Basic and Advanced Spoken English Courses
Spoken English: Basic Level
Objective:
To develop a solid foundation in spoken English, enabling learners to communicate in simple and everyday situations, and build confidence in expressing themselves using basic vocabulary and grammar.
Core Skills:
- Pronunciation: Basic sounds, stress, and intonation.
- Vocabulary: Common, everyday words and phrases.
- Grammar: Simple sentence structures, tenses, and basic connectors.
- Fluency: Practicing simple responses and spontaneous speech.
- Listening Comprehension: Understanding simple English in conversations.
Content Overview:
Introduction to Basic Vocabulary:
- Greetings and introductions (e.g., “Hello”, “Good morning”, “How are you?”, “My name is…”)
- Common nouns (people, places, objects).
- Simple adjectives (e.g., big, small, tall, short, happy, sad).
- Everyday verbs (e.g., eat, sleep, go, work, talk, walk).
- Numbers and time-related vocabulary (e.g., today, tomorrow, yesterday, numbers 1–100).
- Expressing basic feelings (e.g., happy, tired, hungry, sad).
Basic Sentence Structures:
- Simple Present Tense: Statements and questions (e.g., “I work in an office.”, “Do you like coffee?”).
- Simple Past Tense: Describing past actions (e.g., “I went to the market yesterday.”).
- Simple Future Tense: Talking about future plans (e.g., “I will study tomorrow.”).
- There is/are: Describing objects and places (e.g., “There is a book on the table.”, “There are many students in the class.”).
Basic Conversations:
- Introducing Yourself: Name, age, nationality, job, hobbies.
- Example: “My name is John. I am 25 years old. I am from Canada. I am a teacher.”
- Ordering Food or Drinks: In restaurants or cafes.
- Example: “Can I have a coffee, please?”, “I’d like a sandwich.”
- Asking for Directions: Basic location-based inquiries.
- Example: “Where is the bus stop?”, “How do I get to the station?”
- Shopping: Asking about prices and expressing preferences.
- Example: “How much is this shirt?”, “I like this one.”
- Introducing Yourself: Name, age, nationality, job, hobbies.
Pronunciation Practice:
- Emphasis on clarity and understanding.
- Practicing simple sounds such as consonants (e.g., /b/, /d/, /p/, /t/), vowels (e.g., /æ/, /e/, /i/), and basic intonation patterns.
Listening and Responding:
- Practice understanding simple questions and giving direct answers.
- Listening to short dialogues or recordings with slow and clear speech.
- Practice common questions and responses in day-to-day situations.
Simple Social Interactions:
- Small talk (e.g., asking about the weather, discussing hobbies, greetings).
- Example: “What do you like to do in your free time?”, “The weather is nice today.”
- Small talk (e.g., asking about the weather, discussing hobbies, greetings).
Common Phrasal Verbs:
- Simple and widely used phrasal verbs (e.g., wake up, get up, go out, sit down, stand up).
Basic Reading & Pronunciation Practice:
- Short and simple texts (e.g., a short story or conversation) to practice pronunciation and fluency.
Spoken English Profile: Advanced Level
Objective:
To refine and enhance fluency in spoken English, enabling learners to participate in complex discussions, express opinions, debate ideas, and engage in formal and informal contexts.
Core Skills:
- Pronunciation and Intonation: Advanced pronunciation patterns and stress rules.
- Vocabulary: A wide range of vocabulary, including idioms, expressions, and technical terms.
- Grammar: Complex sentence structures, conditionals, modals, and tenses.
- Fluency and Coherence: Speaking confidently and logically on various topics.
- Active Listening and Critical Thinking: Understanding nuances, subtle meanings, and cultural references.
Content Overview:
Advanced Vocabulary Building:
- Synonyms and Antonyms: Expanding vocabulary for expressing similar or opposite ideas (e.g., “happy” vs. “content”, “difficult” vs. “challenging”).
- Idiomatic Expressions: Common idioms and expressions used in everyday conversations (e.g., “break the ice”, “a piece of cake”, “under the weather”).
- Collocations: Common word combinations (e.g., make a decision, do homework, take responsibility).
- Phrasal Verbs: Advanced phrasal verbs (e.g., bring up, get along with, take over, look into).
- Technical Vocabulary: Domain-specific vocabulary for fields such as business, education, travel, technology.
Complex Sentence Structures:
- Conditional Sentences: Real and unreal conditionals (e.g., “If I had known, I would have helped.”, “If I see him, I will tell him.”).
- Relative Clauses: Describing people or things (e.g., “The book that I bought is amazing.”, “She is the person who called me.”).
- Reported Speech: Paraphrasing what others say (e.g., “She said that she was coming.”, “He asked if I could help him.”).
- Passive Voice: Using passive forms to shift focus (e.g., “The book was read by many people.”, “The decision has been made.”).
Fluent Conversations:
- Discussing Current Events: Speaking about news, trends, politics, and global issues.
- Example: “What do you think about the recent elections?”, “How do you feel about climate change?”
- Debating Ideas: Presenting and defending opinions on controversial topics.
- Example: “I believe technology has had a positive impact on education because it allows for more accessible learning.”, “However, some argue that it can lead to dependency.”
- Negotiating: Engaging in discussions that require compromise or agreement.
- Example: “Let’s agree to disagree”, “I think we can meet halfway.”
- Discussing Current Events: Speaking about news, trends, politics, and global issues.
Advanced Pronunciation and Intonation:
- Mastering word stress, sentence stress, and intonation to convey emotions and emphasis.
- Practice with intonation in questions, exclamatory sentences, and rhetorical questions.
- Working on clarity, enunciation, and handling tricky sounds in English (e.g., /θ/ as in “think” and /ʃ/ as in “she”).
Cultural Awareness:
- Understanding cultural references, humor, and nuances in spoken language.
- Recognizing and using colloquial speech and expressions that vary by region (e.g., British vs. American English).
- Discussing cultural topics (e.g., food, traditions, holidays).
Role Plays and Simulations:
- Job Interviews: Preparing for common interview questions and providing clear, professional answers.
- Example: “Tell me about yourself.”, “Why do you want to work for this company?”
- Presentations: Giving structured presentations on a variety of topics.
- Example: “Today, I will talk about the impact of social media on society.”
- Discussions: Engaging in discussions about abstract topics (e.g., ethics, human rights, future trends).
- Job Interviews: Preparing for common interview questions and providing clear, professional answers.
Public Speaking and Persuasion:
- Developing the ability to speak persuasively and engage listeners.
- Techniques for maintaining audience interest (e.g., using anecdotes, rhetorical questions, and pauses for effect).
- Preparing persuasive arguments for debates or speeches.
Advanced Listening and Responding:
- Listening to fast-paced, complex dialogues, lectures, and discussions.
- Responding to questions and comments with critical thinking and analysis.
- Engaging in multi-turn conversations on abstract or technical topics.
Advanced Reading & Pronunciation Practice:
- Reading longer academic articles, debates, or interviews and summarizing them.
- Practicing pronunciation by reading aloud from challenging texts and analyzing tone and stress.
Progression from Basic to Advanced Level:
- Basic Level: Focus on basic communication in everyday situations, simple sentence structures, and common vocabulary.
- Advanced Level: Master fluency, engage in persuasive speech, handle abstract discussions, and improve listening and pronunciation for formal and informal contexts.