English for professionals: C1 Advanced (Cambridge English Advanced, CAE)

What is the course about?

This course will help you develop your English to an advanced level as well as prepare you for the four papers of the exam: Reading and Use of English, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Over the course you will develop your skills in writing, reading, speaking and listening including improving your fluency and accuracy. You will work with different types of texts including fiction, newspapers and magazines and learn how to write essays, proposals, reports and reviews. You will also work on presentations and everyday conversations. You will also develop your exam taking skills and practise exam tasks.
You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).

What will we cover?

All parts of the exam will be covered to enable you to do well in each part of the exam and improve your English in general. We will look at different texts such as fiction, newspapers and magazines. We will practise writing essays, letters, emails, proposals, reports and reviews. Listening will focus on following and understanding interviews, radio broadcasts, presentations, talks and everyday conversations. And in speaking you will develop your ability to communicate effectively in face–to–face situations. Topics covered will include:
• Work
• Education
• Technology
• The arts and entertainment
• Health & fitness
• The media and the news
• Global issues
• Communication.

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

• identify what you need to do well in order to succeed in the CAE exam
• succeed in all four parts of the exam
• understand a broad range of recorded speech including radio or television programmes
• use language fluently, flexibly and effectively for social and professional purposes in both speaking and writing
• understand complex factual and literary texts and specialised articles
• write clear, well-structured texts about complex subjects, using a style appropriate to the target reader
• consistently maintain a high degree of grammatical accuracy.

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

This course is for students at L2 ESOL and above (C1). You should be able to take part in long and complex conversations, understand authentic written texts and feel confident using English in everyday situations and at work. You need to do an assessment to make sure you are at a suitable level for the course. You can do the online assessment or come for a face-to-face interview.

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

You will learn in a supportive and welcoming environment with an emphasis on your discovering how to do and complete tasks, with guidance from the tutor. You will work on your own and with other students on different tasks so you are always practising important in-demand life and work skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, prioritising, negotiating, collaborating and independence. You will learn in a step by step manner so you can complete challenging tasks in enjoyable and relaxing ways. Your tutor will also work with you individually so you know how to improve and how to work in a way that improves your learning. You will need to do work outside the classroom and use Google Classroom to help you.

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

There are no additional costs but you should bring a pen, paper and folder to class. Please note, you pay (about £130) for the exam directly at one of the 19 Cambridge approved centres in London.

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

There are many courses you can do before, at the same time or after this course. These include:
• ESOL - communication skills for life and work (level 2 speaking and listening)
• ESOL - communication skills for life and work (level 2 reading and writing)
• A mile in my shoes: how to tell a story (level 1-2)
• ESOL pronunciation: stage 1 (level 1-2)
• Business English communication skills: from negotiating to report writing to presentations (level 2)
• Business English communication skills: communicating, managing, selling (level 2)
• English dialogue: speaking, listening, pronunciation, performance (level 1-2)
• Matters of opinion (level 2)
• Business English communication skills: finding the right word in business (advanced)
• Grammar in practice: advanced (level 2+)
• English for professionals: C2 Proficiency (Cambridge English: Proficiency, CPE )

You can also do classes in the maths and English areas. These include:
• Maths skills for life and work - getting ready for functional skills (foundation 1)
• Maths for life and work (level 1)
• Bitesize maths: becoming confident with numbers and calculations (level 1-2)
• Bitesize maths: becoming confident with shapes, space and measuring (level 1-2)
• Bitesize maths: becoming confident with algebra, problem-solving and equations (level 1-2)
• Digital skills for business: creating impacting business presentations with PowerPoint (intermediate)
• Digital skills for business: presenting and managing professional-looking documents with Word and Excel - from reports to newsletters (intermediate)
• Business administration with digital skill: how to be an administrator (foundation)

For more information, talk with your tutor or contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 4582 0423.