Upper Intermediate General English + IELTS

Learning Objectives and Syllabus

Upper Intermediate General English

Level 5

(Based on descriptors from the Common European Framework and European Language Portfolio level B2)

Speaking

• Speak fluently without searching for language.
• Communicate effectively in social and professional situations.
• Give ideas and opinions and relate to other speakers.
• Talk about complex subjects and develop arguments.

Listening

• Understand long complex speech.
• Understand most television programmes and films.

Reading

• Understand long and complex factual literary texts, with different styles.
• Understand specialised articles and long technical instructions.

Writing

• Write long, well-structured texts to express your point of view.
• Write about complex subjects in a letter, an essay or report.
• Write in an appropriate style.

Grammar Syllabus

• Habit in the present and the past
• Present perfect and present perfect continuous
• Past simple, past continuous and past perfect
• Question tags
• Will, going to, present simple, present continuous for the future
• Future perfect
• Phrasal verbs
• First, second and third conditional
• Wish and if only
• Passive
• Compounds of Some, any, no, every
• Reported speech
• Relative clauses
• Conjunctions: Although, despite, in spite of, otherwise, unless
• Modals: present and perfect
• Always for frequency / and present continuous

Vocabulary / Topical Syllabus

• Affixes
• Collocations
• Work, working conditions
• Approximations with –ish
• Transport and exploration
• Phrasal verbs
• Crime and punishment
• Relationships
• Festivals and celebrations
• Connotations
• Homonyms
• Idiomatic expressions
• Sport and leisure
• Euphemisms
• Adverbs of manner and modifiers
• Geography and climate
• Participle adjectives
• Banks / money
• Colloquial expressions and slang

Functional Syllabus

• Giving opinions
• Summarising
• Expressing regret
• Drawing conclusion
• Making offers
• Describing cause and effect
• Stating purpose
• Emphasising
• Stating contrast
• Adding information
• Congratulating
• Commiserating
• Clarifying
• Guessing
• Order arguments
• Giving examples

The English for academic purposes (EAP) course consists of three-hour classes from Monday to Friday and offers time for independent study in our in the mornings or afternoons during the week.