Course Outlines
Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Summarize and paraphrase written passages
- Comprehend the structure of the timed essay
- Practice the structure of the timed essay
- Practice and use sentence structure while becoming familiar with typical grammatical errors.
Schedule
Lesson 1: Introduction to summary writing
The components of the timed essay for LET
Understanding the essay question
Language use: Parallelism
Lesson 2: Summary writing: Finding the main idea and the key points in the original text
Identifying parts of an essay
Writing an outline
Writing a strong thesis statement that answers the essay question
Lesson 3: Summary writing: Making margin notes and using your own words
Paraphrasing vs. summarizing
Body paragraphs: Topic sentence, supporting ideas, specific details
Language Use: Importance of word choice
Lesson 4: Summary writing: Leaving out minor details
Improving body paragraphs: Writing adequate details
Punctuation: comma, semi colon, colon
Sentence structure: Dangling phrases, run-on sentences
Lesson 5: Summary writing: Improving a summary
Personal essay vs. academic writing: Importance of understanding style, voice, and tone
Sentence variety: Coordination and Subordination
Language Use: Subject-Verb Agreement
Lesson 6: Timed summary writing in class
Techniques to write an effective introduction paragraph
Language Use: Hedging in essay writing
Lesson 7: Summary writing: Improving a summary
Writing a strong conclusion paragraph
Timed essay writing in class
Lesson 8: LET Scoring: Analyzing sample essays
Coherence in body paragraphs
Language Use: Review and Error correction
Additional resources for self-study
Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
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develop familiarity with the question types in all four components of the test (academic version)
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develop IELTS test taking strategies for listening, reading, writing and speaking
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improve their reading skills through skimming, scanning, using key words/ phrases and
grammar from the reading passages to answer reading questions
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improve their listening skills by using different listening strategies for comprehension and details
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improve their range of academic vocabulary
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increase their grammar knowledge
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describe a graph, chart, table, map or a process by comparing data and summarizing the main features
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write a well-structured essay in response to the different types of essay questions in writing task 2
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have a better understanding of the band descriptors in writing and speaking parts of the test and their true level in these areas.
Schedule Lesson 1
Introduction to the components of the test Understanding band descriptors Speaking: Part 1- Getting ready to speak
Talking about familiar topics- common speaking topics in part 1 Reading: Finding important key words in short answer questions
Skimming and scanning Listening: Understanding the context
Writing names and numbers- dealing with distractors, importance of correct spelling in IELTS
Academic Writing Task 1: Describing trends in a line graph- writing an overview, selecting key features, using accurate data
Writing Task 2: Task Achievement- understanding the task Preparing to write: making an outline
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Lesson 4
Lesson 5
Lesson 6
Speaking: Part 2 Improving coherence
Improving fluency: Pronunciation, intonation, and chunking
Reading: True/False/Not given- Identifying the writer’s views/ claims Listening: Summary Completion and table completion
Academic Writing Task 1: Describing a process- interpreting diagrams
Language use: Active/ Passive Voice Writing Task 2: Coherence in body paragraphs- linking ideas
Speaking: Part 1- Extending your response: providing details, talking about events, pronunciation
Reading: Sentence completion- paraphrasing
Listening: Understanding completion and matching tasks – word limits Academic Writing Task 1: Describing trends in a bar chart
Comparing and contrasting data Writing Task 2: Writing an introduction
Writing a strong thesis statement Parallelism
Speaking: Preparing for speaking Part 2
Making timed notes /Sequencing words
Dealing with follow-up questions
Reading: Introduction to matching headings task – more skimming and
paraphrasing Listening: Matching questions
Academic Writing Task 1: Describing trends in a pie chart
Writing Task 2: Body paragraphs-Topic sentence, supporting ideas, examples
Language use: Verb tense errors
Speaking: Part 3 Talking about abstract topics Agreeing and disagreeing
Reading: Completing flow charts
Listening: Describing a place – following directions and labelling a map Academic Writing Task 1: Describing a map
Language use: Present Perfect vs Past Tense Writing Task 2: Writing a strong conclusion paragraph
Speaking: Part 3 Talking about abstract topics Giving reasons: Cause and effect
Reading: Multiple Choice questions – looking for words with similar meanings, identifying the main idea
Listening: Short answer questions – using key words from the question Academic Writing Task 1: Dealing with multiple charts
Lesson 7
Lesson 8
Speaking: Part 3 Talking about abstract topics Making suggestions using modal verbs
Reading: Completing notes – understanding main ideas and specific details Listening: Multiple Choice questions – understanding longer pieces of text Academic Writing Task 1: Word choice – avoiding repetition
Writing Task 2: Using hedging language
Writing Task 2: Importance of appropriate word choice
Speaking: Part 3 Talking about abstract topics-Discussing similarities and differences/ Comparing past and present
