Language proficiency for Higher Education

Wednesday, 29 August, 2018

If you are considering to study abroad and you are not from an English-speaking country most educational institutions are likely to request an English proficiency test. This might sound scary but no need to panic as the English test can be a great way to get prepared for your future studies and new life abroad.

The majority of university courses in the UAE are taught in English therefore completing an internationally recognised language test such as the IELTS is mandatory for immigration and admission purposes. The IELTS test comes in two formats, one for immigration and the other one for education, hence make sure to determine beforehand which test and scores are required and prepare for your test accordingly.

The IELTS consist of speaking, listening reading and writing exercises and official IELTS training materials are available online and in bookshops. There is also a variety of free material available online that can help you to prepare for the test.

Other than the benefits for higher education there are various additional advantages of being a seasoned English speaker in the UAE.

Better Focus: English is the official or primary spoken language in more than 50 countries in the world and besides the fun part of being able to effectively interact with people in these countries, learning an additional language is proven to boost your brain cells and give you a better focus. According to research bi-lingual brains are able to easily skip between languages and therefore have more focus than people who only speak one language.

Global Language: The UAE is a melting pot and home for residents from over 200 nationalities. Even though Arabic is the national language, 75% the of the population speaks English and educational institutions are putting more and more emphasis in teaching English as a foreign language.

The majority of businesses in the UAE are foreign owned and managed and once you are ready to start your career being proficient in English will enable you to communicate with colleagues, clients and stakeholders effectively. English is the most common language used in International Trade, Commerce and Business.

Travelling: The UAE is connected to 2/3 of the world’s population in less than 8 hours flight time and chances are that travelling for leisure and/ or business/ studies will be a significant part of your life while living in the UAE. 1.5 billion people around the globe speak English and it is the most spoken and studied language. Being able to speak English will allow you to interact with people from a variety of countries and backgrounds and experience different cultures.

Technology and Entertainment: With the rapid developments in technology, most software is based on the English language and even if they are available in various other languages, understanding English will give you the opportunity to understand the original version of these.

Other than that, watching television, listening to music and radio are also proven to enhance real life communication skills in a foreign language. Most Award-winning movies are produced in English and even though translated content is available for most, understanding the original version with subtitles if necessary will be a great way for you to enhance your English skills.

Immigration: The UAE issues residence visas to expatriates with sufficient skills in English, and if English is not your first language it is advisable to prepare and take the test so when the government requests the results you are ready to show your results.

Further information about IELTS:

ielts - about-ielts

Test Centre Locations:

The UOWD has three test locations in the UAE and further information on the registration and and available dates can be found on following website: ielts - test-centres-and-dates