GENERAL ENGLISH LEVEL III

DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE

Objective

At the end of the course, you will be able to communicate in English in everyday situations at a Pre-
intermediate level. You will be able to use the four skills (listening, speaking, writing and reading) to
undertake meaningful real tasks. Another objective of the course is to make you feel confident using
English in different daily situations, and to acquire practical tools and criteria to assess your learning
process.

Methodology

For learning a foreign language successfully, you must be responsible for your own learning and
exercise that responsibility through preparing your lessons before classes, doing homework,
working on your tasks, your portfolio, and assessing your process. It is also necessary to use the
target language as medium of classroom communication, channel of learning, and tool for
reflection. For this reason, all classes will be given in English.

Your teacher will provide you with material, links to practice the topics and to acquire strategies, and
access to an educational platform (CANVAS). In addition, you will have to register your process on
an online portfolio that will be an important tool to evaluate your progress and receive constant
feedback from your teacher, your classmates, and yourself.

As previously mentioned, you are expected to work on tasks, which will help you practice and
interiorize the topics studied in each term.

You will also participate in a workshop once a week, which aims at developing your communicative
abilities in the business field through a series of fun and didactic activities.

Tasks

As part of the work you will do for this class, you will have to create three tasks (one tasks per term).
This will be a step by step process you would start working on from the first term. These activities
are aimed at enhancing your linguistic, communicative and technological skills.
TASK FIRST TERM

First term: A Success Story

Description A photo gallery presenting different life aspects of a famous person I admire. The pictures
include past habits, unusual activities, and goals reached in life. Each picture must be
accompanied by a description. This task is intended to be shared with the class on Canvas.
Suggested www.prezi.com, piktochart.com, canva.com
Tool
Topics Topic 1: Topic 3:
Language -Time phrases in past; past habits and
content routines, Life experiences, Adjectives for
-Words to describe feelings, Used to, Past descriptions
simple for habits Present perfect How long, for, since

Mini-tasks Choose person you admire. It can be an artist, Find pictures of your favorite person where
actor, sportsperson or celebrity. Search for you can see them engaging in different
biographical information. everyday activities. Find some pictures that
Create a profile of a person you admire. depict unusual or not common activities.
Include general biographical information. Find the vocabulary you need to describe
Find pictures that illustrate important the activity.
moments in his life.
Think of a caption that best describes what is Present a draft of the photo gallery to your
happening in the picture. Try to use the classmate talking about your favorite
vocabulary and the structures learnt in class. person’s life experiences

Suggested www.myalbum.com
links/tools www.wordpress.com

TASK SECOND TERM

SECOND TASK: Newspaper Article (Editorial)

Description A written article comparing environmental policies and efforts from different countries and the
changes they intend to achieve. It includes a personal reflection on what to implement for the local
context. The article is intended to be published on a blog and shared with the class on Canvas
Suggested Blog editor: wordpress.com
Tool
Topics Topic 4: Topic 5:
Language -Health issues (overweight, headache,
content stress, insomnia, rash)
-Environment, environmental policies,
-Logical connectors and conjunctions
Comparatives and superlatives
(and, but, so, because, for that reason)
Zero and first conditional
Mini-tasks Check on the internet different examples of Practice linking and connecting
editorial articles from newspapers. sentences from the previous exercise
Research on the internet about figures related to with comparatives using logical
environment and pollution in industrialized and connectors.
developing countries.
Identify similarities and differences.
 Create a chart with vocabulary and adjectives that Think of possible consequences for
describe environmental policies and regulations. health that may derive from
Use the chart to elaborate comparisons using the environmental problems.
different possibilities studied in class. Write sentences evaluating these
consequences using conditional forms.
Use logical connectors to organize
them and put them together with the
previous comparisons you made in
written text.
Suggested https://www.nytimes.com/
links/tools https://www.theguardian.com/international

TASK THIRD TERM

FINAL TERM: A video capsule about life in the developed world

Description A video including tips for travelers giving specific information on the expected behavior in a given
culture to be published and shared with the class on Canvas
Suggested Video editing programs: Movie Maker, Imovie, Gopro video editing app
Tool
Topics Topic 7: Topic 9:
Language Rules, opinions Quotes
content Modal Verbs: Must, Have to, Should Must, Clauses Reported speech
of Purpose

