Advanced English Communication and Language Skills (preparation for the

IELTS exam)

Contents

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Student Handbook

2020/2021

AIMS OF THE COURSE....................................................................................................................4

OBJECTIVES......................................................................................................................................4

KEY CONTACTS................................................................................................................................4

DURATION AND TIMETABLE OF THE COURSE........................................................................5

ATTENDANCE....................................................................................................................................5

TUTORIALS........................................................................................................................................5

THE ADVANCED ENGLISH COMMUNICATION COURSE........................................................5

Unit 01: Speaking/Listening/Pronunciation..................................................................................7

Unit 2: Writing and academic skills/Grammar/Punctuation/Spelling........................................8

Unit 3: Reading academic texts/Vocabulary...............................................................................9

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES............................................................................................................10

ASSESSMENT..................................................................................................................................11

The IELTS test..............................................................................................................................11

Listening (30 minutes)..............................................................................................................11

Reading (60 minutes)...............................................................................................................11

Writing (60 minutes)..................................................................................................................12

Speaking (11 to 14 minutes)....................................................................................................12

The IELTS band score scale.......................................................................................................13

The ESOL Level 2 assessments................................................................................................13

Speaking and listening.............................................................................................................13

Writing........................................................................................................................................14

Reading......................................................................................................................................14

TEACHING METHODS...................................................................................................................15

RESOURCES....................................................................................................................................15

STUDENT SUPPORT FACILITIES................................................................................................15

CASE STUDY: ANA PINHO............................................................................................................16

CASE STUDY: IVETA FARKAS.....................................................................................................17

SAMPLE OF ANA’S IELTS WRITTEN WORK.............................................................................18

STUDENT TESTIMONIALS............................................................................................................19

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INTRODUCTIONWelcome to the IELTS/ Advanced English Communication and Language Skills Course at East Coast College. We hope that you will enjoy your time at the college and that you will find the course enjoyable, challenging and rewarding.

This handbook gives an overview of the course, as well as of the IELTS exam. It outlines the key components of the course so that you can become familiar with how it is organised before you start the course. The first few days of a new course can be daunting at times, albeit exciting. This handbook should make these few days less stressful as you will have a good idea of what to expect during the course. This booklet will also be useful throughout the course as it could be used as a reference point if more details or clarification were needed.

We have tried to keep the information as succinct as possible, so if you were to need more information, please feel free to ask your tutor. Further information relating to your experience at the college can also be found in the College Handbook.

We hope that this course will meet your expectations and accommodate your needs, as well as achieve your future plans. We wish you every success during your time at the college.

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AIMS OF THE COURSE1. To facilitate student entry onto higher education or access to professional

careers, such as nursing, teaching, law, etc.2. To develop autonomous and academic skills3. To develop the four language skills and systems4. To equip students with strategies and language to prepare them for the IELTS

exam

OBJECTIVESBy the end of the course, you should be able to:

1. Speak English clearly and fluently2. Use appropriate stress and intonation patterns3. Write effectively in academic style4. Understand long stretches of academic texts5. Work effectively on your own and organise your own programme of study to

cope with the demands of the IELTS exam6. Cope with the range of study skills and approaches to learning which will be

required in higher education 7. Use exam strategies (e.g. time management, accurate task interpretation)8. Be familiar with the exam requirements and criteria

KEY CONTACTS

The manager of the ESOL department is Val Prior. Her email address is v.prior@eastcoast.uk. Val has an MA in TESOL Leadership & Management and taught EFL and ESOL for many years. She joined Great Yarmouth College in 2004 as an ESOL and Spanish lecturer and currently manages English, maths and ESOL.

The tutor of the course is Marie Demolliens. Her email address is m.demolliens@eastcoast.ac.uk.Marie has a BA and an MA (Honours) in English Linguistics and Didactics. She has also achieved a Level 7 Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (DELTA).She completed her Certificate in Education at the college, where she has been teaching for eight years. Prior to this, she taught and was Director of Studies in a private language school, and she has a wide range of experience in various courses (e.g. TOEFL, CA, FCE, EFL, ESOL, IELTS, Business English and Academic English).

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DURATION AND TIMETABLE OF THE COURSEThe course will run over one academic year from September to July. The course will be divided into three sections, but you do not have to commit to all sections and can only do one section if you want:

1. From September to December: speaking and listening2. From January to April: writing3. From April to July: reading

Classes are held over 1 day per week to allow people who work to attend. From September 2020, we anticipate they will be on Fridays from 9:15 am to 3 pm with a forty-five-minute lunch break.

