English Course Descriptions

English Course Descriptions

TII is pleased to offer General English courses for adults this Fall. The English program at TII will help hone your skills and increase your confidence using the English language in both professional and individual settings. 

 Our instructors use a variety of curriculum materials to help you develop your pronunciation, listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Lessons for adults focus on range and accuracy of vocabulary, effective use of grammar and natural self-expression in English.  With a focus on the 4 skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening, the General English Course allows adult learners to improve their English skills in a supportive environment. 

 Students are grouped according to their levels. Topic and theme-based lessons allow learners to acquire the appropriate English skill for the corresponding situation.  Classroom activities at TII are designed for learning in small groups, pairs, and as a whole class using a range of different practice activities. In addition to course books, lessons are supplemented with a variety of materials which include practical sources from relevant media.

TII’s English Language Program CEFR CEFR Level Description 

Ab Initio Beginner Foundation Course

(40 hours)

 NO or VERY LIMITED exposure to English 


 
  • Acquire basic skills and intercultural understanding in the target language
  • Able to learn in an environment where the language studied is spoken

Elementary 1 (40 hours)

A1

 

  • Understand and use very basic expressions to satisfy concrete needs.
  • Introduce themselves and ask others questions about personal details.
  • Interact simply as long as the other person speaks slowly and clearly.

Elementary 2 (40 hours)

Pre-intermediate 1 (40 hours) A2
  • Understand frequently used expressions in most intermediate areas such as shopping, family, employment, etc.
  • Complete tasks that are routine and involve a direct exchange of information.
  • Describe matters of immediate need in simple terms.
Pre-intermediate 2 (40 hours)
 

Intermediate 1 (40 hours)

 B1

  • Understand points regarding family, work, school or leisure-related topics.
  • Deal with most travel situations in areas where the language is spoken.
  • Create simple texts on topics of personal interest.
  • Describe experiences, events, dreams, and ambitions, as well as opinions or plans in brief.

Intermediate 2 (40 hours)

Upper-intermediate 1 (40 hours) B2
  • Understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics including technical discussions.
  • Interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity.
  • Produce clear detailed text on a wide range of subjects.
  • Explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.  

Duration: 40 hours over a 12-week period, one hour and forty minutes/session.

This foundation course is for learners with NO prior experience of the English, or for those with very limited previous experience. Students develop the ability to communicate in English through the study of the language and exposure to high frequency vocabulary and phrases.

Students develop the ability to communicate in the target language through the decoding of language, general themes and short visuals. In doing so, they also develop conceptual understandings of how language works. Communication is evidenced through receptive, productive and interactive skills across a range of contexts and purposes that are appropriate to the level of the course. 

Prerequisite: No prior English knowledge is needed.

Textbook/e-book: Resources provided by the instructor.

This course is best suited to learners who have a basic understanding of English. Elementary 1 has a strong focus on grammar and vocabulary and provides students with regular and varied practice in useful and natural contexts which helps them to rapidly build their language base. It focuses on developing communication skills and incorporating a variety of activities to best meet different learning styles and needs. 
Learners will also develop their speaking and listening skills to communicate on familiar and general topics and will be able to read and write short texts on everyday subjects. 
Elementary 1 aims to strengthen the learners’ core language base while developing the students’ fluency. It will provide the right mix of language to get the students talking and reach their language learning goal.

Course Materials

This level covers units 1-4 of the course book.

UNLOCK 1, A1 Elementary, Second Edition (Cambridge, UK: 2019).
Pre-requisite:  A1 Basic understanding of English.

Students entering this level are increasingly confident in their ability to communicate in English and they are able to discuss everyday topics in both the past and present. Elementary 2 pays particular attention to expanding students’ tense knowledge by focusing on future and perfect tenses. At this level, learners also develop their speaking skills through achievable tasks that allow them to recycle the grammar and vocabulary they have recently learned. The other skills activities– reading, writing, and listening – also develop students’ confidence through consolidating grammar and building vocabulary knowledge. By the end of this course, students should have acquired a solid and comprehensive foundation in the English language. 


Pre-requisite:  Elementary 1 level A1.1 or equivalent.

Course Materials

This level covers units 5-8 of the following course book:

UNLOCK 1, A1 Elementary, Second Edition (Cambridge, UK: 2019).
 

Duration: 40 hours.

At this level (A2), learners can start to understand sentences and common expressions about familiar topics, including very basic personal and family information, shopping, places of interest and work. They can also communicate in simple, everyday tasks that require only simple and direct exchanges of information on familiar topics using simple language.
 

