General English Course
Our General English courses focus on communication.
Every day, you will have classes which focus on the language itself: grammar and vocabulary, alongside skills classes speaking, reading, writing and listening, where you get to put the language into practice. We allow you to use the language in a real context and encourage your use of English inside and outside the classroom.
You will be amazed at how quickly your confidence grows and your progress will be measured at every step.
- 8 English class levels Beginner to advanced - the class levels that we use at International House Bristol
- 12-week syllabus How we make sure you are always studying new things
- What to expect A minimum of four English lessons a day with a new Cultural Question and a Phrase of The Day every day
- Intensive English 30 lessons a week that will help you get the most out of your time in Bristol
- Class timetable Two lessons with a coursebook focus and two lessons of lexical and grammatical input
- General English 20 lessons a week for students who want study part-time, mornings only.
- Free extras Study tips, a study room with hundreds of hours of materials and conversation club
- Optional modules Additional lessons that you can study alongside the General English course
8 levels: beginner to advanced English
The table below shows the levels that International House Bristol (IHB) can offer. For each level, you can see a summary student ability at this level and how it fits in with international exams and the Common European Framework (CEF).
| IHB | CEF | Cambridge ESOL | IELTS bands | Trinity levels | Summary of abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Beginner | A1 | 1.0 - 2.0 | Grade 2 | Learners can communicate at a basic level and can deal with some situations necessary to survive in an English- speaking Environment. Their comprehension of English is limited but a foundation has been laid for further learning. | |
| Level 2 Elementary | A2 | KET | 2.5 - 3.0 | Grade 3 | Learners can communicate at a basic level. They can survive in an English-speaking environment Their comprehension of English is limited but a foundation has been laid for further learning. |
| Level 3 Pre-Intermediate | A2 | KET | 3.0 - 3.5 | Grade 4 | Learners are able to communicate in English adequately in English in simple everyday situations. Their range of vocabulary and ability to manipulate grammatical structure is developing as is their ability to comprehend oral and written English. |
| Level 4 Lower Intermediate | B1 | PET | 4.0 | Grade 5 | Although their English vocabulary and grammar are limited in range, learners are able to communicate in most basic everyday situations. They are beginning to deal confidently with authentic reading and listening material. |
| Level 5 Mid-Intermediate | B1 | PET | 4.5 | Grade 6 | Learners are developing their English language skills and can speak quite fluently in most everyday situations. Their ability to express more complex ideas is beginning to develop, although their language is not always accurate. |
| Level 6 Upper Intermediate | B2 | FCE | 6.0 | Grades 7 - 9 | Learners are of approximately Cambridge First Certificate in English standard with a range of vocabulary and a command of all basic grammatical structures. They can use English in a variety of contexts and are beginning to appreciate many of the complexities of the language. |
| Level 7 Lower Advanced | C1 | CAE | 7.0 | Grades 10 - 11 | Learners are able to use a wide range of language effectively in a variety of contexts and can easily comprehend natural spoken and written English. |
| Level 8 Upper Advanced | C2 | CAE | 8.0 - 9.0 | Grade 12 | Learners are developing an understanding of and an ability to produce subtleties and complexities of the language, although they may still require some work on accuracy. At the end of this level, students should be close to native English speaker competence. |
12-week syllabus
Each General English course has a 12-week syllabus. Students can join the 12-week course at any time and study for anything from a few weeks to a year. Our syllabus is very flexible, and helps us teach you according to your needs. In each 12-week course, we cover a wide range of important areas. Here is a list of the areas and some examples of the things we often do in each area:
| Language area | Examples |
|---|---|
| Topics | life in the UK, technology, health, going out, music, personality, national festivals, |
| Grammar | tenses and verb structures, the grammar of phrases, modal verbs, determiners, conditionals |
| Vocabulary | collocations (words that naturally go together), phrases, idioms, phrasal verbs, affixes |
| Pronunciation | word stress, difficult sounds, natural pronunciation, intonation |
| The four skills | (reading, writing, speaking and listening) to improve your communication outside the classroom |
| Effective communication | formal / informal language and politeness, linking sentences together to form texts |
| Functional language | agreeing / disagreeing, giving advice, giving opinions, suggesting |
What to expect
Our Intensive and General English courses help students improve all their skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) and learn the grammar, vocabulary and cultural knowledge necessary for living in the UK and using English in an international context. We focus on practical, effective and natural communication and you will get at least five pieces of new language in each 45-minute class.
