Academic Language and Literacy sessions
Our bespoke, course-specific sessions develop undergraduate and postgraduate students' academic language and literacy.
Every discipline has its own academic culture, which will include styles of communication for different audiences and purposes. We work with schools to create bespoke Academic Language and Literacy (ALL) sessions.
These sessions help students understand the expectations of academic staff and participate successfully in their academic community. Based on a developmental rather than remedial model, they benefit students from all backgrounds. They are not formally assessed or credit bearing.
In collaborating with us, academics also benefit from our expertise and from the flexible, tailored resource we provide.
To me, it always felt like a conversation between two academics who were working together very fluidly. That dynamic brought life into the sessions and created the teaching environment needed to provide tailored knowledge for the students.
Schools we work with
We collaborate with schools from every faculty in the University, reaching students who study everything from computer science to history, music to management. In total, we are running discipline-specific ALLs for 15 undergraduate and 37 postgraduate courses in 2024/25.
The sessions were delivered in interactive and effective ways. Our instructor skillfully delivered the material while encouraging us to engage in analytical and critical thinking within our context. Even though the participants came from different backgrounds, the delivery method and the content were well-suited.
Contact us about an ALL
If you are a member of staff interested in collaborating with us, please visit our ALL SharePoint page.
Information for staff
Interested in working with us to create a bespoke course? Visit our information for staff Sharepoint page for details.
Information for students
If your school has an Academic Language and Literacy provision, they will provide details. You will also find information on Blackboard.
If you have any questions, please email: academic-language-and-development@bristol.ac.uk
As a mature student, I found the sessions hugely beneficial. They helped me interpret the unit assessment briefs and get a feel for what the academic staff were looking for. This was crucial for me as, due to time-lapse since I was last a student, I came to the course with no reference point and therefore little idea as to how to get high grades.