English Course Outlines

General English

English Courses at Lyceum English Language Australia
For social, work and travel purposes, and as preparation for further study.

Learn English:
English is one of the most widely spoken languages on the planet. It is used as the official language in around 40 countries but is used widely in more than 100 countries. English is used as the international language in many fields including communications, science, business, aviation, entertainment and diplomacy. Overall, more than a billion people around the world are believed to speak the English language.

As an ELICOS (English as a Second Language) student, learning English or improving your English language skills will enhance your professional, social and academic prospects and mobility. At Lyceum we have a full range of English classes to suit every learner level.

Students are encouraged to speak with fluency and accuracy as well as develop the four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. The classes are theme based to provide practice in a meaningful context which can be extended outside the classroom. Small class sizes ensure that our friendly and professional teachers (all of whom are native English language speakers) are able to attend to each individual student's unique needs.

Lyceum's objective in our English language courses is to provide students with the opportunity to master the language skills necessary for working, travelling and living in Australia and all other countries where English is a widely spoken language. Lyceum's English courses focus on communication activities in functional and situational contexts.

Levels: Elementary to Advanced

Course Duration: 22 weeks per level

Minimum Enrolment: 4 weeks minimum or more weeks depending on your visa.

Course Start Dates: Students are welcome to start on any Monday.

Hours: 20 hours in small class groups. In addition, we run freee activities and outings most days after class in the afternoon and/or evenings.

Placement Test: Students will be given a comprehensive written and oral placement test on their first day to find the most suitable class for them.

Objectives: General English Short Courses provide students with the opportunity to master the language skills for working and living in Australia.

Methodology:
General English courses focus on communication activities in functional and situational contexts. It encourages students to speak with fluency and accuracy as well as develop the four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. The classes are theme based to provide practice in a meaningful context which can be extended outside the classroom.

Materials:
Materials include text books, audio-visual materials, and authentic texts such as newspapers.

Core texts Just Right, Jeremy Harmer - Marshall Cavendish, 2007 (students to purchase) and other supporting texts and documents (school to provide)

• Texts are theme based
• Each level (elementary, pre-intermediate, intermediate, upper intermediate, advanced) of Just Right consists of 22 weeks of study.
• The appropriate text will be advised and distributed at the commencement of study depending on placement test results.
• Students will need to pay for higher level texts in the Just Right series as they progress.

English Language Course - Elementary
Course Structure for 21936VIC Certificate I in ESL (Access)

Core:

• VPAU501 Plan language learning with support
• VPAU493 Participate in short simple exchanges
• VPAU494 Give and respond to short simple exchanges
• VPAU495 Read and write short simple messages and formatted texts
• VPAU496 Read and write short simple informational and instructional texts

Electives:

• VPAU554 Use Basic Computing Language & Skills
• VPAU557 Use services in the local community
• VPAM559 Locate health and medical information

Our Elementary level course is aimed at beginner learners with limited previous exposure to the English language.

Speaking and Listening

At Lyceum's Elementary English Language course, you will learn how to:

• recognise and use internationally-used English language greetings and introductions.
• explain, in English, where you are from.
• discuss, in English, travel plans and different parts of the world.
• make plans with English speakers for a party, a holiday or an outing to the cinema.
• discuss, in English, food, fashion, your likes and dislikes and your everyday routine.
• go to an English speaking doctor.
• make phone calls in English.
• listen to English language radio broadcasts.
• successfully communicate with English-speaking employers in a job interview.

Reading and Writing

At Lyceum's Elementary English Language course you will learn how to:

• write personal emails in English to your friends and family.
• write formal letters to English-speaking companies, government departments, etc.
• fill in important forms in English.
• read about a wide variety of subjects from English-speaking cultures - from Queen Elizabeth I to jazz music!
• read and understand important notices and documents in English, such as instructions, rules and regulations, housing advertisements, invitations, travel brochures, "what's on" guides and weather forecasts.

