General English (Beginners to Advanced)

Starter Level

This is the beginning of the English language journey for students at this level. Listening skills are limited to information about the individual and what directly affects them. Students at this level may only understand a few words in a sentence and will require repetition (and patience!) on behalf of the speaker to ensure comprehension. Gestures and body language are also key to meaning and understanding. Periods of listening longer than a minute or two may be beyond the student’s ability at this level.

Pre-Intermediate Level

The Pre-Intermediate level, along with the Intermediate level, is the core foundation of English. If we were building a house, Starter and Elementary would be the clearing and smoothing of the ground whereas Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate would be the concrete foundation and core structure. Students at this level can understand longer listening texts but may still require some clarification on behalf of the speaker to ensure comprehension. Gestures and body language are generally not necessary except on occasion to assist clarification. Periods of listening are still relatively short – five minutes at most – but students can participate in a conversation about simple topics with little trouble

Upper-Intermediate Level

At the Upper-Intermediate students have learned the core of the English language. From here, it is about adding bits and pieces, and continuous improvement on the way to becoming fluent. Many students finish their studies here as they feel they can now participate in society not just by merely surviving but by actually contributing through work, etc. In this level, students can now participate easily in conversations on a broad range of topics, including deeper, more complex topics. Gestures and body language are no longer necessary. Periods of listening are much longer –lectures, movies and TV programs, for example.