IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS I and IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS II started two weeks ago. These are advanced courses for teachers who need an English course to update communication skills, vocabulary, use of English, and idiomatic expressions. With these courses teachers can also fine-tune their pronunciation and intonation and discuss topical issues with their teachers and colleagues.

The courses are highly practical and participatory. Participants will be engaged in a variety of activities led by two experienced teachers, Colette Johnston and Claire Mcdonald. Although they are principally a language improvement course, many of the sessions or activities will definitely benefit our own teaching.

A language is not static, it changes as we do and after some time, we find we have “lost touch” with what is appropriate and contemporary in English or with new developments in the language.

As far as content is concerned we have included the following:

•         Variations of English: National and regional accents and "dialects" (obviously not all of them!) (Using audio and film).

•       Pronunciation: rules and exceptions (concentrating on some particular problems / doubts at advanced level).

• Phrasal verbs (especially the tricky ones and ones with different meanings).

•         Increasing vocabulary through reading.

•          Idiomatic expressions.

•       . Proverbs.

•           Colloquial language and slang.

• Unusual grammatical structures

•          Formal vs  Informal language (situational).

And any other topics that may crop up or are of particular interest to the teachers in the group.

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IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS I (B1+_ B2 level of reference).

IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS II (B2+_ C1 level of reference).