Half term breaks usually coincide with school breaks. However, this cannot always be guaranteed.

ATTENDANCEDue to the scope of the curriculum, you are expected to attend lessons regularly and should avoid taking holidays during the course. You should also inform your tutor of any unavoidable absences which you know about in advance.

TUTORIALSIndividual tutorials will be held throughout the course (a minimum of two during the academic year). These will be on Friday afternoons or can be scheduled at an alternative and mutually convenient time.

Individual tutorials and progress will be recorded on an Individual Learning Plan (ILP). These are very important in supporting you to achieve your full potential. During these tutorials, individual targets will be negotiated to help you improve your English.

THE ADVANCED ENGLISH COMMUNICATION COURSEThe course is designed for students who already have a good command of the language and would like to improve their English further. Ideally, students attending the course will already have achieved ESOL Level 2. However, you still will have to do a diagnostic assessment to enter the course, and opportunities to take the ESOL Level 2 exams will be offered to you throughout the course.

The course aims at improving your English in terms of pronunciation, discourse, grammar and vocabulary, as well as at developing your speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Emphasis will be placed on academic skills due to the nature of the IELTS exam. Exam preparation and practice will be included in the course. However,

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due to time constraints, students will be expected to be autonomous and to plan and direct their study and exam preparation.

The course units should be as follows:

Unit WeekInduction Week 0101Speaking/Listening/Pronunciation/Vocabulary/Grammar

12 weeks

02Writing and academic skills/Grammar/Punctuation/Spelling

12 weeks

03 Reading academic texts/Vocabulary 12 weeks

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Unit 01: Speaking/Listening/Pronunciation

Course content Material recommended

Homework

1. Studying different IELTS / ESOL topics in the speaking exam (e.g. appearance, personality, hometown, money, socialising etc.)

2. Idioms, collocations and phrasal verbs on various topics

Murphy, R. (2004) English Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Vince, M. and French, A. (2011) IELTS Language Practice:

Students who want to take the IELTS exam will be expected to do:

1 listening test a week

1 module a week from the course book

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This unit is designed to: Improve students’ pronunciation

(e.g. stress and intonation patterns, individual sounds, etc.)

Expose students to different accents and natural English

Develop speaking subskills (e.g. presentation skills, speaking strategies, etc.)

Develop listening subskills (e.g. use of authentic material, connected speech, etc.)

Build up vocabulary on different IELTS/ESOL topics (e.g. idiomatic language)

Improve grammar

3. Practising IELTS / ESOL speaking exams

4. Speaking strategies (e.g. paraphrasing)

5. Practising IELTS / ESOL listening exams

6. Connected speech (e.g. catenation, weak forms)

7. High level grammar language items

English Grammar and Vocabulary. London: Macmillan Education.

Unit 2: Writing and academic skills/Grammar/Punctuation/Spelling

Course content

Material recommended

Homework

1. Text organisation (from general to specific)

2. Consolidating and extending the range of lexis and

Murphy, R. (2004) English Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Vince, M. and French, A. (2011)

Students who want to take the IELTS exam will be expected to do:

1 writing task a w

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This unit is designed to: Improve ability and confidence in

writing through regular writing practice

Develop writing subskills (e.g. spelling, using a wide range of structures, punctuation)

Familiarize learners with the written exam requirements and criteria so that they can reflect on their writing and identify their areas for development

Develop an academic style

collocation related to IELTS topics

3. Connective expressions and words

4. Complex patterns 5. Spelling rules and

strategies6. Punctuation 7. Developing a wide range

of structures8. Academic style and

vocabulary9. Peer and self-

assessment using the written exam requirements and criteria

10.Practising IELTS and ESOL written tasks

11. Exam strategies

IELTS Language Practice: English Grammar and Vocabulary. London: Macmillan Education.

eek 1 grammar unit

a week from the course book

Unit 3: Reading academic texts/Vocabulary

Course content Material recommended

Homework

1. Studying different IELTS and ESOL topics in the reading exam

2. Practising different question types in the reading exam (e.g.

Murphy, R. (2004) English Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Students who want to take the IELTS exam will be expected to do:

1 reading test a week

1 vocabulary

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This unit is designed to: Develop reading subskills

(e.g. scanning, skimming) Familiarize learners with the

different question types in the IELTS exam

Improve student’s reading speed

Build up academic vocabulary

recognising writers’ opinions, attitudes and purpose, understanding logical arguments)

3. Consolidating and extending the range of academic lexis and collocations related to IELTS topics

4. Exam strategies5. Practising IELTS / ESOL

reading tests

Vince, M. and French, A. (2011) IELTS Language Practice: English Grammar and Vocabulary. London: Macmillan Education.

unit a week from the course book

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIESWe also have fun throughout the course. Please see below some activities from previous groups.

an IELTS student’s 40th birthday IELTS students jumping for joy

ESOL Home-made cake Home-made food from different cultures

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We even did some yoga Our last Christmas party

ASSESSMENTThe course is designed to prepare you for the IELTS exam, which you will have to take in Norwich at the UEA. You will have to register online and the exam fees are not included in the course fees as East Coast College is not an IELTS exam centre. Results will be issued 13 days after the test.