There are four morning classes in your General English course. Each class has a maximum of 12 students and you will have a minimum of two different teachers on every 12-week course. No matter what your level is, you will be speaking English from the first day.
The Cultural Question is part of Morning Class 1 every day. As well as learning important information about other cultures, you will get new grammar and vocabulary items related to the various topics. In addition, you will have the opportunity to share information about your culture with your class, using the new language.
The teachers are very friendly and very good. They understand all our questions and they are very patient. They use great exercises with different methods and make the classes very dynamic.
The Phrase of the Day is part of Morning Class 3 every day. Each phrase is an example of natural language used by native English speakers, but not usually found in coursebooks and other published materials. POTD helps you to understand the English being spoken around you in the UK and to sound more natural when you speak to other people.
With so many opportunities to improve your English, you should feel that you are making progress from the day that you arrive. For more details see our Why learn with us page.
Intensive English Courses
Aims and syllabus
Our Intensive English Courses combine coursebook focussed lessons, grammar and vocabulary lessons in the morning classes with afternoon lessons that focus more on the four skills; reading, writing, speaking and listening. They follow our twelve-week syllabus that ensures a balanced programme. The afternoon focus on skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) means that you are in a position to make even better use of the language you are learning. For those students who have only limited time to study and who do not wish to take an exam, Intensive English is the best way to ensure that you get the maximum benefit out of your time at International House Bristol.
Beginners' Intensive English
Our Beginners' Intensive English course follows the same structure as our Intensive courses, but is aimed at learners just starting out on their English journey. This 12 week course has fixed start dates. We currently have availability for courses starying:
- June 17th
- July 29th
- September 9th
- October 21st
Class timetable
Below is a sample timetable showing the general focus of morning and afternoon classes on one of our English courses.
Morning classes
| Class | Time | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Morning Class 1 | 09.00 - 09.45 | We use a general English coursebook, which has a balance of skills, vocabulary and grammar. You'll start the class with a Cultural Question, to help you understand the cultures of the UK and other students. |
| Morning Class 2 | 09.50 - 10.35 | |
| Morning Class 3 | 10.55 - 11.40 | These classes have a grammar and vocabulary focus and we choose from a wide range of resources to suit each group of students. Every morning we also teach you a Phrase of the Day, to help you sound natural. |
| Morning Class 4 | 11.45 - 12.30 |
Afternoon Classes
| Class |
Time |
Focus |
|---|---|---|
|
Afternoon Class 1 Afternoon Class 2 |
14.25 - 15.10 15.15 - 16.00 |
These classes focus on practising the four skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. We often have longer activities to help you improve your fluency and we use a higher proportion of authentic materials when appropriate. |
General English Courses
On our General English course students will have the morning classes from the Intensive English Course, shown above but without the afternoon lessons.
Free extras
As part of a General English 20 course we'll also give you:
- (from September to June) a free coursebook included in the price of your course;
- regular help with English pronunciation
- daily homework
- suggestions about how to learn more effectively
- practice with authentic materials (texts created for native speakers), so that you are learning real English
- study room time with a tutor (for two hours every afternoon after classes from Mondays to Thursdays)
- you can use our huge range of resources or our tutor can help you do your homework, explain English grammar and vocabulary that you find difficult or give you advice about improving your English
- You can also come to our weekly conversation club on Friday afternoons to practise English with other students and teachers
Optional modules
While General English is a complete course in itself, you can add a number of supplementary courses to a General English course and have lessons in the afternoon as well. The following links will take you to pages about the various afternoon supplement courses.
For more on any of our General English courses contact us today.