Grammar and Vocabulary

Language points covered in Lyceum's Elementary English Language course include:

• vocabulary of nations, occupations, family, time/dates, food/drink, clothes, the body, the home, public places, weather/seasons, music, the academic world, animals, history, geography, transport, technology, describing appearance.
• using articles: a, an, the
• using can, can't to describe ability, e.g. I can't play guitar.
• using comparative adjectives, e.g. museums are more interesting than parks.
• the difference between countable and uncountable nouns, e.g. some bread/a slice of bread.
• using demonstrative adjectives, e.g. Are these your keys? Yes, they are!
• the going to future, e.g. What are you going to do next week?
• using imperatives, e.g. Water the plants every day.
• uses of must and have to, e.g. Do I have to do my homework?
• the past simple of the verb to be, e.g. Were you at the party yesterday?No, I wasn't.
• using possessive adjectives, e.g. Our favourite subject is grammar.
• different question types, including yes/no questions, short answer questrions and wh-/how questions.
• using the present continuous tense, e.g Are you having dinner? No, we're having lunch.
• using the present simple with subject pronouns, e.g. I am, you are, she is...
• using there as subject pronoun, e.g. there are 6 states in Australia.

English Language Course - Pre-Intermediate
Course Structure for 21932VIC Certificate II in ESL (Access)

Core:

• VBQU117 Develop and document a learning plan and portfolio with guidance
• VPAU497 Participate in simple conversations and transactions
• VPAU498 Give and respond to simple verbal information and directions
• VPAU499 Read and write simple personal letters and formatted texts
• VPAU500 Read and write simple routine informational and instructional texts

Electives:

• VPAU555 Use the internet and email to develop language
• VPAM543 Australian Environment
• VPAM547 Australian Art and Culture

Our Pre-Intermediate course is aimed at learners who have taken some lessons in the past.

Speaking and Listening

At Lyceum's Pre-Intermediate English Language course, you will learn how to:

• understand and communicate with English speakers from different parts of the English-speaking world.
• discuss and plan holidays in English.
• understand and tell English language jokes and stories.
• answer surveys in English.
• discuss elements of English language pop culture such as TV, radio and music.
• find out more in discussion about English speakers' jobs.
• talk about your past, memories and ambitions in English.
• call into a talk-back show on English language radio.
• communicate important personal information in spoken English.
• make phone calls and leave clear phone messages for English speakers.
• understand the spoken element of an English language play.
• discuss your health, and that of others, in English.

Reading and Writing

At Lyceum's Pre-Intermediate English Language course, you will learn how to:

• understand and write postcards, text messages and emails to and from your friends in English.
• read articles in English about aspects of contemporary culture such as workplace stress, reality TV, music festivals and architecture.
• plan and compose interesting, descriptive writing in English.
• write a report, based on a survey, in English.
• write a short classified advertisement in English.

Grammar and Vocabulary

Language points you will learn in Lyceum's Pre-Intermediate English Language course include:

• vocabulary of occupation, media, public transport, life stages, sport, emotions, cinema, size, head/face, the bizarre, taste/opinion, apologies, thanks.
• two-word nouns, e.g. post office, cricket match, etc.
• describing things and people with superlative adjectives, e.g. He's the oldest person in the world.
• differences of use between -ing and -ed adjectives, e.g. I'm bored/boring.
• asking for/giving advice, e.g. What can I do to pass my exams?
• using the first and "zero" conditionals, e.g. If it rains, I'll get we. If ice gets warm, it melts.
• using noun quantifiers, e.g. I need a lot of milk.
• uses of -ing nouns (gerunds), e.g. swimming, cycling, etc.
• using prepositions of place and movement, e.g. behind, between, up along, etc.
• using the future with will, e.g. Brazil will win the World Cup.
• using the present perfect simple, e.g. I have always loved chocolate.
• using the past simple and past continuous, e.g. The train was leaving when I got to the platform.
• using modals and semi-modals such as used to, can, could, managed to, will, might, could, e.g. I might see you tomorrow but I will (definitely) see you on Friday, etc.
• familiarity with and use of common verb patterns, e.g. verbs with two objects (He + gave + me + a present).
• revision and building on language points learned in Elementary including: articles, comparative adjectives, countable/uncountable nouns, present simple, present continuous, going to future.

