Course aims:

Updating, correcting, and developing the previously acquired English skills
Acquiring and developing the communication skills focused on various speech domains, needs and situations.
Acquiring and developing the communication skills for academic research focused mainly on conference presentations and presentation of research.
Acquiring and developing the writing skills, according to different types of essays required.

Course Entry Requirements:

B1, B2 English level

Course contents:

Oral English 2. Health Expressing reason/purpose. Country life and city life Speculating. 2. Shopping Expressing advantages and disadvantages. Celebrations Making assumptions/deductions. Emotional states – related adjectives. 3. Music Discussing benefits. Human achievements Expressing effects/results; prioritising things. Describing personality – related adjectives. 4. Committing offences Expressing possibility. Social problems Giving strong advice, making recommendations. Media – related language. 5. Emergency services Listing points. Jobs Expressing opinion. Describing art – artistic preferances. 6. Leisure time Expressing opinion. Sources of information Expressing advantages and disadvantages. Making a presentation. 7. Companionship Expressing feelings/opinion. Learning experiences Making a presentation. Written English 8. Structuring an essay 9. Paraphrasing and synonyms • How to use paraphrasing to avoid repetition and achieve clarity and fluency: 1. Using synonyms, 2. Changing word order, 3. Changing the form of the word. 10. Generating relevant ideas • Using key words from the topic question to develop relevant ideas: 1. Domain familiarization, 2. Brainstorming, 3. Mind mapping, 4. The 5 questions method. 11. Vocabulary • Finding and using vocabulary relevant to the domain of the essay question; learning to work with synonyms. 12. Coherence • Using cohesive devices to enhance fluency and clarity of ideas, to express: contrast, result, concession, inference, sequence, etc. 13. Common problems • Identifying the most common mistakes: 1. Talking too generally about the topic, 2. Not including a thesis statement, 3. Trying to be too entertaining and using flowery language, 4. Using too informal a style.

Teaching methods:

Vocabulary exercises, speaking using visual prompts, making a short presentation, exposition of essay outlines, writing tasks, feedback on writing tasks.

Learning outcomes:

Developing speaking and writing abilities related to specific topic questions; Adapting the vocabulary, grammatical structures and register to the specific question addressed; Structuring the essay and employing the necessary cohesive devices.

Learning outcomes verification and assessment criteria:

Oral examination and written essays by students: – 60%; continuous assessment – 40%.

Recommended reading:

Murphy Raymond, Essential English in Use, Cambridge University Press, second edition.
Thomas, B., Matthews, L., Vocabulary for First Certificate, Cambridge University Press.
Pye, D., Greenall, S., CAE - Listening and Speaking Skills, Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Walker Hammond, W., Peterson’s Master TOEFL Writing Skills, Peterson’s, 2007.
Betsis, A., Mamas, L., 10 CAE Practice Tests, Global ELT Ltd, 2014.