General Academic Vocabulary

Module overview

Boost your academic English with this vocabulary module! You will work with the Academic Word List, avoid common learner errors, and practise using formal phrasal verbs and collocations. Through guided independent study on Moodle and interactive class sessions, you will develop the precision and confidence needed for essays, reports, and research writing.

Dates
24 February, 10 March, 21 April and 19 May 2026

Time
Tuesday 12:15pm to 1:45pm

Venue
Av. du 1er-Mars 26
Room : D62

Level
B2-C2

Module workload
This course involves 4.5 hours of in-class instruction and around 30 hours of guided independent study. When students take it alongside other modules, they can obtain the equivalent of 3 ECTS credits in Academic English, which may be recognized by certain study programmes or faculties.

Teacher
Sara Cotelli Kureth

Undergraduate and graduate students with an intermediate to advanced level of English (B2-C1). This course is intended for students whose curriculum is partly or entirely in English, as well as doctoral students.

There are no specific entry requirements other than the student’s level of English. The module is intended for students with a proficiency level of at least low B2 (intermediate/upper-intermediate).

Before the start of the module, students will be required to take a placement test at the EMA.

The module will allow students to

  • use core Academic Word List vocabulary accurately;
  • identify and avoid typical learners errors (e.g. uncountable nouns, register issues);
  • use a range of formal phrasal verbs and academic collocations (especially verb + preposition, noun + preposition, adjective + preposition).

The module begins with an introductory session presenting the Academic Word List and key concepts such as register, word families, and countable/uncountable nouns. Most of the learning takes place independently on Moodle, where students work with weekly lists of 10–15 words, focusing on “false friends,” formal phrasal verbs, and academic collocations. Weekly exercises reinforce new and previously studied vocabulary in context. A mid-semester session with the teacher provides feedback, progress reporting, and interactive practice.

To receive a certificate for the module, students are expected to:

  • attend the introductory and mid-semester sessions;
  • complete the weekly coursework (except reading week): learning word lists and achieving at least 70% completion of Moodle exercises;
  • take a final test at the end of the semester (third session).

Module materials will be distributed in class and made available on the Moodle module page.

Registration : 2 to 20 February 2026

Registration

Price

Students/doctoral students UniNE; PATB
CHF 100.-

Academic staff UniNE
CHF 160.-

Alumni, SAN
CHF 160.-

Students other institutions (EPFL, HE-Arc, etc.)
CHF 160.-

Staff other institutions
CHF 200.-

Contact

Secrétariat du Centre de langues
Tél. +41 32 718 11 06
secretariat.cdl@unine.ch