Studying in English at university can feel challenging, even if you already use English confidently in everyday life.

If you are multilingual, you already have valuable experience of using different languages, understanding different cultures, and thinking in flexible ways. However, Academic English brings its own challenges. It is not only about knowing English vocabulary. It also involves reading, writing, listening, and speaking in more formal ways, as well as understanding complex topics, arguments, and ideas.

You may need time to get used to:

• academic writing
• seminar discussions
• group work
• assessment instructions
• feedback from tutors
• new subject vocabulary

Everyday and academic English

English can be used in different ways.

Everyday English is the English you may use in social situations. For example, you might use it when you are talking with friends, travelling, shopping, watching videos, or having informal conversations. Everyday English is often simple, direct, and familiar.

Academic English is the English you use for university study. You use it to describe, explain, analyse, and evaluate ideas. Academic English is usually more formal, more precise, and more structured.

You may use academic English in:

• lectures and seminars
• essays
• reports
• presentations
• research projects

Speaking and participation

Academic speaking can include:

• asking questions
• joining seminar discussions
• giving presentations
• working in groups
• discussing complex ideas

This can feel difficult at first, especially if you are worried about making mistakes or finding the right words.

You can build your confidence by preparing before class. You do not need to prepare a long answer. Even one short question or comment can help you take part.

You can also practise useful phrases before seminars and group work.

It is okay to ask for clarification if you do not understand something. Asking questions is part of learning.

Building confidence over time

Academic English takes time to develop. You do not need to feel confident straight away.

Understanding feedback

Feedback can help you understand which language skills to practise next. Sometimes feedback uses academic phrases that are not easy to understand at first.

For example, your tutor might write:

If you are not sure what feedback means, ask for clarification. You could ask:

"Could you explain what this feedback means in relation to my work?"

Or:

"Could you suggest one area I should practise before my next assignment?"

Reading

Use Ctrl + F

If you are reading a PDF or webpage, use Ctrl + F to search for key terms.

You can also search for words that often introduce findings, such as:

• shows
• identifies
• demonstrates
• confirms
• concludes

Select and reject sources

Not every source will be useful for your work. It is okay to leave a difficult source, read something clearer, and come back to it later when you understand the topic better.

Writing

Academic writing is usually more formal than everyday writing.

It should be:

• clear
• precise
• structured
• supported by evidence

Different assignments may use different styles (Link). For example, reflective writing may allow you to use a more personal voice. Essays and reports usually need a more formal style.

Writing strategies

Avoid contractions. Use the full form of words.

Avoid informal vocabulary

Try to replace casual words with more precise academic words.

For example, instead of saying “lots of”, you could say “many” or “a significant number of.”

Avoid vague phrases

Try not to use phrases such as:

• stuff
• kind of
• sort of
• you know

These phrases can make your writing less clear.

Use evidence

Academic writing usually needs evidence. This means using sources to support your points and referencing them correctly.

You can learn more about evidencing your research in our page on Writing technique.

Check your tone

Avoid language that is too emotional, exaggerated, or cliché.

For example, instead of writing “This shocking result proves…”, you could write “This unexpected finding suggests…”

Listening

Academic listening includes listening to lectures, seminars, explanations, discussions, and subject-specific vocabulary. This can take time to get used to, especially if speakers talk quickly or use different accents.

Listening strategies

1) Listen for signposting words

Signposting words help you follow the structure of a lecture or discussion. For example:

2) Use lecture recordings

If your lectures are recorded, use the recordings to review difficult sections at your own pace. You can pause, rewind, and listen again.

3) Use audio texts

Audio versions of academic texts can help you practise listening while also learning about your subject.

4) Listening and notetaking strategy

Before the lecture begins, look at the lecture title and write down any key words associated with the topic. As you listen, pay attention to when these words are mentioned.

For each key word, ask yourself: What does the lecturer say about this?

Write the answers to this question as your notes.

Vocabulary

Academic language often uses more precise words than everyday English.

Some academic words are used in many subjects. Other words are specific to your course or subject area. For example, students studying nursing, business, education, science, law, or psychology need to learn different specialist terms.

It is useful to build your own vocabulary list as you study. You can add new words from:

• lectures
• readings
• assignment briefs
• seminar discussions
• feedback from tutors

Building your vocabulary

You do not need to learn every academic word at once. Start with the words that appear often in your course materials and assignment questions.

You could create a simple table like this:

Review your vocabulary list regularly and try to use new words in your notes, seminar preparation, and assignment drafts.

Understanding instruction words

Assignment questions often include instruction words. These words tell you what you need to do in your answer.

For example, an assignment may ask you to describe, explain, compare, analyse, evaluate, or justify something.

Understanding these words can help you answer the question more clearly.

Instruction words are also linked to critical thinking, which means looking carefully at ideas, evidence, strengths, and limitations.

You can learn more about this in our content on critical thinking.

Clear and polite communication can help you feel more confident at university.

You may need to communicate with:

• lecturers
• tutors
• support teams
• other students
• group work partners

You might need to ask a question, check what you need to do, or ask for help with an assignment or task.

It is okay to politely ask someone to repeat, explain, or clarify something. Asking questions is part of academic learning. It does not mean you have failed to understand.

Asking for clarification

You can use polite phrases such as:

Check your understanding

Use this short quiz to check what you have learned from this page.

1. Which statement best describes academic English?

A) English used only in conversations with friends

B) English used to explain, analyse and discuss ideas at university

C) English used only by people who speak English as a first language

Which reading strategy helps you find specific words or ideas quickly?

A) Scanning

B) Guessing

C) Reading every word slowly from the beginning

3. Which sentence is more suitable for academic writing?

A) This article talks about lots of useful stuff.

B) This article presents several relevant findings.

C) This article is good at explaining things.

4. What does “critical thinking” mean at university?

A) Saying negative things about an idea

B) Giving your opinion

C) Looking carefully at ideas, evidence, strengths and limitations

5. Which phrase is a polite way to ask for clarification?

A) What do you want me to do?

B) This does not make sense.

C) Could you clarify what is expected?

Key takeaways

Academic English takes time to develop. You can improve by practising regularly, using feedback, and taking part in university activities.

Start with the skill that feels most useful for your studies right now. For example, you might choose to focus on:

• reading academic sources
• understanding assignment instructions
• building your vocabulary
• taking part in seminars

Credit

Written by Dina Norris, Jon Newcombe, Michelle Crowther and Rami Younes

Last updated 2026