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Pre-University (BIL)
Enrollment in this course is by invitation only

Pre-University aims at developing English language skills of the students required to enter into an English medium academic environment. It is designed to transform the students into active and independent learners, and thus prepare them as successful university students.

About This Course

Objectives/Rationale

Course Aims and Outcomes

Students will develop basic English language skills required to study in an English medium university. In this course, students will learn to write well developed paragraphs, comprehend academic texts applying reading skills, and deliver academic presentations. They will also acquire thinking skills to make critical and rational judgments.

Specific Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the students will be able to

Demonstrate comprehension of academic texts
Find main ideas, supporting details, and write marginal notes
Write well organized paragraphs (e.g. process and compare/contrast paragraphs)
Apply critical thinking skills to analyze problems and generate ideas
Expand ideas in social, national and international issues
Demonstrate academic presentation skills
Apply group discussion skills

Format and Procedure

This course focuses on four core language skills namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. Though different teachers are responsible for teaching different skills, they meet online in a reflection meeting on a regular basis to reflect on the contents of the course, delivery procedure, and the students’ performance. The duration of this course is 10 weeks or one semester.

Course Requirements

Students will be assessed through regular participation, assignment, pop up quiz, e-portfolio, and participation in Discussion.

The grading system of Pre-University is Pass or Fail. Pass mark is 70%.
All assignments must be submitted before the deadline.
The medium of communication is English.
Students will be asked to maintain an e-portfolio for the writing class and make sure to preserve all the assignments, first and revised drafts in order according to the date. At the end of the semester, they will submit the portfolio online.

Course Instructors

Md. Abu Sufian

Md. Abu Sufian is a Lecturer at Brac Institute of Languages (BIL), Brac University. He has been serving at the institute for about six years. Prior to the institute, he was engaged as a faculty member in two English medium schools and a college for about seven years. To his credit, he has got two research articles and a book chapter published. He has also presented research papers in different national and international conferences. His research interests include students’ engagement in EFL classes, technology in education, challenges in ESP and teachers’ training and development. At present, he is pursuing MPhil at Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP).

Md Mahbubul Islam

Md Mahbubul Islam, Lecturer at Brac Institute of Languages, Brac University, is an MPhil candidate at Bangladesh University of Professionals. He published a research article and a book chapter and presented papers at national and international conferences. He is a reviewer of Journal on Today's Ideas - Tomorrow's Technologies which is published bi-annually from India. His areas of interest include teacher belief and technology-enhanced learning.

Farid Ahmed

Farid Ahmed is a Lecturer at Brac Institute of Languages (BIL), Brac University.

Moshiur Rahman

Moshiur Rahman is a lecturer at the BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL), BRAC University. Prior to joining as a lecturer at BIL, he was a Teaching Assistant at BIL, BRAC University. He completed his MA in English Language Teaching from Institute of Modern Languages, University of Dhaka. He is pursuing his MPhil in Bangladesh University of Professionals.

Nafisa Moquit

Nafisa Moquit, Lecturer at Brac Institute of Languages (BIL), teaches Pre-university course. She has been part of BIL for almost 3 years and teaching in Pre-university from the beginning of her BIL’s journey. She holds a master degree in ELT (English Language Teaching) from East West University. Apart from that, she is also interested in research and her 1st international publication was published in IMRF International Research Journals. Her research interests include code-switching and code-mixing between Bangla and English, use of open technology for teaching, and impact of M-learning.

Samira Osmany

Samira Osmany has been a Lecturer at Brac Institute of Languages (BIL) at the Brac University, Dhaka since 2018. She has been teaching the pre-university and Eng 101 courses in Brac Institute of Languages (BIL), for the last two years. She has pursued her Bachelors and Master’s degree in English and ELT, from East West University, Dhaka. She has nearly five years of teaching experience in different reputed educational institutions. Her research interest include Computer Assisted Language Learning and Psycholinguistics.

Ghazzala Shabi

Ghazzala Shabi is a lecturer at the Brac Institute of Languages where she has been teaching Pre-University courses for almost two years. She received both a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in English Literature from the National University of Bangladesh. Currently, she is pursuing a second Master's degree in TESOL at Brac University.

Md. Sohan Shahriar

Md. Sohan Shahriar has been a Lecturer at Brac Institute of Languages (BIL) at the Brac University, Dhaka since 2019. He has completed his Masters in English Language Teaching (ELT) from Rajshahi University. Presently, he is teaching in the pre-university course. He is also conducting a research project titled ‘Learners contribution in EFL classroom in Bangladesh: What stimulates them to open up or bog down'. His research interests involve the influence of psychological, social and traditional factors in English Language Learning, the influence of capitalism in modern linguistics and how they are affecting the language industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

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I'm good at English. Why do I have to take a Pre-University Course?

At the beginning of almost every orientation, one of the things that usually comes to the minds of students (including parents) is, I am good at English, but why do I have to take a pre-university course? As a proof, getting GPA 5 in English, scoring well in IELTS, or in some cases studying in English Medium are presented. Note that BRAC University has no conflict with the above mentioned education system or assessment system. But the academic realities and needs of a university are different. BRAC University assesses students' English language skills in the light of the type of writing, conversation or presentation that will be required of selected students while studying at the university. BRAC University emphasizes the ability of students to present a specific type of writing (genre) through proper syntax, choosing the right words. It is to be noted here that in the education system of BRAC University, there is no opportunity to present memorization or bookish knowledge with the help of tutor / coaching center. Students need to be able to master classroom learning, apply their own experience, and broaden their understanding and knowledge. As a result, if everyone writes / says on the same subject, everyone's individuality will be maintained. BRAC University prescribes English Modules (Pre-University, ENG 091, ENG 101, ENG 102) according to oral assessment of students to avoid any major mistakes in the evaluation of admission test. Therefore, the admission test assessment is not likely to be wrong.

Am I falling behind my HSC classmates in doing Pre-University Course?

Apparently, pre-university students are one semester behind, but after mastering the English language, they can reduce it by taking more courses from the second year. Note that BRAC University follows the ‘open credit system’ from the second year of a student’s study. In that case students taking more courses have to be very attentive and enthusiastic. Remember, every course at BRAC University is taught in English. In that case, the skills acquired in Pre-University will help the students to deal with most of the language problems.

Can't I continue BRAC University Regular Course and Pre-University Course at the same time?

Pre-University Course lasts for 3 months (1 semester) where various skills related to English language (listening, speaking, reading, writing skills) are taught through intensive supervision. This course consists of 3-5 hours daily and 15-20 hours weekly listening to online lectures, participation in quizzes, assignments and tutorial classes. So, it is not really possible to continue any other course during this period.