Mini-tasks In groups, prepare a small presentation to your Find videos on you the internet
classmates about a country. Include general where people talk about their
information about the country and cultural aspects countries and culture.
that visitors may need to know. Extract some relevant tips and
Identify differences between countries in terms of opinions given and discuss them in
food, music, religion. Compare them to your own. groups.
What do you think are some similarities and Organize the tips and advice into
differences between countries? What do you think categories and write down sentences
they are due to? using reported speech.
Make a list of do’s and don’ts to advise travelers
when visiting a country.
Suggested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vllWyVBHnyM www.youtube.com
links/tools https://www.adventureinyou.com/travel- www.vimeo.com
tips/cultural-differences/

Workshop
You will develop a series of workshop sessions to learn vocabulary related to the business world and
develop communicative skills needed in this field. These sessions will take place once a week and
will be carried out through fun, dynamic and real-based situations that will allow you to experience
the use of the foreign language in a professional context.
Portfolio content
In the portfolio, you will have the opportunity to reflect on your process and to include evidence of
your learning experience in and out of the classroom (activities, information, pictures, games, etc.)
Attendance
Attendance to every class is advisable because you need constant practice in speaking; and your
teacher needs to give you feedback on your progress with respect to how you communicate with
others in English. Also, during the classes you will have the opportunity to answer questions
concerning concepts or structures of the language.

Evaluation
The purpose of the evaluation is to measure your academic achievement throughout the course and
to identify specific aspects you can improve. To do this, coursework will include written and oral
quizzes and classwork, a task per each term, two term exams, a final exam, and a portfolio.

GRADING
FIRST 30% Task 1 5%
Quizzes and classwork 5%
Portfolio 5%
Exam 1 15%
SECOND 30% Task 2 5%
Quizzes and classwork 5%
Portfolio 5%
Exam 2 15%
FINAL 40% Portfolio 5%
Final task 10%
Quizzes and classwork 5%
Final Exam 20%

Class topics
These are the topics you will study throughout the semester.

FIRST TERM
FIRST TASK: A SUCCESS STORY: Picture gallery
VOCABULARY
TOPIC/ACTIVITY FUNCTIONAL CONTENTS GRAMMAR CONTENTS
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTORY
SESSION Explanation of rules, methodology, evaluation, portfolio, important dates, etc.
(1 session)
- Giving personal
- USED TO for routines,
Topic 1: NOW AND information related to -Time phrases (at, in,
habits and states in the past-
THEN habits and routines on, ago.)
 (3 sessions) people and I had in the affirmative, negative and -Past habits and
past interrogative sentences. routines (play with
-Asking others about -Past simple for past habits toys, take music
things they did in the and states -affirmative, lessons, play sports,
past and now they don’t negative and interrogative eat vegetables, visit
-Comparing routines and sentences. relatives)
habits in the past with -Words to describe
what I do in the present feelings
-Explaining why habits / (disappointed,
routines changed stressed, relaxed,
bored, embarrassed,
angry)