Even though the course is primarily for students who intend to take the IELTS test, students who have not achieved ESOL L2 will be able to do so while on the course. The assessments are set throughout the year as follows:

Assessment DatesESOL L2 speaking and listening First term (December)ESOL L2 writing Second term (March)ESOL L2 reading Last term (July)IELTS exam student’s decision, but normally after

having done the three units

The IELTS test

Listening (30 minutes)You will listen to four recorded texts, monologues and conversations by a range of native speakers, and write their answers to a series of questions. A variety of voices and native-speaker accents is used and you will hear each section only once. 

Section 1

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A conversation between two people set in an everyday social context, e.g. a conversation in an accommodation agency.

Section 2A monologue set in an everyday social context, e.g. a speech about local facilities.

Section 3A conversation between a maximum of four people set in an educational or training context, e.g. a university tutor and a student discussing an assignment.

Section 4A monologue on an academic subject, e.g. a university lecture.

Reading (60 minutes)The Reading component consists of 40 questions. A variety of question types is used in order to test a wide range of reading skills. These include reading for gist, reading for main ideas, reading for detail, skimming, understanding logical arguments, recognising writers’ opinions, attitudes and purpose.

The Academic version includes three long texts which range from the descriptive and factual to the discursive and analytical. The texts are authentic and are taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. These have been selected for a non-specialist audience but are recognisably appropriate for anyone entering undergraduate or postgraduate courses or those seeking professional registration.

Writing (60 minutes)The Writing component of the Academic version includes two tasks. Topics are of general interest and suitable for anyone entering undergraduate or postgraduate studies or seeking professional registration.

Task 1You will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and will be asked to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words. You may be asked to explain data, the stages of a process, how something works or describe an object or event.

Task 2You will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem.Responses to both tasks must be written in a formal style.

Speaking (11 to 14 minutes)The Speaking component assesses your use of spoken English and takes between 11 and 14 minutes to complete. Every test is recorded. The Speaking component is

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delivered in such a way that it does not allow candidates to rehearse set responses beforehand.

Part 1The Examiner will ask you general questions about yourself and a range of familiar topics, such as home, family, work, studies and interests. This part lasts between four and five minutes.

Part 2You will be given a card which asks you to talk about a particular topic. You will have one minute to prepare before speaking for up to two minutes. The examiner will then ask one or two questions on the same topic to finish this part of the test.

Part 3You will be asked further questions connected to the topic in Part 2. These questions will give you the opportunity to discuss more abstract ideas and issues. The part of the test lasts between four and five minutes. 1

The IELTS band score scale 9 Expert User - native speaker level of the language.8 Very Good User - excellent command of the language, a few mistakes

only

7 Good User - handles language well, some inaccuracies, communicates adequately

6 Competent User - reasonable control of the language, difficulties with unfamiliar structures and words

5 Modest User - adequate in own area, difficulties with complex structures

4 Limited User - adequate only in familiar areas, difficulty understanding expressions

3 Very Limited User - problems communicating, limited communication abilities

2 Intermittent User - many difficulties, basic information only

1 Non User - understands a few isolated words only

1 This explanation of the IELTS exam can be found on the IELTS website at: http://www.ielts.org/test_takers_information/what_is_ielts/test_format.aspx

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The ESOL Level 2 assessments

Speaking and listeningYou will have four activities as follows:

1. Activity 1: listening testYou will listen to a recording three times and answer between 10 and 12 questions. The recording will be an authentic one reflecting real life communication (e.g. interviews, TV chat shows, informal chats). You will have to achieve 7 out of 10 to pass this activity.

2. Activity 2: presentationYou will have to prepare a presentation on a topic, which will be shared with you two weeks prior to the assessment date. The aim of this activity is to assess your ability to convey information orally to a group of at least three people. The candidate’s spoken contribution should last 10-15 minutes. You will have to achieve 15 out of 22 to pass this activity.

