Intermediate

Locations Newcastle (Callaghan Campus)
Sydney CBD
Duration 10 weeks
Contact hours 25 hours per week (Monday - Friday)
Overview The Intermediate English program develops communication and language skills to a level where students can function effectively in an English speaking environment.
Entry requirements To enter the Intermediate Course, students must have:
  • a pass in the Language Centre Elementary English Course, or
  • equivalent results in the class placement test given on entry to the Language Centre; or
  • an overall test score of 5.0 in the International Language Testing System (IELTS)
Expected outcomes Reading
  • Understand the general meaning of simple structures texts including written narratives and simple articles.
  • Predict information from headings.
  • Skim / scan for key words.
  • Read for main ideas.
Writing
  • Write simple, compound and complex sentences.
  • Use a variety of conjunctions.
  • Write short narratives and descriptions.
Listening
  • Understand most simple social conversations.
  • Listen for main ideas and key words.
  • Recognize different intonation.
Speaking
  • Use spoken English to fulfil most routine social needs.
  • Give a brief but sustained talk on a familiar topic in the form of a 5-7 minute oral presentation.
  • Discuss issues in small groups and give opinions.
Course content

The course has an integrated syllabus which is predominantly skills-based, with grammar and culture components, and is organized into ten unit themes.

Reading
  • Predicting
  • Inferring
  • Skimming
  • Scanning
  • Chunking
  • Understanding vocabulary in context
  • Understanding cohesive devices – referent, link words
  • Reading for specific information
  • Developing speed
Writing
  • Sentences - Simple to complex
  • Conjunctions
  • Pronouns
  • Referents
  • Punctuation
  • Paragraph: cohesion, sequencing
  • Letters – informal, formal, complaint
  • Descriptions – people, houses
  • Giving opinions
  • Simple arguments (for and against)
  • Question formation
Listening
  • Listening for gist
  • Listening for detail
  • Inferring
  • Predicting
  • Listening for text structure, supporting information
  • Extracting for key information
  • Recognising intonation and stress
Speaking
  • Impromptu presentations
  • 5- 8 minute presentation
  • Group presentations
  • Discussion in groups
  • Interviewing
  • Using appropriate language
  • Role-play
  • Pronunciation and stress
Grammar
  • Tenses – Simple Past, Present Perfect, Present Simple and Continuous, Future Tense / Conditional
  • Quantity
  • Requests
  • Modals
Textbook

Cunningham, S. and Moore, P. New Cutting Edge: Intermediate level Pearson / Longman. ISBN 0-582-82517-2
Assessment Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking skills are assessed. Marks are weighted as follows: 25% assessment tasks in week 7; 25% class marks; 50% end of course assessment tasks.

Passing the course

Students must obtain 65% or more in three of the four skills. One may be in the 60-64% range. Each of the four components is of equal weighting. Students who pass the course are eligible to commence the Upper Intermediate Course