General English 15 morning classes, with the addition of special focus classes that enhance your English language and culture skills, across social, work and academic settings.

The following focus classes are examples for your daily 13.15-15.15 lessons. Usually students choose one focus for every 4 weeks, but there is the option to change every week if preferred.

In these classes students can develop a range of valuable skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, analysing information, and developing their own opinions and ideas. Teachers carefully select materials which encourage team work and collaboration.

Everyday English

A2 (elementary) to C1 (advanced)
Focus on functional language and vocabulary that is used in day-to-day life. Topics may include requesting information, asking for and giving advice, making plans, or talking about personal interests. The course can include visits and trips to practise social interaction.
 

Communication and media

A2 (elementary) to C1 (advanced)
Respond to the world by improving your reading and listening skills, with authentic texts such as newspapers, video clips, podcasts, or blogs. Create presentations and write articles to express your ideas. Research trips to museums and galleries extend the learning.
 

Research and debate

B1 (intermediate) to C1 (advanced)
Develop a range of skills that are needed in academic, business and social situations. Focus on key topics and work on a group or individual project, including having debates and making presentations. Students are encouraged to think critically and evaluate information.
 

English for exams

B1 (intermediate) to C1 (advanced)
Focus on different exam style questions and tasks that appear in English language exams. Students will have the chance to practice all four skills. Expand your range of vocabulary and grammar needed to get the best results in exams.
 

Business English

B1 (intermediate) to C1 (advanced)
Focus on work-related scenarios and topics. Topics may include current affairs, international markets, advertising, interviewing and employability, as well as practising for business meetings, presentations and professional emails.

This course has all the benefits of the other General English courses, plus the opportunity to develop your academic skills with topics such as research, debate, communication and media.

By the end of the course you will…

• Feel more confident in work, academic and social settings
• Have an advanced understanding of the English language
• Know more about academic study skills in English
• Be able to thrive in English-speaking work environments
• Communicate more fluently
• Be more accurate in English
• Have improved across the four skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking (including pronunciation)
• Receive a certificate with your new English level

What can I do next?

• Use your new English skills for work and travel
• Apply to higher education
• Prepare for an IELTS or Cambridge Exams qualification

• Access to the student portal
• Opportunities to attend additional free English lessons with trainees
• Social activity programme  – see our weekly calendar for more details and prices
• A level certificate to add to your CV
• Access to the library and computers
• Free wifi
• A monthly 121 tutorial 

By the end of the course you will be better able to…  

Spoken Interaction  

• Take part in extended conversations on a range of topics using strategies such as turn-taking   

• Express opinions and develop arguments to hold a long conversation or discussion  
• Use and understand features of connected speech  
• Use functional phrases to hold a natural sounding conversation   
• Communicate more confidently in discussions, debates and conversations on a range of topics  
• Take part in group discussions as well as long turns (such as presentations)   

• Apply learning strategies when communications breaks down in conversation 

Spoken Production  

• Use a range of formal and informal phrases and expressions   

• Use colloquial phrases when speaking   
• Use different strategies to negotiate meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary  
• Use connected speech and sentence stress 
• Use formal and informal language appropriately 

Listening  

• Follow an extended conversation or long speech  
• Decode the meaning of some difficult or unfamiliar language  
• Recognise features of connected speech  

• Follow the main points when there are multiple speakers 
• Apply learning strategies to listen to spontaneous conversations in public 

 Writing  

• Write about familiar topics using features of discourse  
• Write a range of texts in order to communicate and convey personal opinions and ideas, such as a social media / blog post  
• Write more accurate sentences or paragraphs with awareness of how to connect the ideas  
• Correct personal mistakes in written work and identify the problems within paragraph structures 

Reading  

• Read informal texts, such as emails, in order to find the key information for the correct response  
• Use different strategies to understand a text for general meaning 
• Use different techniques to guess the meaning of unknown vocabulary 
• Identify different types of texts and predict meanings from titles or key words 

 Life Skills   

• Confidently hold a conversation   
• Understand how body language, pronunciation and intonation can affect meaning and understanding  
• Understand aspects of British culture  

• Apply study skills and strategies outside the classroom and after your course ends 
• Use critical thinking skills to analyse information   
• Express your opinions and reflect on responses   
• Work in a group and negotiate ideas and outcomes  

 *Some course outcomes may vary depending on your starting level of English and personal learning goals. 

You can view the sample timetable here for the General English 25