Certificate in General English

Course details

Curriculum Structure

Proficiency Level: Begginner

1.1 Rationale

o provide students with the general English language skills required to satisfy basic survival needs in the most commonly encountered situations and to prepare students for entry to the Pre-Intermediate level ELICOS course.

1.2 Articulation

Successful completion of the course exit requirements enables entry into a course at the Pre-Intermediate level.

Learning Outcomes

Writing: Text Type

• Simple descriptive text, e.g. describe a person.
• Informal letter, postcard.
• Formal letter e.g. a letter to a hotel requesting i
• nformation.
• Writing a simple story/narrative.
• Writing a biography.
• Simple paragraphing–linking words: because,when,until,complex
• sentences.
• Descriptive text – describe experience in past e.g. describe a holiday.
• Filling in a form.
• Textual structures: reference; text development-the
• me structure, cohesion, etc.
• Writing strategies, e.g. drafting, note-taking, lay
• out, surface features, etc.

Speaking

• Speech function of statement, question, offer, command.
• Simple exchanges e.g. personal information, negotiation, challenging, tracking, recount.
• Appraisal: amplification; modality; affect; judgement; appreciation.
• Clause types: noun groups; verb groups-tense, active, assive; prepositional phrases; adverbial groups; ellipsis; dependent and independent clause types.
• Speaking strategies: formulaic expressions, initiating a conversation; turn-taking; etc.

Listening

• Strategies: making predictions; listening for gist; listening for specific information; interpreting implicit meaning; using context to find the meaning of unknown words.
• Listening texts: academic; formal and informal registers; literary.
• Different forms of media, e.g. face-to-face, telephone

Reading

• Strategies: reading for main ideas; making predictions from content; reading for implicit meaning; scanning; reading for detailed comprehension; using reference skills; interpreting graphs; interpreting grids.
• Text types: academic; formal-informal register; literary.

Phonology and paralinguistic features of spoken language

• Articulation of individual sounds
• Syllables
• Word and sentence stress
• Rhythm patterns
• Pitch/intonation
• Overall intelligibility
• Body language e.g. gesture, eye contact, expression

General English (Elementary to Pre-Intermediate)

Writing Text-Type

• Simple descriptive text, e.g. describe a person.
• Writing a simple story/narrative.
• Descriptive text – describe experience in past e.g. describe a holiday.
• Filling in a form.
• Textual structures: reference; text development-the me structure, cohesion, etc.

Speaking

• Speech function of statement, question, offer, command.
• Simple exchanges e.g. personal information, negotiation, challenging, tracking, recount.
• Appraisal: amplification; modality; affect;
• Clause types: noun groups; verb groups-tense, active, passive; prepositional phrases; adverbial groups; ellipsis; dependent and independent clause types.
• Speaking strategies: formulaic expressions, initiating a conversation; turn-taking; etc.

Listening

• Strategies: making predictions; listening for gist; listening for specific information; interpreting implicit meaning; using context to find the meaning of unknown words.
• Listening texts: formal and informal registers; literary.
• Different forms of media, e.g. face-to-face, telephone.

Reading

• Strategies: reading for main ideas; making predictions from content; reading for implicit meaning; scanning; reading for detailed comprehension; using reference skills; graphs; interpreting grids.
• Text types: academic; formal-informal register; literary.

Phonology and paralinguistic features of spoken language

• Articulation of individual sounds
• Syllables
• Word and sentence stress
• Rhythm patterns
• Pitch/intonation
• Overall intelligibility
• Body language e.g. gesture, eye contact, expression

Proficiency Level: Pre-Intermeidate

Aims

To provide students with the general English language skills required to engage effectively in routine forms of social interaction and to prepare students for entry to the Intermediate level ELICOS course or a comparable course of study.

Objectives

To present and provide opportunities for practice in the language required enabling students to:

• communicate effectively using a wide range of everyday spoken and written language, such as maintaining a conversation on a topic of general interest, writing a short informal letter on a topic of mutual interest, making plans and suggestions and giving advice on simple
• procedures.
• develop their skills in the four macro skills to
• the level sufficient for entry into General English
• Intermediate level.

Course Outline

The course comprises the following components

• English Language Skills (20 hours per week) (including, where appropriate, the use of the language laboratory and/or computer-assisted language learning)
• Supervised self-access study (5 hours per week) Field trips: one field trip per module will be undertaken. Pre-teaching, field-work and follow-up teaching will complement and support the program of English language study.

Proficiency Level: Intermediate Level

Aims

o provide students with the general English language skills required to engage effectively in more advanced forms of social interaction and to effectively negotiate meaning in more complex contexts and to prepare students for entry to the Upper-Intermediate level ELICOS course or a comparable course of study.