Workshop (1 session) This session will be devoted to the business English workshop
-Unusual activities
-Asking and answering (go to Africa, practice
questions about unusual
-Present perfect bungee jumping,
Topic 2: I’VE NEVER activities people and I
(affirmative, negative and study Chinese, eat
DONE THAT! have/ haven’t done in life
interrogative sentences with sushi, live abroad)
(3 sessions) -Explaining what my
ALREADY, JUST, YET, -Goals in life (buy a
goals in life are and
BEFORE, and EVER) house, graduate from
whether I have reached
them or not. college, get a job,
leave home, retire)
Workshop (1 session) This session will be devoted to the business English workshop
SELF-ASSESSMENT
1 Session in which you will be able to reflect upon your learning process so far.
(1 session)
- Asking and answering -Life experiences
questions about time and (travel, go to a
duration of different life
-HOW LONG for questions in concert, meet
events
the Present Perfect someone famous,
Topic 3: HOW LONG -Talking about life
-FOR and SINCE with the drink wine, have an
HAVE YOU LIVED experiences providing
Present Perfect
HERE? additional details accident)
-Present Perfect vs. Past
(2 sessions) - Commenting and -Adjectives for
Simple
describing experiences, descriptions
life events and stages
(delicious, exciting,
giving personal opinions
and describing feelings peaceful, tasty)
Workshop (1 session) This session will be devoted to the business English workshop
SELF-ASSESSMENT
2 Session in which you will be able to reflect upon your learning process so far.
(1 session)
 SECOND TERM
SECOND TASK: NEWSPAPER ARTICLE: Written Text
VOCABULARY
TOPIC/ACTIVITY FUNCTIONAL CONTENTS GRAMMAR CONTENTS
CONTENTS
-Making comparisons of -Environment
natural and (pollution,
environmental features deforestation, global
-Neutral comparisons
of countries warming ,
AS…AS, NOT AS… AS
Topic 4: A BETTER -Analyzing the greenhouse gases,
-A LOT, MUCH, A LITTLE +
WORLD similarities and UV radiation)
comparative adjectives
(4 sessions) differences between -Environmental
-Superlatives
environmental and social policies (recycling,
policies of countries traffic restriction, low
emissions,
alternative energies)
Workshop (1 session) This session will be devoted to the business English workshop
-Analyzing causes and -Zero/ first conditional – -Health issues
consequences of health affirmative, negative and (overweight,
issues interrogative sentences headache, stress,
Topic 5: WHAT IF IT insomnia, rash)
WORKS? -Logical connectors
(4 sessions) and conjunctions
(and, but, so,
because, for that
reason)
Workshop (1 session) This session will be devoted to the business English workshop
SELF-ASSESSMENT 3
Session in which you will be able to reflect upon your learning process so far.
(1 session)
Local issues
(transport,
-Talking about education, policies,
expectations related to
-Future clauses (if, when, health services,
Topic 6 WE WANT A the future of the city and culture)
before, after, as soon as,
CHANGE! the country Adjectives with
unless, etc.)
(3 sessions) -Making predictions prepositions
about future life in the (interested in, afraid
country of, keen on, worried
about, excited about)

Workshop (1 session) This session will be devoted to the business English workshop
SELF-ASSESSMENT
4 Session in which you will be able to reflect upon your learning process so far.
(1 session)
 FINAL TERM
THIRD TASK: LIFE IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD: Video Capsule
VOCABULARY
TOPIC/ACTIVITY FUNCTIONAL CONTENTS GRAMMAR CONTENTS
CONTENTS
Topic 7 -Describing rules, rights -Modal verbs -CAN, HAVE -Rules (turn, park,
CAN ANYONE DO and duties as citizens TO, SHOULD, MUST smoke, cross, use
THIS? -Expressing permission, - Clauses of purpose with electronic devices,
(4 sessions) prohibition and etc.)
infinitives and gerunds (so
suggestions in the context -Opinions (I think…, I
of duties and rights that, in order to, to, for) believe…, I feel…, In
my opinion…, I
agree…)
Workshop
This session will be devoted to the business English workshop
(1 session)
-Customs (Eating
- Verb + infinitive - TRY, out, greeting,
-Describing culture and REMEMBER, STOP, DON’T congratulating,
customs FORGET, START applauding, etc.)
Topic 8 -Expressing opinions about In affirmative, negative and Prefixes (uncommon,
TRY NOT TO DO cultural differences question impolite,
THAT, PLEASE between my country and Infinitive clauses- IT’S A disrespectful,
(4 sessions) others GOOD IDEA TO…, IT’S inconsiderate, etc.)
IMPORTANT TO…, etc. Suffixes (politeness,
respectful, attention)

Workshop
This session will be devoted to the business English workshop
(1 session)
SELF-ASSESSMENT 5
Session in which you will be able to reflect upon your learning process so far.
(1 session)

Topic 9 -Reporting what Quotes (Love,

-Reported speech from
INSPIRATIONAL remarkable people have motivation, life,
Present to Past, modal
THOUGHTS said about different positivity, nature,
verbs, and requests.
(4 sessions) topics. friendship, knowledge)
Tell, say, and ask.

Workshop
These sessions will be devoted to the Business English workshop.
(1 session)
SELF-ASSESSMENT 6
Session in which you will be able to reflect upon your learning process so far.
(1 session)
 Important dates
The following are the dates on which key activities will be carried out.

TERM EXAM – TASK PRESENTATION

1st TERM September 2nd – September 7th

(August 5th – September 7th)

2nd TERM October 15th – October 19th

(September 9th – October 19th)

FINAL TERM November 25th – November 30th

(October 21st – November 23rd)