial as at allows free time to plan self-study and flexibility in daily activities. The personal tutorial sessions give her time to talk to her tutor and exchange ideas and opinions.

When starting the course, Mengshu recommends that students manage their time efficiently and create a study plan. She emphasises that having the confidence to communicate is important, especially when students need further clarification. She says, “Don’t be shy” as the teachers are “very warm” and send regular emails to help students make the most of their time on the course. She feels students may find the course challenging at the beginning, but emphasises that they should use every opportunity to practise their English skills.

Gloria, from Shan Xi, China

Gloria graduated with a degree in Broadcasting and Hosting at college in China. She took the 20-week Online Presessional course at the ELTU, and plans to study a Master’s in Mass Communications at the University of Leicester. Her career aspiration is to become a teacher in communications or media. She says she decided to study at the ELTU due to its “experienced teachers” and regards it as a “learning institution with a good reputation”.

Gloria found studying online beneficial, as students can use the study materials, such as videos of lessons, and study exercises, at times that are convenient for them. She enjoys participating in social activities such as Reading Circle and English Club, and the online discussion boards allow her and classmates to explore and express their opinions over a multitude of topics.

Her advice for new online students would be “don’t worry and enjoy the experience”. She says that the staff at the ELTU resolve any issues students may have via email quickly. She also feels the ELTU is a “warm, big family” where you can connect to students from different countries.

Yasemin, from Turkey

Yasemin had to balance time studying on the Presessional with looking after her children. She previously studied Business Administration and plans to study IT at the University of Leicester. She decided to study at the ELTU because it offers “professional language education” and a great opportunity to learn.

Yasemin enjoyed studying online and feels this method of study was helpful to improve her IT skills as well as English skills. She found the online lessons useful and the fact that lessons are recorded allows her to watch them again if she misses information or wants to review a topic. She also attended online social activities such as Newspod, which allowed her to practice her speaking skills.

The advice she would give to future students is to take responsibility for your learning, make a study timetable, and check your University email account every day. She says that while the course is challenging, it is important to be confident. She describes the ELTU as “feeling like home”, where everyone is cheerful, and students are free to ask for what they need in their learning from teachers.

Yang from Xi’An, China

Yang graduated from the Changchun Institute of Technology with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. He joined the 20-week Presessional at the ELTU to prepare for a Master’s degree in Engineering Management at the University of Leicester. He decided to study at the ELTU to experience British culture, develop his English skills, and improve his job prospects.

Yang describes the ELTU as a “warm hearted and friendly” place where every teacher cares about the progress of students. The ELTU offered Yang a new way of studying compared to his experiences in China. Yang enjoyed meeting and talking to people from a variety of nationalities and feels that being a student at the ELTU is not just about learning, but also offers a great chance to meet friends and make memories.

Fangnan from Guangdong, China

Fangnan graduated from the Wuhan College of Media and Communication and has worked as a reporter on TV in China. Fangnan decided to study on the 10-week Online Presessional course at the ELTU to improve her English for postgraduate study, and then take a Master’s degree in Media and Public Relations.

Fangnan describes the ELTU as “friendly” and her teachers as “patient”, taking the time to help students improve their English, whilst providing a good environment to practice English. She says one of the ways teachers do this is by providing advice and support both in lessons and via email.

Fangnan finds studying online allows her some flexibility in managing her time, but she emphasises that students need to be proactive in their learning. She advises students to be confident and ask questions as the ELTU teachers will always try their best to help.