UCAE principles

At our core, we believe in a communicative language teaching approach. We celebrate and encourage autonomous student learning. The classroom is only part of the learning story.

As a group of educators, we aim to show that academic English and learning activities can be representative of their future studies as well as creative, interesting and enjoyable.

Where students are trying and aiming to achieve, we operate a no-blame environment because it is only through failing that we learn.

We approach learning innovatively, but not faddishly. Our approach is influenced by the changing needs and expectations of both the students and the wider University.

We aim to be clear to students, tutors and academic colleagues about the goals and expectations of the classes and courses we run.

Ultimately, we treat others, whoever they are and in whatever context we meet them, as we would want to be treated ourselves.

We aim to develop the language, communication and skills abilities of those we teach and aim for our students to have the tools, knowledge, literacies and confidence to thrive and achieve their potential in a university context.

We explicitly and implicitly help the students we work with to transition from the education system that they have come from to the one that they are either in or aiming to join.

We are aware of the benefits and principles of both generic and genre learning contexts and apply the approach that we consider to be appropriate, practicable and achievable to the students and their level of study.

We are active in action research and our approach is research informed.

Where possible, we collaborate and work with academic colleagues to make sure that our aims, approaches and goals align with their evolving aims, approaches and goals.

We approach assessment holistically and with the overarching principle that all assessment contributes towards learning.

We scaffold learning and support students’ progress through a combination of lower stakes practice and multi-source feedback.

We emphasise a student-centred approach recognising students must take responsibility for their own learning. By being confident in evaluating their own progress and directing their own future needs, they are empowered to succeed.

We recognise the importance of authenticity in assessments.

We aim to make learning through assessment meaningful and by doing this to develop transferable skills that the students can carry forward to their degree programmes.

We use summative assessment to measure individuals’ achievement.