Objectives

To present and provide opportunities for practice in the language required enabling students to:

• communicate effectively using a wide range of everyday spoken and written language, such as maintaining a conversation on a topic of general interest, writing a medium-length informal letter on a topic of mutual interest, making detailed plans and suggestions, and giving advice on more complex procedures.
• develop their skills in the four macroskills to the level sufficient for entry into General English Upper-Intermediate level.

Course Outline

The course comprises the following components

• English Language Skills (20 hours per week) (including, where appropriate, the use of the language laboratory and/or computer-assisted language learning)
• Supervised self-access study (5 hours per week)Field trips: one field trip per module will be undertaken. Pre-teaching, field-work and follow-up teaching will complement and support the program of English language study.

Summary of Outcomes for Intermediate Level

Writing: Text Type

• Descriptive text, e.g. describe a person, a room. Informal letter, postcard.
• Formal letter e.g. a letter to a hotel requesting information.
• Writing a story/narrative.
• Writing a biography.
• Letter of application.
• Argumentative text.
• Simple paragraphing – linking words: e.g. because, when, until; complex sentences.
• Descriptive text – describe experience in past e.g. describe a holiday.
• Filling in a form.
• Textual structures: reference; text development-the me structure; cohesion; etc.
• Writing strategies e.g. drafting, note-taking, layout, surface features, etc.

Speaking

• Speech function of statement, question, offer, command.
• Simple exchanges, e.g. personal information, negotiation, challenging, tracking, recount.
• Appraisal: amplification; modality; affect; judgement;
• Clause types: noun groups; verb groups-tense, active passive; prepositional phrases; adverbial groups; ellipsis; dependent and independent clause type.
• Speaking strategies e.g. formulaic expressions, initiating a conversation; turn-taking; etc.

Listening

• Strategies: making predictions, listening for gist, listening for specific information, interpreting implicit meaning, using context to find the meaning of unknown words.
• Listening texts: academic, formal and informal registers, literary.
• Different forms of media: face-to-face, telephone

Reading

• Strategies: reading for main ideas; making predictions from content; reading for implicit meaning; scanning; reading for detailed comprehension; using reference skills; interpreting graphs; interpreting grids.
• Text types: academic, formal-informal register, literary.

Phonology and paralinguistic features of spoken language

• Articulation of individual sounds
• Syllables
• Word and sentence stress
• Rhythm patterns
• Pitch/intonation
• Overall intelligibility
• Body language: gesture, eye contact, expression.

Proficiency Level: Upper-Intermediate

Aims

To provide students with the general English skills to engage effectively in a broad range of social interactions and to prepare students for entry into the IELTS course or a comparable course of study.

Objectives

To present and provide opportunities for practice in the language required enabling students to:

• communicate effectively in a broad range of contexts of interaction such as formal, informal and academic registers. Have a deeper appreciation and understanding of the cultural dimension of contexts of language interaction.
• develop their skills in the four macroskills to a level sufficient for entry into an IELTS level course

Course Outline

The course comprises the following components:

• English Language Skills (20 hours per week)
• Supervised self-access study (5 hours per week)
  • Field trips: one field trip per term will be under taken. Pre-teaching, field-work and follow up teaching will complement and support the program of English language study.

Summary of Outcomes for Upper-Intermediate Level

Writing: Text Type

• Descriptive text, e.g. describe a person, a scene.
• Informal letter, postcard.
• Formal letter e.g. a letter to a hotel requesting information.
• Writing a story/narrative.
• Writing a biography.
• Research and report writing.
• Review
• Writing a play.
• Writing about a period in history.
• Paragraphing – linking words, complex sentences.
• Recount text – describe experience in past e.g. describe a holiday.
• Filling in a form.
• Textual structures: reference; text development-the me structure, cohesion, etc.
• Writing strategies, e.g. drafting, note-taking, layout, surface features, etc.

Speaking

• Speech function of statement, question, offer, command.
• Exchanges e.g. personal information, negotiation, challenging, tracking, recount.
• Appraisal: amplification; modality; effect; judgement; appreciation;
• Clause types: noun groups; verb groups-tense, active passive; prepositional phrases; adverbial groups; ellipsis; dependent and independent clause type.
• Speaking strategies e.g. formulaic expressions, initiating a conversation; turn-taking; etc.

Listening

• Strategies: making predictions, listening for gist, listening for specific information, interpreting implicit meaning, using context to find the meaning of unknown words.
• Listening texts: academic, formal and informal registers, literary.
• Different forms of media, e.g. face-to-face, teleph
• one.

Reading

• Strategies: reading for main ideas; making predictions from content; reading for implicit meaning; scanning; reading for detailed comprehension; using reference skills; interpreting graphs; interpreting grids.
• Critical analysis of text: interpretative, persuasive,
• Text types: academic, abstract, formal-informal reg
• ister, literary.

Phonology and paralinguistic features of spoken language

• Articulation of individual sounds
• Syllables
• Word and sentence stress
• Rhythm patterns
• Pitch/intonation
• Overall intelligibility
• Body language: gesture, eye contact, expression.