English for Life and Work – Intermediate

This is a general English course for students at B1/B1+ level who want to gain confidence in their English language skills: writing, reading, listening, speaking and elements: grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, discourse).  A key focus of the course will be to introduce students to more authentic texts, so they’re better able to cope with the kind of English they’ll meet outside the classroom.

This course will help you:

  • Speak more spontaneously in a variety of familiar settings through real-life role plays, formal and informal language through discussion.
  • Widen your range of vocabulary to incorporate ‘chunks’ of language: collocations and fixed phrases.
  • Notice grammatical patterns and seek to incorporate these into your output
  • Develop your listening and reading strategies to enable you to make sense of more authentic texts through real-life dialogues, interviews, stories and conversation with model pronunciation.
  • Write more confidently in a range of different genres: emails, formal letters, blogs

Which book will I use?  What special features does the book have?

The course uses a book called Speakout Intermediate 2nd Edition. It is divided into 10 units.

Each unit starts with an overview followed by two main input sections that cover grammar, vocabulary and four skills. Section three covers functional language for everyday situations matched to their CEFR level. An important feature of the book is the inclusion of podcasts with native speakers and BBC TV clips, aimed at helping students enhance their four skills by using authentic materials in section four. Each unit ends with a Lookback page to revise key language. At the back of the book there is a useful Grammar Summary and practice exercises to help review. There is also a Vocabulary Bank, providing an extra vocabulary focus.

Intermediate A (Units1-4) Intermediate B (Units 5-7)
Topics – relationships, stories, technology, jobs

Vocabulary – family, relationships, types of story, the news, communication methods, idioms, say/tell, the news, personal qualities, business, gradable adjectives.

Language – question forms, review of simple and continuous tenses, present perfect, narrative tenses, future forms (plans and predictions), modals of obligation, ‘used to’ and ‘would’.

Functional Language – introducing yourself, interview advice, telling anecdotes, dealing with misunderstandings, reaching agreements.

Topics – solving problems, emotions, success and achievements

Vocabulary – technology, Word building: adjectives, multi-word verbs, problems and solutions, collocations, life events, success, ability, qualifications.

Language – comparatives, superlatives, question tags, zero, first and second conditionals, present perfect simple and continuous, present and past modals of ability.

Functional Language – polite requests, giving good and bad news, clarifying opinions.

 

Intermediate C (Units 8-10)
Topics – communities, the past, the world and global issues

Vocabulary – compound nouns (Getting on), the internet, history, Collocations: time periods, describing people, the environment, reporting verbs, airports, describing places.

Language – third conditional, articles and quantifiers, relative clauses, past hypothetical conditional, active versus passive, reported speech, verb patterns.

Functional Language – being a good guest, apologising and accept apologies, expressing uncertainty, giving advice, warning people about something.

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