English language prep-year
Springboard to your future – improve your language skills for degree studies in English!
The programme is designed to prepare students for studying in an English medium Bachelor's or Master's programmes of TalTech. An eligible candidate should possess English proficiency of level B1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
How to apply?
Application period begins from the 1st of May until 1st of June 2020.
Tuition fee for the course is 4000€*
*Please keep in mind that accommodation, meals, health insurance and travel costs are not included in the tuition fee.
1. Create an account to complete the online application in Dreamapply (www.estonia.dreamapply.com)
1. Fill out the form with your personal data
2. Fill out the motivation letter*
3. Upload:
- education documents (in original language and an English translation)**
- copy of the passport identification page
4. Submit your application before the deadline
*Motivation Letter
- Highlight why you want to attend at the Prep-Year programme (5 points);
- Explain why you choose Estonia and Tallinn University of Technology (2 points);
- Write about your future academic and career goals (2 points);
- Describe your interests and social activities (1 point).
**Education Documents
- You should upload your previous education documents (Diploma and Transcript) or the most recent academic transcripts, if the final documents are not yet available.
- Please note that your education documents must grant access to Estonian higher education. For that purpose all submitted education documents will be later verified by the ENIC/NARIC, i.e. Academic Recognition Information Centre.
- Qualified candidates will have a Skype interview with the lecturers. Further guidance for the Skype interview will be provided via Dreamapply.
- Before the interview, please make sure that you have your valid passport ready for identification.
- Make sure that your web camera and microphone are in working order.
- Also, please check the time of the interview (interviews are scheduled according to Estonian time, it is your responsibility to do the necessary conversion between the time zones. You have to keep to the schedule and be ready and prepared for the interview on time or 5 minutes earlier.
- All accepted candidates will receive an invoice for the whole English Language Preparatory Year.
- Candidates should pay the tuition fee in full before receiving an official acceptance letter electronically.
- Upon receiving the acceptance letter the candidate should proceed further with travel, accommodation and D-visa application.
More information
- English for Academic Purposes, developing all four language skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking
- Grammar and vocabulary
- Pronunciation and intonation
- Fluency and accuracy
- Presentations and public speaking skills
- Cultural studies
- Preparation for standardised English language proficiency tests
The fee contains:
- 700 academic hours of learning and practice
- learning materials, printouts and books
- the final English proficiency test at the end of the course
NB! Please keep in mind that accommodation, meals, health insurance, travel costs etc are not included in the tuition fee.
It is an intensive English course concentrating on the skills required to study successfully at university.
- A small international group (12-16 students) ensures effective learning and constructive discussion
- Experienced TalTech lecturers
- The programme is divided into two semesters:
- Autumn semester: 1st week of September – 3rd week of December, total 15 weeks
- Spring semester: 1st week of February – 1st week of May, total 13 weeks.
- The total study load is 700 academic hours, i.e. 25 academic hours per week. This includes both classroom work, i.e. contact hours (560 academic hours), and independent work (140 academic hours).
- 1 academic hour = 45 minutes.
- The programme will end with a final English proficiency test.
The course starts in the second week of September 2020.
Autumn semester 15 weeks; 25 academic hours per week
- English Grammar
- Pronunciation, Intonation and Vocabulary Development
- Conversational English
- “Headway Intermediate” course by John & Liz Soars
- Introduction to Academic English
- Preparation for International Tests
- Cultural Studies
- Individual tutorials on request
Spring semester 13 weeks; 25 academic hours per week
- Introduction to Academic English
- Introduction to Academic Writing
- Speaking and Listening Skills
- Advanced Grammar
- Vocabulary Development
- Preparation for English Proficiency Tests
- Individual tutorials on request
Please find list of useful links below:
- Life in Estonia
- Visa and Residence Permit
- Health insurance and care
- Accommodation - due to a limited places in Dormitory we advice to apply to Academic Hostel
- Arriving to TalTech
Isa Semih, Turkey
"I’m always a little nervous before such trips, but it turned out to be for nothing. The staff at school, my classmates and people I met in Tallinn, were amazing. All of them were very helpful and nice. There were people from Belarus, China, Turkey, Italy, and Ukraine in my class. We were a huge international mixture and we loved it! I’m leaving Tallinn with very good friends but I hope I'll come back in August. I want to study master degree in Tallinn University of Technology.
English lessons at TalTech are completely different from a Turkish school. First of all, I had to think and speak only in English. I just had to use English. I’ve improved my pronunciation and widened my vocabulary. My class usually started at 2pm, so if I felt like it, I could come earlier and participate in some additional classes. There are also interesting activities after class, for example musicals, visits to museums, etc. These are opportunities to practice your English in real life.
And I'd talk about teachers. Mari Uibo and Hele Saar are really great teachers. Mari is a real intellectual, I loved that aspect of her. Hele is very patient and caring person. They make it very easy to grasp the proper accent. They teach us useful, everyday vocabulary. The lessons are very engaging. There are a lot of interaction between the students and a lot of talking. We have an opportunity to use the new grammar rules and vocabulary straight away. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to improve his/her English. It’s definitely worth it!"
Marina, Ukraine
"I was glad to be a part of the team. Preparatory English course improved my skills a lot. We did many grammar exercises, discussed interesting topics on different themes and played games. Presentation skills and Academic English gave us new knowledge on giving presentations and using English in academic purposes. Whole course is very useful."
Hamid Mesud, Turkey
"I am very glad that I studied English Language Preparatory course at TalTech. It gave me this opportunity to speak the language was spoken by the whole world. It also helped me to continue my academic career and opened the door for studying design and engineering Master degree program at TalTech. This course made easy to learn english through its wise teachers and students who come from various parts of the world. I could say that I have almost started from scratch to learn english. A few months later, the difference was even surprising for me! In addition, Estonia with its beautiful nature, fresh air, convenience of transportation is wonderful place to live!"
