General English L1 , L2 & L3
A1 Elementary Course (General 1)
What level does this course aim at?
1 Beginners aim at the A1 level in English, as outlined by the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
What are the components of the course?
The course content includes reading, writing, audiovisual, listening and speaking components,
and uses cutting edge educational technologies. The Information Handbook given to
students upon registration includes a detailed description of the course components.
This course is a prerequisite for:
Beginner Course
We expect that you will:
• Participate actively in all class activities
• Follow your teacher’s instructions
• Submit assignments on time
• Attend every lesson on time
• Complete each course successfully to proceed to the next one
What will I learn?
Through this course, you will develop the level:
- accuracy and fluency in speaking and writing
- awareness of the writing process
- reading sub-skills
- listening sub-skills
What is the level of this course?
This course aims at the A1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
At A1 level you can:
- understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.
- introduce themselves and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has.
- interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
What are the components of the course?
The course content includes speaking, grammar, listening, writing, reading, vocabulary, and educational technology components.
- The topics covered in the reading, speaking and listening components are introductions and greetings; names; countries and nationalities; jobs; workplaces and school; daily schedules; clock time; shopping and prices; clothing and personal items; colors and materials; music, movies, and TV programs; entertainers; invitations and excuses; dates and times, families, sports, fitness, routines, free time activities, chores, vacations, stores and places, neighborhoods, houses, and apartments, appearance and dress, clothing styles, past experiences, unusual activities, cities, hometowns, countries, health problems, medications and remedies, food and restaurants, world geography and facts, invitations and excuses, leisure time activities, telephone messages, life changes, plans, and hopes.
- The speaking component consists of pronunciation practice, and being able to introduce oneself, exchanging personal information, common expressions, describing work and school, asking for and giving opinions, describing daily schedules, discussing preferences, making comparisons, buying and selling things, talking about likes and
dislikes, making invitations and excuses, being able to talk about families, the present, routines, exercise, frequency, sports and athletes, abilities, past events, past experiences, vacations, locations, neighborhoods, quantities and people’s appearance, being able to talk about cities, ask for and give suggestions/advice, talk about travel and tourism, health problems, make requests, talk about likes and dislikes, agree and disagree, order a meal, describe countries, make comparisons, express opinions, talk about distances and measurements, plans, make/accept/refuse invitations, give reasons, take and leave messages, exchange personal information, talk about changes, future plans.
- The following grammar items are included in this course: Wh-questions and statements with be/do, information and yes/no questions and answers with be/do, subject, object pronouns, possessive adjectives, simple present Wh-questions and statements, time expressions, demonstratives, comparisons, would, verb+to+verb, present continuous/ simple past/present perfect yes/no and Wh-questions, statements and short answers, quantifiers, pronoun: no one, adverbs of frequency, Past of be, There is/there are, one, any and some, prepositions of place, questions: how many, how much, count and noncount nouns, questions for describing people, modifiers with participles and prepositions, already and yet, present perfect vs simple past, for and since, adverbs before adjectives, conjunctions, modals: can, should, infinitive complements, should for suggestions, can, could, may for requests, so, too, neither, either, modals will and would for requests, comparatives and superlatives, How-questions, future with present continuous and be going to, messages with tell and ask, describing changes with present, past, present perfect and the comparative, verb + infinitive.
- The listening component consists of listening for names and countries, listening to descriptions of jobs and daily schedules, to people shopping, listening for likes, and dislikes. Also, it refers to family relationships, people talking about free-time activities, sports participation, past events, vacations, locations, and events, to cities, incorrect
information, health problems and advice, restaurant orders, a TV game show, telephone messages, changes.
- The reading component consists of a variety of short adopted texts (300 – 600 words) on topics such as popular names, people who need jobs, online shopping, and a famous entertainer, an American family, a health and fitness quiz, vacation, a New York City neighborhood, clothing styles, and unusual or dangerous sports, famous cities, natural products, tipping customs, the environment, cell phone manners, a proposal for a class party.
