English C1

For Master’s students who need to improve their knowledge of English in order to be able to:

• Understand the detail and implications of complex texts in English
• Write clear, engaging English text
• Engage in conversation at natural speed in international settings, even when all of the other participants are native speakers of English
• Express detailed ideas precisely and communicate them powerfully in English.

This course also caters to all members of the university community who wish to work on their English language skills at a high level.

Teaching mode:
Class time is devoted to systematic practice of listening, reading, speaking and writing, and to developing grammatical accuracy and range of vocabulary. In this course there is a particular emphasis on speaking practice and on authentic materials, with many classes devoted to spoken interaction and spoken production.

Language focus is limited to clarifying, developing and practicing language usage issues that arise from the materials used. These take topical discussions as a starting point, with articles and recordings taken from recent publications and podcasts. 

Extensive use is also made of the materials for the C1 language exam at the end of the course, because the exam consists of exercises that systematically test (and therefore help to develop) the high-level skills which are difficult to approach in other ways.

The objective of this course is to improve all the language skills, enabling students to reach and maintain a high level in general English. The best way to develop high level language skills is to practice with authentic materials, in addition to systematic study.

In aiming to reach a C1 level, students will acquire, internalize and use a wide vocabulary. They will engage with real spoken and written material on many topics, produce ever more sophisticated writing, deliver detailed presentations, and gradually increase the speed and accuracy of their interactions in English.

In presence

Much of the material used for this course will be authentic topical material provided by the instructor. A coursebook may also be used, depending on the needs and preferences of the students who enrol for the course, in addition to the exam materials.

Techniques are developed which can support the students’ own study routine, and individual students’ language needs and concerns are made central whenever possible. A typical class introduces a topic and vocabulary area through an article or recording, which is then exploited for focus on areas such as idiomatic usage, intonation and word choice, before opening up to discussions and/or writing tasks.

There will be an exam during class time at the end of course, which will serve to establish participants’ current level of English.

The exam is based on exercises from the Cambridge Advanced and IELTS exams, and employs topical authentic materials from around the world in a range of subject areas.

Bibliography:
A decision will be made in the first sessions of the course as to whether a coursebook will be adopted, and if so which.