Australia is proud of the reputation and quality of its English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS).
The National English Language Training Accreditation Scheme (NEAS)
works to maintain the high standard of Australia's ELICOS courses.
High-quality standards
NEAS requires all prospective ELICOS providers to register with them before they can offer ELICOS courses. NEAS also monitors ELICOS providers to make sure that they continue to provide a high level of education. NEAS looks at classroom sizes, the teaching materials and the support services available for international students. Full details of the accreditation process and of registered providers can be found on their website.
Education providers who wish to offer courses to international students are also regulated through the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act and associated legislation, which is maintained by the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). This legislation was written to make sure that international students' rights are protected at all times. The ESOS act requires all international education providers to be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). No provider is legally allowed to offer courses to international students unless they are CRICOS registered. Further information on CRICOS legislation and registered providers can be found on the CRICOS site.
General information
The advantage of studying English in a country where it is the main language is that you get lots of opportunities to practise speaking and reading English, hear it spoken and see it written.
Students coming to Australia on a student visa to study ELICOS are required to study full time. There are generally no set course entrance requirements for ELICOS study but you should always check with your chosen education provider. Tourists and visitors to Australia can also participate in ELICOS study during their visit using their tourist/visitor visa as long as the course is less then 12 weeks long. There are courses combining study and tourist activities specially designed for studying visitors. Details of visa requirements can be found at the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) website.Course information
Institutions offer a wide range of courses, suited to all learning needs. Courses include:
- general English
- English for academic purposesEnglish for secondary school preparationEnglish for special purposes (for example, English for business)IELTS and TOEFLŪ preparationCambridge test preparationbridging and foundation coursesstudy tour programs (which include other extracurricular activities).
