Centre for Language Enhancement (UR CLE)

Academic Writing support

UR undergraduate students tackle academic writing as a chapter in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) module. In addition, Academic Writing is a module offered to Postgraduate candidates to provide them with necessary research writing skills. Our center has got writing corners, one for each UR campus, that provide editing and proofreading services for UR students, academic staff, and other writers. Our team helps authors/writers to make their papers readable, coherent, and clear enough for various audiences. 

Short courses

The UR Centre for Language Enhancement offers short courses in different languages such as English, French, Kinyarwanda and Kiswahili. Most of people who enroll for short courses in English are graduates who want to improve their English language skills for work readiness and people who intend to travel or work overseas. The content of each short course in any of those languages is determined by the learner’s proficiency as indicated by an entry test. Thus, there will be a specific content for true beginners, false beginners, intermediate, and upper intermediate learners. Note that such courses are about general language skills that cover different aspects of a language such as vocabulary, grammar, speaking, listening, reading, writing, as well as functional and situational language.

Language Tests

UR students and other private candidates sit for language proficiency tests organized by the Centre. The tests may be either entry tests, preceding a language course, or exit tests in case they are meant for learners who have been taking a language course for a certain period of time. However, language tests are organized to any candidate who wishes to know their proficiency level in a language, and they are offered a language proficiency certificate in case they prove to be advanced. 

English Proficiency Test is also given to any UR staff who needs supporting in English language skills so that gaps may be identified to help English trainers provide appropriate support. Such a test is administered online via UR E-learning platform like it is done for students English proficiency test. 

Last, in collaboration with Educational Testing Services (ETS), we have a testing center that hosts candidates sitting for TOEFL, GRE, and PRAXIS tests. Note that the testing center for these international tests is currently located at UR Gikondo campus, Kigali city. 

TEOFL/IELTS and DELF-DALF coaching

The UR Center for Language Enhancement organizes paid coaching sessions to imminent takers of international language tests such as TEOFL, IELTS, and DELF-DALF. Our coaches are passionate language experts in either English or French with more than 10 years of experience in language teaching and assessment. The center is also equipped with a language laboratory that makes trainees practice the target language and access cutting-edge learning materials. Note that coaching is organised in small groups, of 10 trainees maximum, to ensure the quality of our activities. Preparation sessions last for 8 weeks long and trainees have plenty of time to enhance their listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills owing to their coaches’ guidance and feedback to any undertaken activities. Briefly, we ensure that our trainees use their target language day-to-day so as to make them ready for their intended language test.

Translating and Interpreting Consultancy

The UR Centre for Language Enhancement has highly qualified staff in Language teaching and Translation and interpretation studies. With the staff, we offer language services that we hope will meet your expectations in terms of quality, linguistic excellence and ethical standards. The services include : editing, proofreading, subtitling, transcription, translation, interpreting etc. in different languages at an affordable cost. We handle different subject areas such as Business, Rural Development, Public health, Medicine, Engineering, Computer and Information Sciences just to mention a few. 

Academic language-related modules

The UR Centre for Language Enhancement prepares and offers four language related modules :

a. General English (GE). 

This module aims at enabling our students to attain an advanced proficiency level in English as the language of instruction. It therefore intends to help students develop the skills that will allow them to communicate professional skills through the practice of the four language communication skills : listening, speaking, reading and writing. The module also exposes students to the use of functional and situational language. Components that make up the module are presented as separate outcomes, but they are interrelated. As a result, they will be taught using integrative approach, i. e. as much as possible and all activities are designed in such a way that they offer opportunities to practice all of them with emphasis put on the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). This module is meant for year one students. 

This module aims at developing English proficiency based on students’ areas of study with a view to helping students develop English language skills that will allow them to communicate professional skills and perform particular field-related functions through the practice of the four language communication skills : listening, speaking, reading and writing. The integrative approach is also used in teaching this module. Students are given opportunities to explore and use English language to handle reading and listening materials related to their respective fields of study. They also do writing and speaking assignments on topics extracted from their areas of study. The module is taken by year two students.

This module intends to enable our students to use English language to meet their academic purposes. In fact, while at campus, students need to effectively and efficiently do their assignments by reading, writing, listening and speaking the language they are studying in. Moreover, they will need to use it out of the classroom settings and even at the end of their studies while expressing themselves and doing their jobs. EAP provides students with useful skills in reading and writing academic papers. The skills students get from the module are meant to help them to do research for their assignment papers and project works at the end of their undergraduate studies. The module is not only useful for undergraduate students but also for those who intend to undertake postgraduate studies. English for Academic Purposes module is designed for third year students.

This module is designed for UR postgraduate students. It aims to equip candidates with advanced knowledge and skills to enhance their academic and scientific writing. The content consists of systematic literature search, reading critically and writing for research purposes, academic writing processes and techniques, reviewing, editing and proofreading techniques, quoting and referencing systems, and strategies to present and publish academic work.