Reading: Matching tasks – Identifying theories and opinions of different people/ experts
Listening: Following a lecture or talk -understanding main ideas, explanations Academic Writing Task 1: Editing a sample task
Writing Task 2: Improving a sample essay
Business Writbg:
Lesson 1 Formal vs. Informal Language, Email etiquette
Grammar Point: Frequently Confused/Misused Words
Writing Practice: Email Follow-up
Lesson 2 Writing and Responding to Complaints
Grammar Point: Articles/Using Adverbs
Writing Practice: Complaint Letters
Lesson 3 Writing and Responding to Requests
Grammar Point: Incomplete sentences/Run-on sentences/Comma splices
Writing Practice: Request Letters
Lesson 4 Writing Cover letters/Resumes
Grammar Point: Incorrect use of verb forms/ Incorrect subject-verb agreement
Writing Practice: Cover Letter
Lesson 5 Comparing options and Writing a recommendation
Grammar Point: Linking words
Writing Practice: Recommendation using for and against arguments
Lesson 6 Reporting an Incident
Grammar Point: Relative clauses
Writing Practice: Incident Report
Lesson 7 Business Memos
Grammar Point: Tenses Review
Writing Practice: Memo
Lesson 8 Making Arrangements
Grammar Point: Questions
Writing Practice: Inviting/Declining/Accepting emails
Course Outline – Speaking Professionally
Lesson 1
Business discussions/Expressions to agree or politely disagree/Changing the focus/Interrupting
Lesson 2
Developing Effective Argument/Expression to persuade/Apologizing for being late
Lesson 3
Giving negative feedback/Telling your boss you disagree/Making a Complaint/Dealing with a Complaint
Lesson 4
Working from home/business video chat/teleconference
Lesson 5
Telephoning skills/Leaving professional voicemail messages
Lesson 6
Starting engaging conversations/Changing the Subject/Establishing Shared interests/Ending conversations diplomatically
Lesson 7
Making and giving an effective presentation
Lesson 8
Quitting your job/Negotiating your leave
Course Outline
Lesson 1
Topic: Introduction/ Getting to know each other/ Small Talk/ Changing the topic and ending the conversation politely/Social Responses
Listening: Dialogues (Listening for Main Idea, Details & Inference)
Pronunciation: Using Intonation to show interest; -s ending
Grammar: Present simple and Present continuous
Lesson 2
Topic: Predictions/ Future Plans/Promises/Planning a Vacation/ Making reservations
Listening: Chef talk about his future plans (Listening for specific information in order to answer the questions)
Pronunciation: Sentence Stress in questions/Pronouncing contractions/ /a/ and /ou/
Grammar: Future tenses (Future Simple and Present Continuous)
Lesson 3
Topic: In the restaurant/Food Pyramid/Different diets
Listening: Three conversations at the restaurant (Listening for main ideas); Video “What’s in the salad”
Pronunciation: /a /, /u /, /ai/, /e/; linking
Grammar: Countable/Uncountable nouns
Lesson 4
Topic: Shopping/Money/Buying/Giving/Receiving a Present
Listening: Dialogue talking about shopping (listening for specific information)
Pronunciation: Large numbers
Grammar: First and Second Conditionals
Lesson 5
Topic: Relationships/Friends/ Feelings
Listening: Fred and Edna talking about when they just met (listening for specific information)
Pronunciation: ‘ed’ ending /t /, /d /, /id/
Grammar: Past Simple/Past Continuous
Lesson 6
Topic: Families/Personalities/Describing People
Listening: Richard talking about what happened when he met Claire and Rosa (listening for specific information)
Pronunciation: A rising and falling intonation in choice questions;
Grammar: The comparatives
Lesson 7
Topic: Trip to the Doctor /Illnesses/Keeping Healthy
Listening: Phone calls to make a doctor appointment (Listen and fill-in the information)
Pronunciation: the schwa sound
Grammar: Giving advice: Should or Shouldn’t
Lesson 8
Topic: Job Interview/Careers/The working environment
Listening: A podcast about working in an open-plan office (Listening for specific information and completing the notes)
Pronunciation: Word Stress (e.g. interviewer vs interviewee)
Course Outline – Speaking with Confidence Upper-Intermediate
Lesson 1
Introductions/ National stereotypes: Truth or Myth?
Grammar point: Adjectives as nouns/So and Such
Lesson 2
Life’s ups and downs/dealing with stress/remarkable achievements
Grammar point: Past tenses/ Use verbs with – ing and inf
Lesson 3
Taking Risks/Dangerous Sport/Out of your comfort zone
Grammar point: Conditionals/I wish you wouldn’t!
Lesson 4
Internet Crime, Computer Addiction and Computer-phobia.
Grammar point: quantifiers/relative clauses
Lesson 5
Best ways to invest your time/ Talking about future/Invest in your future
Grammar point: Future tenses/Collocations with time and money
Lesson 6
News around the world/ Famous people/Fame and fortune
Grammar point: Reporting people’s words
Lesson 7
Inventions/Inventive Ideas/Creative Environment
Grammar point: Passive form/Use causative have and get
Lesson 8
Truth and Lies/Advertisement/To Believe or not?
Grammar point: Use verbs with – ing and inf/ clauses with in spite of, even though, although
Lesson 1 Advantages and Disadvantages - A Magazine Article
Grammar Point: Tenses Review/Linking words
Writing Practice: Writing an article in four paragraphs
Lesson 2 Informal Emails
Grammar Point: Articles/Using Adverbs
Writing Practice: Writing an email to say thank you
Lesson 3 Your dreadful experience
Grammar Point: Incomplete sentences/Run-on sentences/Comma splices
Writing Practice: Writing about a trip
Lesson 4 Writing a Movie Review
Grammar Point: Adjectives/Adverbs
Writing Practice: Writing about a movie you would recommend
Lesson 5 Describing a House or Apartment
Grammar Point: Passive forms/Descriptive vocabulary
Writing Practice: Writing a description of your house/apartment
Lesson 6 A letter of Complaint
Grammar Point: Relative clauses
Writing Practice: Writing a complaint letter about an online purchase
Lesson 7 A bibliography
Grammar Point: Tenses Review
Writing Practice: Writing a short bio of an interesting person
Lesson 8 A narrative
Grammar Point: Reported speech
Writing Practice: Writing a scary/amusing/funny story