The vocabulary in this course includes high-frequency words and expressions commonly associated with the topics mentioned above.
A2 Elementary Course (General 2)
What level does this course aim at?
English level A2 is the second level of English in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), a definition of different language levels written by the Council of Europe. In everyday speech, this level might be described as “basic” as in “I speak basic English”. The official level descriptor in the CEFR is “elementary”, which means the same thing: it is the foundation. At this level, students have mastered the basics of English and can communicate simple, basic needs.
What can you do with a A2 level in English (general 2)?
An A2 level of English is sufficient for tourism in an English-speaking country and socializing with English speakers, although to develop deeper friendships an A2 level is not adequate. An A2 level of English also allows for networking with English-speaking colleagues, but working in English is limited to very familiar topics at the A2 level. An A2 level of English is not sufficient for academic study or for consuming most English-language media (TV, movies, radio, magazines, etc.).
According to the official CEFR guidelines, someone at the A2 level in English:
- Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).
- Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.
- Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment, and matters in areas of immediate need.
A2 level English skills in detail
The official can-do statements are broken down into smaller pieces for teaching purposes. This more detailed skill breakdown can help you assess your own English level, or help a teacher assess a student’s level. For example, a student at the A2 level in English will be able to do all the things that a student in level A1 can do, and in addition, he will be able to:
- Evaluate coworkers' performance in the workplace.
- Relate events from your past, including your weekend activities and interesting stories.
- Describe your past life, giving details about important milestones.
- Entertain someone in your home or visit a friend or colleague in their home.
- Discuss your vacation plans and tell friends and colleagues about your vacation afterward.
- Talk about the natural world and travels to see animals and natural areas in your country.
- Talk about movies that you like and choose a movie to see with friends.
- Discuss clothing and what kind of clothes you like to wear.
- Engage in basic communication at work, including attending meetings on familiar topics.
- Describe an accident or injury, get medical help from a doctor, and fill a prescription for medicine.
- Engage in basic business socializing, welcoming guests, and attending networking events.
- Understand and make basic business proposals in your area of expertise.
- Talk about and explain the rules of games.
Objectives conclusions:
Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment, and matters in areas of immediate need.
B1 Elementary Course (General 3)
What level does this course aim at?
English level B1 is the third level of English in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), a definition of different language levels written by the Council of Europe. In everyday speech, this level would be called “intermediate”, and indeed, that is the official level descriptor in the CEFR. At this level, students are beyond the basics but they are still not able to work or study exclusively in English.
What can you do with a B1 level in English (general 3)?
A B1 level of English would be sufficient for interactions with English speakers on familiar topics. In the workplace, people at a B1 level of English are able to read simple reports on familiar topics and write simple e-mails on subjects in their field. However, a B1 level is not adequate to function fully in the workplace in English.
According to the official CEFR guidelines, someone at the B1 level in English:
- Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.
- Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst traveling
- Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest.
- Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes, and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
B1 level English skills in detail
The official can-do statements are broken down into smaller chunks for teaching purposes. This more detailed skill breakdown can help you assess your own English level, or help a teacher assess a student’s level. For example, a student at the B1 level in English will be able to do all the things that a student in level A2 can do, and in addition, he will be able to:
- Discuss your personal and professional hopes and dreams for the future.
- Arrange a job interview and interview for a job in your area of expertise.
- Talk about your television viewing habits and favorite programs.
- Describe your education and your plans for future training.
- Talk about your favorite music and music trends and plan a night out to listen to live music.
- Talk about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and give and get advice about healthy habits.
- Talk about relationships and dating, including meeting people through social media.
- Go to a restaurant, order food, engage in polite dinner conversation, and pay for your food.
- Participate in negotiations in your area of expertise, if you have help understanding some points.
- Discuss workplace safety issues, report an injury, and explain rules and regulations.
- Discuss polite behavior and respond appropriately to impolite behavior
Objectives conclusion:
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst traveling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes & ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.