30-Week Course Outline
📖 Focus: Advancing from B1 to B2 and introducing C1-level skills in academic and professional English. The course will prepare students for higher-level academic subjects, international exams, and real-world communication.
Course coordinator: Lisa Sullivan, Principal of USA Heritage Academy , former headteacher in the Florida public school system. Instructors: Tetania Kravets, Patrick Long, John Fortescue, Simon Miller, Jane Fogarty.
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Course Structure
1-hour weekly grammar and exam-focused session with a Cambridge-exam expert (former examiner).
1-hour weekly conversation session with a native speaker, focusing on fluency and discussion skills.
2 to 4 hours of private study per week, including reading academic texts, writing structured essays, listening to podcasts, and vocabulary building.
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Unit 1: Strengthening B2 Foundations (Weeks 1-5)
📖 Goal: Review and reinforce core B2 skills, ensuring accuracy and fluency in writing and speaking.
Grammar & Writing Focus:
Review of complex sentence structures (subordination, conjunctions).
Passive voice, relative clauses, and inversion.
Writing well-structured formal and informal emails.
Speaking & Listening Focus:
Improving pronunciation and intonation.
Participating in structured discussions (agreeing, disagreeing, summarizing).
Understanding and responding to formal and informal speech.
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Unit 2: Developing Fluency & Complexity (Weeks 6-10)
📖 Goal: Enhance fluency by expanding vocabulary, refining grammar, and improving comprehension skills.
Grammar & Writing Focus:
Advanced verb structures (future perfect, past perfect continuous).
Modal verbs for speculation, probability, and deduction.
Writing structured essays (argumentative, comparative).
Speaking & Listening Focus:
Expressing complex ideas clearly.
Engaging in debates and spontaneous discussions.
Listening to fast-paced conversations, news reports, and lectures.
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Unit 3: Mastering B2 & Preparing for C1 (Weeks 11-15)
📖 Goal: Solidify B2 proficiency and introduce C1 strategies for handling complex texts and discussions.
Grammar & Writing Focus:
Reported speech, causative forms, and conditional structures.
Cohesion and coherence in writing.
Writing analytical essays and formal reports.
Speaking & Listening Focus:
Delivering structured presentations.
Handling interviews and formal discussions.
Listening to academic lectures and summarizing key points.
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Unit 4: Advanced Communication & Persuasion (Weeks 16-20)
📖 Goal: Develop persuasive and professional communication skills, preparing students for high-level academic and work environments.
Grammar & Writing Focus:
Advanced phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions.
Hedging and softening techniques in academic writing.
Writing research-based essays and critiques.
Speaking & Listening Focus:
Negotiation and problem-solving discussions.
Giving impromptu speeches.
Understanding different English accents and regional variations.
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Unit 5: Transitioning to C1 Level (Weeks 21-26)
📖 Goal: Push students toward C1 proficiency, focusing on sophisticated expression and comprehension.
Grammar & Writing Focus:
Nominalization and academic style.
Using advanced linking words and transition phrases.
Writing persuasive essays, proposals, and reports.
Speaking & Listening Focus:
Engaging in high-level discussions (philosophy, ethics, global issues).
Understanding abstract and nuanced language.
Debating and defending viewpoints in structured arguments.
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Unit 6: Review, Refinement & Final Assessments (Weeks 27-30)
📖 Goal: Polish advanced language skills and ensure students are prepared for B2 certification or transition to C1-level work.
Grammar & Writing Focus:
Fine-tuning writing style for clarity, sophistication, and effectiveness.
Writing self-reflections, case studies, and critical essays.
Speaking & Listening Focus:
Engaging in panel discussions and roundtable debates.
Final speaking assessments (interviews, presentations).
Listening to complex discussions (TED Talks, university lectures).
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Expected Outcomes:
✅ Students will achieve solid B2 proficiency, with some reaching C1 level.
✅ They will confidently participate in discussions, presentations, and debates.
✅ They will be ready for advanced academic courses, international exams, and real-world communication.
Would you like any refinements?
USA Heritage Academy 