English Language Course - Intermediate
Course Structure for 21939VIC Certificate III in ESL (Further Study)

Core:

• VBQU130 Develop and document a learning plan and portfolio
• VPAU523 Give oral presentations for further study
• VPAU524 Participate in a range of interactions for further study
• VPAU525 Read & write straight forward texts for research purposes
• VPAU526 Analyse and produce a range of straight forward texts relevant to further study
• VPAU527 Listen and take notes for research
• VPAU528 Use language learning strategies and study skills

Electives:

• VPAU558 Locate Information on Driving & buying a Car
• VPAM549 Australian History

Our Intermediate course is aimed at learners who may have studied English for around a year.

Speaking and Listening

At Lyceum's Intermediate English Language course, you will learn how to:

• understand English speakers describing their professions.
• understand and appreciate the lyrics of a song in English.
• hold a debate with English speakers about an issue in contemporary society.
• understand and interpret visual descriptions in English.
• interpret works of art in English.
• politely accept and decline invitations from English speakers.
• understand English language conversations about sport, the Arts.
• understand news and weather broadcasts in English.
• understand and enjoy ghost stories and murder mysteries told in English.
• make recommendations in English.

Reading and Writing

At Lyceum's Intermediate English Language course, you will learn how to:

• read, comprehend and respond to longer written works in English including articles about contemporary issues, the arts and history.
• write in English with improved paragraph construction, coherence and cohesion.
• write in English in a wide variety of formal and informal styles, including newspaper headlines, biographies, police statements, novels and small classified advertisements.
• prepare and write a coherent argument in prose.

Grammar and Vocabulary

Language points you will learn in Lyceum's Intermediate English Language course include:

• vocabulary of character description, shopping, holidays, homes and houses, history, biography, behaviour, body language, computers, the Arts, injuries, hobbies, friends/enemies.
• using the present perfect, e.g. I've never been to New York.
• using the passive voice, e.g. The Great Pyramid was built in Egypt...
• using phrasal verbs, e.g. I'm going to make a go of my business.
• using present modals - obligation, recommendation, permission, e.g. Doctors have to work very long hours.
• using noun phrases to give extra information, e.g The man in the blue uniform stopped Jenny.
• using defining relative clauses, e.g Drivers who drive too slowly are annoying.
• putting modals in the past, e.g. Picasso might have painted this picture.
• differences between direct and indirect speech, e.g. "I've seen you"/She said she'd seen me.
• revision and building on language points learned in Elementary and Pre-Intermediate including: present tenses, past tenses, quantifiers, comparatives and superlatives, the future, conditionals, verb patterns.

English Language Course - Upper-Intermediate
Course Structure for 21940VIC Certificate IV in ESL (Further Study)

Core:

• VBQU142 Research pathways and produce a learning plan and portfolio
• VPAU529 Give complex presentations for further study
• VPAU530 Analyse and participate in complex spoken discourse for further study
• VPAU531 Read and write complex texts for research purposes
• VPAU532 Read and write a range of complex text for further study
• VPAU533 Use a range of critical reading and writing skills for further study
• VPAU534 Use language analysis skills to review own texts
• VPAU517 Take notes from complex aural texts for further study

Electives:

• VPAM546 Education in Australia

Our Upper-Intermediate course is aimed at learners who may have studied and used English for more than two years.