3. Activity 3: evaluationYou will have to evaluate a presentation, ideally a peer’s presentation. An evaluation sheet will be provided to you to support active listening. You will have to achieve 3 out of 4 to pass this activity.

4. Activity 4: discussionThe discussion will take place in a small group of between 3 to 5 people. The discussion should last about 10-15 minutes. The aim of this activity is to assess the candidate’s ability to take part in a discussion as well as ask and respond to questions in relation to the topic. You will have to achieve 16 out of 23 to pass this activity and get a minimum of 1 mark for each language feature in order to achieve.

WritingYou will have three activities as follows:

1. Activity 1: language exercises

You will have to complete various exercises: one on punctuation, one on spelling, three on grammar and one on vocabulary. The latter consists of questions either on idioms or phrasal verbs. As for the grammar exercises, they are designed to assess your use of tenses, your understanding of complex sentences and commonly confused grammatical words. There will be some gap-fill exercises, some sentence completion activities and some multiple choice questions. You should complete this activity in 45 minutes.

2. Activity 2: written taskYou will have to write a specific text type on the topic of the assessment. You will be assessed on your ability to plan and organise a text, your use of

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language and sentence structures, the layout and legibility of your text, the style and register used, as well as your spelling, punctuation and grammar. You will have up to an hour to complete this activity.

3. Activity 3: written taskYou will have to write a specific text type on the same topic as activity 2. You will be assessed on your ability to plan and organise a text, your use of language and sentence structures, the layout and legibility of your text, the style and register used, as well as your spelling, punctuation and grammar. You will have up to an hour to complete this activity.

ReadingThe reading exam takes the form of the National Literacy Test, which comprises 40 items. This exam is online and lasts 60 minutes. You will be expected to:

Read and understand a range of texts of varying complexity accurately and independently

Read and obtain information of varying length and details from different sources

The questions will often be about the purpose/tone of the text, the meaning of specific words or phrases, the meaning of the use of a specific punctuation sign, the main point of a paragraph, the best title for a text, the type of language used, the register or style of a text. You will also have to choose the correct spelling of a word, the correct verb form or the most appropriate punctuation sign. There will be some questions about the texts as well.

As this is an e-test, students are advised to practise regularly prior to the test. Doing so will enable you to find out what areas you need to focus on, which in turn can be used to negotiate SMART individual targets in your ILP.

TEACHING METHODSA variety of teaching methods will be used on the course to accommodate different learning styles. In the early stages of the course, the methods will reflect the students’ needs so that they can develop their confidence and cope with the demands of the course. However, as the course advances, you will be expected to become more autonomous and to take responsibility for organising and researching your work.

RESOURCESWhen the course starts, you will be provided with a list of course books. Some of them will be used throughout the course as part of the weekly homework that your tutor will expect you to do to be able to follow the course. It is highly recommended that you buy these books if you want to keep up with the course.

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STUDENT SUPPORT FACILITIESOnce you are enrolled on the course, you will be provided with a student card, which you must wear at all times. This card will enable you to use the facilities of the college library, which will be explained to you in more detail on your induction day. This card can also be used outside of college to get discounts in certain shops. It will also give you five pounds of credit for the photocopier.

CASE STUDY: ANA PINHO

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Ana has lived in England for three years and works at the UEA hospital. She has just completed both ESOL L2 and IELTS. She is passionate about her job and would like to further her education in nursing at the UEA in Norwich. As most universities require foreign learners to achieve either band 6, 6.5 or 7 to go onto higher education, she attended the IELTS course at the college last year and obtained band 7 overall. She achieved 7 in listening, 7.5 in writing, 6.5 in reading and 7.5 in speaking. While preparing for the IELTS test from September to July 2017, she also completed ESOL L2 in speaking, listening, reading and writing. This is an outstanding achievement for such a limited period of time.

Throughout the course, Ana has proved to be a diligent and committed student, who coped really well with the demands of the course and managed to follow her programme of study while working full time.

Prior to the IELTS course, she studied communication at Degree level in Portugal and worked in catering and retail.

She is now doing her GCSE maths course and about to embark onto a higher education course in nursing at the UEA, which she intends to start next September.

CASE STUDY: IVETA FARKAS

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SAMPLE OF ANA’S IELTS WRITTEN WORK

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Iveta started studying ESOL at the college when she first came to England and achieved ESOL entry level 1, 2 and 3, as well as ESOL level 1 and 2. She also completed two short courses at the college: Introduction to Sage Accounts and Health and Social Care level 2. 

