Description:

Talkbase, a bridging program originally developed by Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) faculties in Bangkok, Thailand, since early 1990s, aims to prepare students in terms of English and study skills for their postgraduate study at AIT. Since its first introduction to Vietnam in 1997, Talkbase program has been run at least 20 times by the Education Management Section at AIT Center in Vietnam to different groups of participants pursuing their Master's degrees in different fields, such as Business Administration, Economics, Information Technology, Environment Technology and Management, Industrial Systems Engineering and Energy. During the last few years, to help candidates meet the requirement of TOEFL/IELTS for acquiring scholarships, the Talkbase program has been renovated, with a new component woven in, that is test taking skills.

Objectives:
The goal of the program is to enable the participants to prepare thoroughly, both in terms of English language and academic study skills, for their postgraduate program in their fields of study. The program is also designed for those candidates who need to improve their English skills to meet the English entry requirement of AIT for master and doctoral degree programs

The general learning objectives of the program are for the participants:

• to improve your vocabulary and grammar as well as pronunciation, and fluency;
• to improve the four language skills Speaking, Reading, Listening and Writing;
• to become familiar with the writing tasks for postgraduate study;
• to develop academic study skills, including presentation skills; academic reading and writing skills; and listening to lectures and note-taking skills;
• to develop the potential to plan and carry out work on the basis of self-defined interests;
• to be able to communicate well in English in academic contexts, especially when the communication relates to their field of study;
• to develop critical thinking skills and strategies for self-directed learning; and
• to develop TOEFL/IELTS or AITEIT test taking skills and improve test scores

Course contents:
This training course will focus on improving participants' English for academic purposes and on equipping them with essential academic and research skills for their postgraduate studies.

Some of the major areas to be covered in the course include:

• Academic reading skills
• Writing paragraphs, essays, research reports and theses
• Listening to lectures and note-taking skills
• Presentation skills
• Research methodologies
• Grammar and pronunciation
• TOEFL/IELTS Test taking skills

Course structure:
Talkbase Program uses a special syllabus and employs a learner-centered approach, which is mainly built on tasks that are organized around different stages in the research process, from defining problems, reviewing literature, to collecting data and writing up the report. It is an interactive and collaborative program that involves participants in group discussions, academic presentations, and investigative projects. Participants can also get access to EMS resource center to fulfill their tasks or assignments individually and in groups. 

Target participant:

This pre-intermediate to intermediate level course is specially designed for those who plan to pursue their postgraduate studies in English and wish to be thoroughly prepared in both English and academic skills for their higher education.

Venue & date:

AITCV premises in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Vung Tau - Vietnam

Fee :

Cost:  US$ 500/participant (the tuition fee does not include traveling, meals and accommodation)
Registration: Applications must be returned to EMS (AITCV) 20 days prior to the commencement of the course.

Contact :

 For further information and an application form, please contact Ms. Thu Dung or Ms. Phuong Thuy:
Tel: 04 - 37669493 ext 121 or 123; Fax: 04 - 37669492;
Email: thudung@aitcv.ac.vn or hpthuy@aitcv.ac.vn