The English you need in your first weeks abroad is not the English of your IELTS essay. It's three practical skills: asking for help clearly (Sorry, where do I collect my student card?), writing a short, polite email to a lecturer (Dear Dr Brown, could I ask a quick question about the essay?) and speaking up in a seminar (I see your point, but I'd look at it differently). This page gives you the words, templates and phrases for all three, plus dialogues for the first week.
Campus words, British and American
Universities use their own vocabulary, and it differs between the UK and the US. Learn the pairs so that emails and timetables make sense from day one.
| UK | US | What it means | Uzbek |
|---|---|---|---|
| module | course / class | one subject unit you take | fan, kurs |
| lecturer | professor / instructor | the person who teaches | o‘qituvchi, domla |
| personal tutor | academic advisor | a staff member who supports you | kurator |
| seminar / tutorial | discussion section | a small group discussion | seminar |
| office hours | office hours | times when a lecturer is free to see students | maslahat soatlari |
| reading list | syllabus readings | what you must read before class | adabiyotlar ro‘yxati |
| assignment / coursework | assignment / paper | written work that is marked | topshiriq |
| deadline | due date | the last day to submit | muddat |
| extension | extension | extra time for a deadline | muddatni uzaytirish |
| mark | grade | the result you get | baho |
| resit | retake | taking an exam again | qayta topshirish |
| halls (of residence) | dorm | student accommodation | yotoqxona |
| freshers' week | orientation | the welcome week for new students | tanishuv haftasi |
| students' union | student union | student organisation and building | talabalar ittifoqi |
| plagiarism | plagiarism | using others' work without credit | plagiat |
For a longer list with Uzbek explanations of the whole system (dean's office, credits, grants), see the Uzbek page on academic English abroad.
How to address teaching staff
This is where many students from Uzbekistan feel lost. At home you say ustoz or domla, and in Russian-medium schools the name and patronymic. English has no single equivalent, and Teacher! sounds childish at university.
- In emails, use the title and surname: Dear Dr Karimova, Dear Professor Smith. If you don't know the title, Dear Dr is a safe choice for most lecturers.
- Never title + first name: not Dear Mr John.
- In the UK and Australia, many lecturers ask students to use first names. If they sign their email Best, Sarah, you can reply Hi Sarah next time.
- In the US, Professor + surname is the safe default for faculty.
Emails to lecturers: structure and three templates
A good email to a lecturer is short: a clear subject line, one-line greeting, the request in the first two sentences, and a polite close. Include your module code and student number, because staff teach hundreds of students.
Template 1: asking a question about an assignment
Subject: ECON201 essay – question about the word limit
Dear Dr Wilson,
I'm a first-year student in your ECON201 seminar group (student number 2410567). Could I check whether the 2,000-word limit for the essay includes the reference list?
Thank you for your help.
Best regards, Aziz Rakhimov
Template 2: asking for a meeting
Subject: Meeting during office hours?
Dear Professor Allen,
I'm struggling with the statistics section of this week's reading and would appreciate ten minutes to go through it with you. Would it be possible to come to your office hours on Thursday? If that's not convenient, I'm free on Friday morning as well.
Kind regards, Malika Tursunova
Template 3: asking for an extension
Subject: Extension request – HIST110 coursework
Dear Dr Evans,
I'm writing to ask whether I could have a short extension for the HIST110 coursework due on 14 November. I've been ill this week and have a note from the doctor. I'll follow the university's extension procedure as well, but I wanted to let you know directly. Would 21 November be possible?
Thank you for considering this.
Best wishes, Sardor Aliev
Extension rules differ between universities and sometimes need an official form; check your student handbook before you write.
Email phrases: direct translation vs natural English
| Sounds odd (translated) | Natural English |
|---|---|
| Respected teacher, (Hurmatli ustoz, Уважаемый преподаватель) | Dear Dr Wilson, |
| I want you to explain the task. | Could you clarify what the task requires? |
| Please answer urgently. | I'd be grateful for a reply by Friday, if possible. |
| Sorry for disturbing you. | I hope you're well. (or just start with the request) |
| Waiting for your answer. | I look forward to hearing from you. |
| I didn't come to the lecture because of illness. | I missed Tuesday's lecture because I was ill. |
| Can you send me the lecture? | Are the slides available on the learning platform? |
For more email formulas (follow-ups, reminders), see Business email phrases: most of them work in a university context too.
