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Exam Skills (Cambridge C1 Advanced and IELTS)
Course Name: Exam Skills (Cambridge C1 Advanced and IELTS)
- Day(s)/time of class: Mondays and Wednesdays from 18:30-20:30 (Irish Time)
- Course duration: 24 hours in class + self-study and assignments for teacher feedback
- Course dates: Monday 08 July to Wednesday 14 August 2024 (6 weeks)
- Course cost: €295*+
- Level(s): B2+ - C1+
*Returning students receive a loyalty discount. Please email infolang@ucc.ie for details.
+UCC staff and students should email infolang@ucc.ie to enquire about special offers.
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ENGLISH FOR EXAMS
Raise your level of English and learn the skills and strategies you need to maximise your success in IELTS, Cambridge B2 First, or C1 Advanced English exams.
Receive expert advice and feedback to help you to perform well in all skills areas tested (reading, speaking, listening and writing).
Students may enrol on the Exam Preparation course for a minimum of 4 weeks or up to a maximum of 10 weeks.
End-of-Course Assessment:
There will be no exit exam requirement for this course when taken during the summer. However, all students will receive a certificate on completion of the summer course.
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This course is suitable for anyone who is preparing for the Cambridge English Advanced exam (C1 Advanced) or the IELTS exam (aiming to achieve a 6.5 or higher)
Course Overview
This course will focus on helping you to improve your exam skills and achieve your goals. You will receive input from the teacher(s) on all four skills (reading, speaking, listening and writing) and grammar and vocabulary needed to get the best result possible in your exam. You will also be given opportunities to practice certain parts of your exam for homework and will be provided with feedback on these tasks. Where possible, during the class the teacher will give you practice activities that are based on exam questions.
Pre-recorded exam focussed videos will be available upon request for C1 Advanced and IELTS students.
Learning objectives
By the end of this course, you will:
- Be better able to complete exam reading tasks by employing useful strategies to find the correct answers
- Have opportunities to speak to your classmates & teacher on a variety of topics, with feedback from your teacher
- Have built on your grammar knowledge, aiming at a B2+/C1 level (IELTS 6.5/7.0)
- Have looked at various aspects of written English to help you achieve a higher score in the writing exam
- Be better able to complete exam listening tasks by employing useful strategies to find the correct answers
- Have built on your vocabulary knowledge at a B2+/C1 level (IELTS 6.5/7.0)
Weekly course plan (may change slightly depending on class needs)
Week | Outline |
---|---|
Week 1: |
Reading: Skimming Speaking: Talking about your life/work/hobbies etc. Grammar: Relative Clauses Writing: Sentence types - writing simple, compound and complex sentences. Vocabulary: Word Families |
Week 2:
|
Listening: Multiple choice questions Speaking: Comparing and contrasting photos/speculating Grammar: Reported Speech Writing: Sentence structure problems - fragment sentences, run-ons, etc. Vocabulary: Academic Expression |
Week 3:
|
Reading: Scanning Speaking: Monologues- speaking for 2 minutes on a certain topic Grammar: Passive voice Writing: Improving your coherence and cohesion in writing Vocabulary: Frequently confused words |
Week 4:
|
Listening: Gap-fill questions Speaking: Interview-style questions and answers on various topics Grammar: Conditionals Writing: Using hedging language to avoid generalisations in writing. Vocabulary: Phrasal verbs |
Week 5:
|
Reading: How to deal with exam-style reading questions. Speaking: group discussions Grammar: Infinitives and Gerunds Writing: Linking words/connectors Vocabulary: Dependent prepositions |
Week 6:
|
Speaking: improving speech clarity - articulation Listening: Matching speakers to questions Grammar: Inversions Writing: Formal Vs Informal writing Vocabulary: Prefixes and Suffixes |
Student Feedback/Assessment
Students will receive regular feedback from their teachers on their work. Where possible, teachers will refer to the exam marking criteria when giving feedback.
Minimum class numbers
A minimum number of 4 students will be required for this class to run. If four students do not sign up, you will be offered to transfer to another course (depending on level), postpone to another term or a refund.
Online class connection requirements
Microsoft Teams application, a good internet connection and a quiet space where you can speak (headphones/earphones optional).
Attendance/End of course certificate
Attendance will be taken in every class. If you attend 80% of your lessons, you will receive an end-of-course certificate. Please advise the teacher if you know in advance that you will be absent.
How to Apply
- Open for applications.
- Complete the Part-time application form