In January 1975, 31 Venzuelan students of science were admitted to the University of Essex. It was suggested that a pre-first-year period be divided equally between attendance of regular college courses and English courses designed especially for them. This article describes the English course hurriedly prepared to meet this specific situation. The general guidelines were: (1) the English teaching section of the scheme should be heavily, though not totally, oriented to the preparation of materials in English for Special Purposes, and (2) grouping should be according to scientific specialty and not according to proficiency in English. The first term was devoted largely to passive work taught in 5 two-hour sessions each week: (1) kernel lessons intermediate, (2) basic English for Science (BEFS), (3) BEFS, (4) continuation of orientation and social English, and (5) listening/reading materials. The materials and activities used for each of these sessions are described. The cloze procedure was used extensively as was the language laboratory for listening exercises. Reading and writing skills were not tackled systematically until term 2, when the 10 weekly hours were divided as follows: (1) kernel lessons, (2) aural comprehension, (3) BEFS, (4) oral production, and (5) reading comprehension and writing. Students will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis focusing on the study skills needed by a first-year undergraduate in science. (TL)