Seminar phrases by function
In many Western universities, a seminar is not a place to listen quietly. The tutor expects you to have read the texts and to say something, and at some universities participation is part of the mark. Silence usually reads as "not prepared", even when the real reason is politeness.
| Function | Phrases |
|---|---|
| Giving your view | In my view, … / What struck me in the reading was … |
| Agreeing and adding | I agree with Tom, and I'd add that … / Building on that point, … |
| Disagreeing politely | I see your point, but … / I'm not sure I agree, because … |
| Using evidence | The author argues that … / On page 12, she says … |
| Asking for clarification | Sorry, could you say what you mean by "structural"? |
| Getting into the discussion | Can I come in here? / Just to go back to what Lina said … |
| Giving a local example | In Uzbekistan, for example, … |
| When you haven't understood | I'm not sure I followed the second argument. Could someone explain it? |
One strategy that helps quiet students: prepare one question and one example before every seminar. Asking a good question counts as participation, and an example from Uzbekistan is something nobody else in the room can offer.
First-week survival dialogues
1. At the international student desk
You: Hi, I've just arrived. I need to complete my registration, but the online form says I have to bring documents in person.
Staff: Sure. Have you got your passport and your offer letter?
You: Yes, here they are. Do you need my visa as well?
Staff: Yes, please. OK, you're all done. You can collect your student card from the library tomorrow after ten.
You: Great. Sorry, is the library the building next to the car park?
Staff: That's right, the one with the glass front.
2. Meeting a flatmate in halls
Flatmate: Hey, are you in room 4? I'm Ella.
You: Hi, yes, I'm Dilnoza. Nice to meet you. Where are you from?
Flatmate: Manchester. You?
You: Uzbekistan, from Tashkent. It's in Central Asia.
Flatmate: Cool! We're doing a shopping list for the kitchen. Do you want to share things like oil and salt?
You: Good idea. How do you want to split it? Should we each pay a quarter?
3. After the first lecture
You: Excuse me, do you have a minute?
Lecturer: Of course.
You: You mentioned a reading for next week, but I didn't catch the author's name.
Lecturer: It's Harvey, chapter three. It's on the reading list on the learning platform.
You: Thank you. And is it all right to record the lectures, or is that not allowed?
Lecturer: The lectures are recorded automatically, so you'll find them online.
For small talk beyond these situations, see Small talk in English.
Five habits that make life harder in the first term
- Nodding when you haven't understood. Sorry, could you repeat that? is completely normal for all students, not only international ones.
- Writing emails like official letters. Three sentences are usually enough.
- Waiting to speak until you're sure your sentence is perfect. By then the discussion has moved on.
- Copying phrases from sources without quotation marks. In Western universities this is plagiarism, even if you change a few words.
- Only socialising with other Uzbek students. It's comforting, but your English (and your network) grows fastest in mixed groups.
Exercise: fix the email, choose the phrase
Rewrite the email lines in natural English.
- Respected teacher Mr John,
- I want you to give me more time for essay.
- Please answer urgently.
Which seminar phrase fits each situation?
- You want to join a discussion that's already going.
- You didn't understand a term the tutor used.
- You partly agree with a classmate.
Answers
- Dear Dr Smith, (title + surname; never Mr + first name).
- Could I ask for a short extension for the essay?
- I'd be grateful for a reply by Friday, if possible.
- Can I come in here?
- Sorry, could you explain what you mean by …?
- I agree with …, but I'd add that … / I see your point, but …
If you're still at the planning stage, start with the study abroad roadmap for tests, documents and deadlines.
Rehearsing seminar English before you fly
Speaking up in a seminar is a habit, and you can build it before you arrive. In BandMate, you can discuss a topic with Bandi, practise disagreeing politely and giving examples, and get feedback on grammar and pronunciation. Try this: read one short article a day, then give Bandi your opinion in under a minute using two phrases from the seminar table.
Add BandMate as a preferred source on Google
