New Zealand Certificate in English Language (Academic) (Level 5)
Suitable for you if you are an upper-intermediate English speaker. This course will help you progress into advanced academic studies. You will also further grow your confidence in your English speaking ability.
International
Online
Distance
April
July
October
About the programme
Gain advanced English language skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening.
This will enable you to deal effectively and confidently with most situations in an English-speaking country. These English skills will also provide a basis for you to be able to progress into mainstream academic programmes from the National Qualifications Framework (Level 6 and above).
This programme is offered by Future Skills Academy due to a sub-contract arrangement with Otago Polytechnic.
Delivery options
This programme is only available for international students.
You can study it on campus in Auckland where it will take 16 weeks of full-time study to complete.
Or, if you're an international student living outside of New Zealand, you can study online by distance. This will also take 16 weeks of full-time study to complete.
Both options have intakes each year in February, April, July and October.
What You Study
Courses
This qualification is made up of four courses in reading, writing, speaking and listening. All courses are compulsory and will be studied at the same time. Within each of these skills, complex grammatical structures, tenses and vocabulary for specific purposes will be utilised.
Reading (15 credits)
Gain an understanding of the organisation of academic/specialised texts in order to locate specific information, take notes, summarise and differentiate between fact and opinion.
Writing (15 credits)
Learn how to produce crafted texts for specified audiences in academic or professional contexts, including discursive essays, research reports and business cases.
Speaking (15 credits)
Discover how to speak on a range of academic/professional topics within academic and/or professional contexts and to be capable of sustaining discourse on a particular topic.
Listening (15 credits)
Demonstrate an understanding of spoken texts and learn how to process information for academic and/or professional purposes.
What will I learn?
Graduates of this qualification will have the English language skills to work in positions that require:
- complex interpersonal communication
- understanding of complex, context-specific professional and/or technical texts
- writing of complex, context-specific communications
- full participation, interaction and initiative in a team.
This qualification is designed to equip you with the English language skills to enable you to seek professional registration with regulatory standard bodies.
Further study options
When you finish this Level 5 certificate, you'll be able to apply for programmes that are quite advanced and/or specialise in a particular field of study. This includes most postgraduate programmes.
Workload
Your workload
You will be expected to spend about 38 hours per week (or 300 hours per Study Block) on your course work. This includes both scheduled class time and self-directed study.
Studying online
Your offshore, online study journey will begin with an online orientation. This session will cover introductions to staff, tips for academic success, and wellbeing information, among other things.
All courses offered at the Auckland Campus use Moodle, which is an online learning management system (LMS). The use of the Moodle LMS means that no matter where you are, you have great access to all your course content.
You also get access to Office 365, including Microsoft Teams. This means you'll be able to collaborate with your classmates and work on certain tasks which you have been given by your lecturers.
And, online students have access to the same services as students on campus. This includes online learning support, which will be available via Microsoft Teams. All online students will also have remote access to our library.
Entry
Entry requirements
You must:
- be 16 years of age or older on January 1st in the year that you enrol, unless approved otherwise by the Programme Leader
- reasonably expect to achieve the standards required for successful completion of the programme or course.
- If English is not your first language, you must provide:
- New Zealand University Entrance OR
- New Zealand Certificate in English Language (Level 4) OR
- Overall Academic IELTS 6.0 with no individual band score lower than 5.5 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), OR
- Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for NZQA proficiency table and here for list of recognised proficiency tests).
- Students will be tested upon arrival to ensure that the correct level of English tuition is offered.
- This criteria is based on the postgraduate programme entry criteria of IELTS 6.5 - which students are expected to reach upon completion of New Zealand Certificate in English Language (Level 5).
English pathway
International students can study the New Zealand Certificate in English Language Level 4 if they do not meet the entry requirements for this programme. This is also available online for international students who live outside of New Zealand.
Please note: This programme is not available for domestic students.
Want your existing skills recognised?
If you have extensive knowledge and skills due to practical experience in this area, please ask us about our recognition of prior learning process. You may have already gained credits towards this qualification and could achieve it in a shorter timeframe. Please email auckland@op.ac.nz or call 0800 762 786.
Please note: there are conditions and limitations regarding recognition of prior learning for this qualification.
Fees
Domestic fees
International fees
Covid-19 relief scholarships
We have scholarships available due to the impacts of Covid-19 for international students applying in all subject areas at our Auckland International Campus.
Please note: This is only available for students studying at our Auckland Campus (on campus). It is not available for online, offshore international students.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees shown above are approximate only. There may be a slight fee increase per year once Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) rules and guidelines are applied.
A change for 2023 enrolments
When you apply to study with Otago Polytechnic in 2023, you will be enrolled with Te Pūkenga, the new national network of vocational and applied education in Aotearoa New Zealand. You will learn in the same way, in the same place, and with the same people. The great news is that this enables us to share skills and knowledge across a network of passionate education providers, to better help you succeed. Enrolling in programmes that start in 2023, means that you will graduate with a Te Pūkenga qualification.
Disclaimer
While every effort is made to ensure that this sheet is accurate, Otago Polytechnic reserves the right to amend, alter or withdraw any of the contained information. The fees shown in this document are indicative only. Both domestic and international fees are subject to change and are dependent on the development and implementation of Government policies. Please note that additional fees may from time to time be required for external examination, NZQA fees and/or additional material fees.