Speaking and Listening

At Lyceum's Upper-Intermediate English Language course, you will learn how to:

• compare things and make decisions in English.
• understand English speakers talking on various topics including finance, nostalgia, the paranormal, books and films, crime.
• express and accept sympathy in English.
• ask for help or clarification of what someone has said in English.
• speculate, in English, about the future.
• understand and appreciate common English language narrative styles, including folk stories, jokes, songs and soap operas.
• make a presentation in English.
• tell jokes and stories and give your opinion in English.
• take yourself and your possessions to be "fixed".
• make a complaint in English.
• start conversations and keep them going with "conversational gambits".

Reading and Writing

At Lyceum's Upper-Intermediate English Language course, you will learn how to:

• use mind maps, do research and plan for compositions, book reports and reviews in English.
• conduct an email interview in English.
• write clear instructions in English.
• write your curriculum vitae in English.
• write a diary in English.

Grammar and Vocabulary

Language points you will learn in Lyceum's Upper-Intermediate English Language course include:

• vocabulary of money, photography, anger, animal metaphors, hobbies, colours, food/drink (idiomatic), physical description (connotation), weather, fame, writing/books/authors, crime, poetic effect.
• using adverbs, e.g. Please don't argue so loudly.
• using the present perfect continuous (and simple), e.g. Bruce has been skydiving for three years.
• using the third conditional, e.g. If Jesse hadn't played in the sea, the shark wouldn't have attacked him.
• using the future perfect and continuous, e.g. By this time tomorrow we'll have finished all our exams.
• saying the something needs doing, or needs to have something done, e.g. His hair needs cutting.
• the order of adjectives, e.g colour origin material use.
• simple and continuous narrative forms, e.g. Martha was exhausted because she had been working out.
• using relative clauses, e.g. The child who was at the party was asleep.
• using adverbial phrases, e.g. The I've been learning English for ages.
• revision and building on language points learned in Elementary through Intermediate including: question forms, the past, articles, phrasal verbs, passive voice, direct/indirect speech.

English Language Course - Advanced
Course Structure for 21937VIC Certificate IV in ESL (Professional)

Core:

• VPAU506 Analyse and participate in complex conversations
• VPAU518 Present and listen to complex oral presentations in an employment or professional context

Specialization 1 - Professional:

• VPAU521 Critically read and write formal letters and complex prose texts for professional purposes
• VPAU522 Critically read, write and edit complex formal letters and complex descriptive texts in a professional context

Electives:

• VPAU516 Work Effectively in and Australian workplace
• VPAU560 Investigate current issues
• VPAM546 Education in Australia
• VPAM548 Indigenous Australia

Our Advanced course is aimed at students who may have studied and used English for more than three years.

At Lyceum's Advanced English Course, you will achieve advanced listening, speaking, reading and writing outcomes that will enable you to thrive in social, academic and professional English speaking environments.

At these levels, teachers use a core text, and are also free to bring in their own materials to stimulate conversation in class. Each teacher will have their own creative ideas, however here is a sample of what a typical class might include:

• Role Plays

This is a common technique used by teachers to place topics in a realistic setting. For example: Students might study vocabulary related to renting a house. Following this, the teacher would give each person a role (such as real estate agent, landlord, share-house tenants) and ask them to enact a hypothetical situation.

• Literature

A short story or poem is read by the class. Themes, characters and related issues are discussed in pairs and then shared with the other students.

• News and current affairs

Students watch parts of the news in English. The class is then split into pairs, and each student prepares a set of questions to ask their partner.
Conversations are initiated centering on economic, political and social situations around the globe.

• Debates

The class is split into those 'for' and 'against' and given 10 minutes to prepare an argument. The topic may either be serious and controversial, or comical.

• Slides

The teacher brings in slides or photographs and describes them to the class. Students may also bring in their own materials and give a presentation.

• Cultural themes

Traditions such as Valentine's Day, Christmas, and other festival celebrations are discussed and explored.

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Lyceum English Language Australia is a division of Lyceum Education Centre Pty Ltd
ABN 72070984002 - RTO 5493 - CRICOS Code 02919C

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