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How to Choose my Type of English to Study? Business, General or Exam preparation?
How to choose my type of English to study? Hello! Are you faced with this question? Perhaps you feel that you need to improve your Business English in order to make your professional life a little less stressful, or maybe you should first clear up some basic language problems first? Well, "How to choose my type of English" is a question many people don't actually ask themselves before starting their English language course. Instead, they follow the direction that they feel they are being pushed in, or drawn to. Let me explain, imagine that Francesco is a bank clerk in Italy and he sometimes needs to use his English when dealing with customers. He can communicate reasonably well and has already passed the Cambridge PET which is a lower intermediate level exam. His boss has very kindly suggested to Francesco that he find an English course that will help him to perform better in his job, saying that the bank will be happy to pay the costs, but that he will have to make real progress that will ultimately improve the quality of the work he does for the bank. Francesco feels the need to brush up on his financial English, but in reality he is still confused when making simple sentences, especially negatives or questions. Poor Francesco! He feels pressure to improve the English that he needs for his job, but when he stops to think, he realises that he first must improve his basic skills. What he should know is this: The sooner he gets clarity regarding how to use basic English, and make sentences in all forms without really thinking too much, the sooner he will be able to communicate effectively with his customers! The tendency is to get as complicated as possible, when really the best way forward to simplify. My advice is to never be afraid to go back to the basics, even if you feel that your language level is high enough to be able to "go forward", most of the time, you will make the most progress by consolidating your actual level before rushing ahead. Think of your language level from four perspectives:
Always stop and check yourself before starting a more advanced course, or a course on specific English. Ask yourself honestly where you stand on all four levels and perhaps you will see that while you can read well, and your writing is under control, your listening and speaking SKILLS need some work. Focus on practicing what you know. Are you familiar with the 80/20 principle? General English - How to choose my type of English"How to choose my type of English?" Read about British culture hereGeneral English Beginner A good general English course should have a carefully designed core curriculum with Integrated Skills Development for listening, speaking, grammar, pronunciation, reading, writing, vocabulary, individualized practice and feedback, detailed progress reports, and end-of-level tests. Beginner Students learn skills necessary to communicate effectively in real-world situations, including how to make introductions and exchange important information, describe people, places, and things, relay news, current events, and discuss life experiences, make schedules, plan events, make travel arrangements and interview effectively. High Beginner Building on Level 1 language skills to help learners master important communication strategies students should engage in interactive activities that present a variety of useful topics, including how to talk about work and other routines, give advice and provide recommendations, order items, read directions, use computer hardware and software, discuss travel and culture, talk about personal experiences, health, and lifestyles. Course material should be especially designed to provide opportunities for the teacher to incorporate in-class activities into the program. Extensive pair, small group and whole class practice highlight the key teaching points in the ideal course. Intermediate Students develop real-world communication strategies, including how to make social plans, respond to news, propose an idea, express certainty and uncertainty, ask follow-up questions, ask for and give opinions. High Intermediate - Advanced Learners participate in activities related to everyday life and work situations, including how to show scepticism and sarcasm, end a conversation, identify problems and suggest solutions, suggest a course of action, talk about intentions, give and accept compliments. As you can see, these descriptions of what I feel students should be concentrating on at various levels of general English all focus on defining the practical abilities, not just grammar definitions! Business English - How to choose my type of EnglishHow to choose my type of EnglishBusiness English Beginner A2-B1: This is an example of the course contents and organisation according to function, allowing learners to build on acquired skills. As a student you should learn language skills pertaining to meeting people, talking about your job, talking about your department, getting information on the phone, finding your way, describing products, presenting your company, explaining company development, solving a problem, making and receiving phone calls, getting things done, explaining procedures, speaking in meetings, checking a schedule, thanking and saying Goodbye. Business English Intermediate B1-B2 This course example is again organized by function, allowing learners to build on acquired skills. As a student at intermediate level you should learn how to make contacts, engage in conversation & make small talk, ask permission, apologize, and thank someone, interrupt, express certainty/possibility, leave and take messages, check and confirm information, interact in meetings, make invitations, accept and decline invitations, suggest explanations and describe trends. Students focussing on Business English will need to prepare on handling information, telephone messages, appointments, travel arrangements, directions, reporting, current projects, project timing, sales results and market trends. I always recommend Pre- and Post-Testing.Tests should measure learners’ listening, vocabulary, pronunciation, and speaking skills in business contexts. The pre-test should be designed to allow learners to assess their abilities in preparation for the course; the post-test will permit them to measure improvement upon completion. Business English C1-C2 This example course syllabus is organized thematically and covers listening, reading, vocabulary, grammar, and business skills. Each unit introduces new vocabulary, including key words and phrases for business functions, a case study on the featured topic, and a writing assignment. This course emphasizes authentic business world situations by: Favourite topics: Writing assignments include: Financial English - How to choose my type of EnglishHow to choose my type of English - Fluent in Financial English?The University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations and ACCA have announced the introduction of the International Certificate in Financial English (ICFE).
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