English for deaf people: FS Level 1 (part 3)

What is the course about?

This course will help you improve your communication skills including reading and writing. It will enable you to become confident in writing longer texts and reading more complex articles, information, descriptions and stories. You will also become more confident at formal and informal conversations. We will look at how English sentences are put together and how you can write more complex sentences confidently. We will see how formal English differs from informal English, which will help you with both your reading and writing. Along the way, you will work on your spelling strategies to improve the accuracy of your written work. And you will learn some useful digital skills including reading and finding information from websites.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

Your tutor will decide from a range of topics and ask you what topics you want to cover based on your needs and interests. The main skills we will cover will include:

• expressing yourself confidently in different situations

• writing compound and complex sentences with greater confidence

•structuring longer pieces of writing

•improving your spelling strategies

• using punctuation more accurately so the meaning of your writing is clear

• expressing opinions in both writing and conversations

•engaging in discussions in formal and informal situations

•responding effectively to other's points of view

•improving your use of reference materials: dictionary skills, Google skills, recognising trustworthy sites

•reading for gist and for detail in a variety of text types.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

Achieve some or all of the following:

• express yourself confidently in different situations

• write compound and complex sentences with greater confidence

•structure longer pieces of writing so they are easy to follow

•develop your spelling strategies so you can spell most common words correctly and predict how to spell uncommon words

• use punctuation more accurately so the meaning of your writing is clear

• express opinions effectively in both writing and speaking

•engage in discussions in formal and informal situations with confidence

•respond effectively to other's points of view

•use reference materials to enhance your reading and writing: dictionary skills, Google skills, recognising trustworthy sites

•read for gist and for detail in a variety of text types such as forms, website and news articles.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

To find out your level of skills, you will need to complete the initial assessment & the interview before enrolling. To book the assessment & the interview, please contact: e-mail: universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk; phone (sms): (telephone temporarily unavailable); phone (voice): (telephone temporarily unavailable).

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

This course is delivered online (via Zoom). You will be taught in a deaf-only group with a tutor who is fluent in British Sign Language. To be able to access the course online, you will need: a laptop or PC; a stable internet connection; an up-to-date web browser (this is a software on your computer that helps you go on the Internet - we recommend that you use Google Chrome or Firefox); a webcam - this is normally part of your laptop or tablet - if you are using a desktop PC, you may need to have an external webcam; The interactive Google Classroom will optimise your learning: you will be able to access handouts and worksheets, submit your homework, complete various activities etc. You will also have one to one tutorials with your tutor to address any individual learning needs that you might have.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

As this course is delivered online, you need to ensure that you have the following: a laptop, PC, or a tablet; a stable internet connection; an up-to-date web browser (this is a software on your computer that helps you go on the Internet - we recommend that you use Google Chrome or Firefox); a webcam - this is normally part of your laptop or tablet (if you are using a desktop PC, you may need to have an external webcam).

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

In order to complete this course successfully, you will be asked to do various tests and complete your coursework by your course tutor. Also, your attendance (joining the Zoom sessions) and punctuality is expected to be at 85% or above. At the end of this course, your course tutor will review your overall learning progress including your attendance/punctuality and will advise accordingly.