The Advanced Communication course/IELTS enabled her to enrol on a business and accountancy course with Open University, and she is now doing her second year. Iveta found the IELTS course helpful as it helped her with her academic writing, which is now paramount in her university course. Throughout the course, Iveta was highly motivated, and she became a proficient speaker and writer.

Prior to coming to England, Iveta worked as an accountant in Slovakia, but when she came to England, she could not practise her profession due to the language barrier. She therefore had to work in a factory while trying to improve her English. Now that she has achieved L2 in English, she is working as a care assistant. Once she finishes her university course, her dream is to practise her profession as an accountant. She is also passionate about learning the subtleties of the language and would like to do a linguistics course in the future. For Iveta, learning is a lifelong journey.

These days, euthanasia has become a paramount issue all over the world. Not only it is seen as an act against God's will but it is also seen as a way of alleviating pain. Some people state that such practice should be considered as well as legalised, while others hold the view that euthanasia is completely in the wrong to life's sanctity. These two views will be discussed in this essay, and then I will give my views on this topic.

A growing number of people feel that mercy killing should be legalised since it would end the unbearable pain. Its their view that everyone should be allowed and given the right of choosing their own fate. In other words, euthanasia defends their basic human right to decide whether they should live in suffering, or die in peace. For instance a palliative patient, who is someone facing a terminal illness where a cure is no longer possible, should have the possibility of deciding, either living in pain near his loved ones or end it and stop his love ones from suffering even more. They also state that palliative care is not always enough to control or diminute some symptoms of the illness. Euthanasia might be the only and last wish a human can have. This practice is alleged to lead to a way of relief suffering, as well as a way of dying with dignity.

On the other hand, there is a school of thoughts, which believes that life is a gift given by god, so it should be taken as a blessing. It is their view that euthanasia is against the norms of traditional medicine, and if it is made legal, everyone will suffer the consequences from it. They claim that such practice would be applied in all situations even without patient consent for personal benefit, either relatives or health insurance. Following this argument, they believe if this practice becomes legal there will be a tremendous misuse of it since it would become permissible for those who are old, senile as well as disabled. They also state that patients most of the time are disorientated, and they can easily be misinterpreted, leading this way professionals to the wrong decision.

In conclusion, although it is a common belief that euthanasia should not be legalised, I personally believe that such practice should be considered in certain situations, especially when it comes to a miserable end of life where pain cannot be controlled, not even with heavy drugs. However, before death the patient should be tested to make sure the right decision is made, doctors should take their time looking at the case so no mistaken diagnosis happen.

STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

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You are an outstanding teacher who really cares about her learners. Thank you for all your support. Ana Pinho

The course was really intensive, which I think is good. I have learnt a lot in every single lesson. Marie is a brilliant teacher; she is a legend. I will recommend this course to all my friends. Cris Szymanski

I am really happy that I did the IELTS course in Great Yarmouth College. It was a brilliant learning experience for me. I improved my English a lot, and I feel much more confident now. The atmosphere in the college is amazing, as well as among my classmates. I would like to say a big 'Thank you' to Marie, who is an extraordinary teacher and one of the most enthusiastic and energetic people I have ever met.Elena Nikolova

I would like to say that I felt very integrated although I started the course a few months later. There was a very relaxed atmosphere during the IELTS course.Marie does a lot for her students so they can feel valued and important. She was always ready to help them without any doubts. When I finished the IELTS course, I felt much more confident in all the components (writing, speaking, listening and reading), and my English has undoubtedly improved.Carlos Albuquerque

The IELTS academic course in Great Yarmouth College provides a great opportunity to meet the excellent tutor Marie Demolliens, who is a highly qualified teacher. Marie’s courses are very interesting, and the small size of classes allowed the use of better learning methods, which also implied a wonderful atmosphere. I would recommend the course to any student looking for a quality academic curriculum.Olga Wojtaszek

I really enjoyed the course. It was very informative and well-organised; and there was a good atmosphere. The most important thing for me is to be challenged so I know I am learning. The tutor did everything she possibly could to challenge me, and I loved it. I feel more confident now. I believe it is because I have learnt many new academic words and idioms. Also, I have learnt new reading and writing skills and revised all the tenses in the English Language.Rasa Kavaliauskiene

I learnt so much during the course. I feel more confident now with all the knowledge I have acquired in recent months. I learnt so many new words and expressions, as well as improved my grammar. Marie, my tutor, is an amazing person. Anabela Dias

I really enjoyed the course because for the first time learning was fun for me. Learning was so fun with Marie. Thank you for all the opportunities.Yulia Anil

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