Pre-requisite: A1 (Elementary 2 or equivalent)

Course Materials: This level covers units 1-4
UNLOCK 2, A2 Pre-Intermediate, Second Edition, Westbrook, C, Baker, L & Sowton, C, Cambridge 
 

Duration: 40 hours. 

Pre-intermediate 2 really takes students to the next level of English language learning. Not only does it introduce a variety of new topics and grammar points, but it also engages  the learners in interactive tasks and activities where students are encouraged to immediately use the language they have been exposed to, thus speeding up the acquisition process. At this level, students are also introduced to more formal styles of writing and more developed reading passages. It also uses a balance of vocabulary, pronunciation and speaking skills to develop students’ communicative competence. Pre-intermediate 2 focuses predominantly on competencies at A2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference, which indicates the emergence of an independent language user.

Course Materials

This level covers units 5-8
UNLOCK 2, A2 Pre-Intermediate, Second Edition, Westbrook, C, Baker, L & Sowton, C, Cambridge 

Pre-requisite:  Pre-intermediate 1 A2.1 or equivalent.
 

Duration: 40 hours over a 12-week period, one hour and forty minutes/session.

At this level (B1), students can firmly establish themselves as independent users of the language, and they should be able to deal with most situations that are likely to arise when travelling or working in an English-speaking country. As with other levels, Intermediate 1 uses a balance of grammar, vocabulary, speaking and skills work to develop students’ communicative competence. However, this level particularly develops students’ reading and writing capabilities by exposing them to more challenging writing, grammar and reading comprehension activities. It also focuses on developing critical thinking skills. By the end of this course, students should be able to communicate independently, with confidence, and be ready to begin mastering the finer details of the language.

Pre-requisite: A2 (Pre-Intermediate 3 or equivalent)

Textbook/e-book: UNLOCK 3, B1 Intermediate, Second Edition, Westbrook, C, Baker, L & Sowton, C, Cambridge

Duration: 40 hours over a 12-week period, one hour and forty minutes/session.

This course is suitable for independent language users. It aims at integrating all four skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) by using a balance of grammar, vocabulary, speaking and skills work to develop students’ communicative competence via highly motivational activities. 

This level particularly develops students’ grammar and reading. 

Students will be introduced to grammar not as a mere theory but as an enabling tool for authentic language practice by presenting how people use grammar in real life conversations and texts. The purpose of this course is also to improve reading skills through the practice of vocabulary enrichment, reading comprehension exercises, speed reading strategies, written responses, discussions, and reflections. This course will help the students to become more confident, independent and efficient readers. 

Prerequisite: B1 

Textbook/e-book: UNLOCK 3, B1 Intermediate, Second Edition, Westbrook, C, Baker, L & Sowton, C, Cambridge

Duration: 40 hours over a 12-week period, one hour and forty minutes/session.

This course enables students to enhance and acquire English language skills in reading writing, listening and speaking to reach level C1 of the CEFR. It also develops students’ ability to think critically in an academic context. In addition, it supports each skills-based lesson with speaking activities designed to give students the opportunity to acquire and practise vocabulary and grammar and to provide them with the confidence to communicate in English at B2 level in a variety of different settings, for example social, professional and academic.

Pre-requisite: B1 (Intermediate 2 or equivalent)

Textbook: UNLOCK 4, B2 Upper-Intermediate, Second Edition, Westbrook, C, Baker, L & Sowton, C, Cambridge

Duration: 40 hours over a 10-week period, two hours/session.

The goal of the course is to introduce the students to IELTS, help them understand it, improve their English and get tips on how to get a good band score. The course takes the learners through all the parts of the test; Speaking, Writing, Reading, Listening and provides Practice Tests. 

The course will cover both General and Academic IELTS and is intended for those who wish to apply for university courses in Qatar or abroad, for immigration purposes or to get a better job. 

In this course the students will explore in detail each of the four parts of the test. They will also examine the assessment criteria and what is needed to attain high band scores and explore a variety of topics and task types seen in all parts of the test. Additionally, the students will get tips and develop important techniques to help prepare for the test. 

 

Prerequisite: Pre-Intermediate levels A2-B1.

Textbook: N/A

Duration: 40 hours over a 12-week period, one hour and forty minutes/session.

It will focus on the 4 areas of the exam: reading, speaking, writing and listening and cover both General and Academic IELTS. This course will teach exam techniques to help the students achieve their maximum potential in the IELTS exam and will also offer regular practice tests to assess progress which makes the students feel more confident on the day of your test.

The students will also study general exam strategies and receive advice and help for each part of the exam and take a test at the end and receive feedback on their strengths and areas to improve from our experienced instructor.

Prerequisite: Intermediate and Upper-intermediate levels (B1+ and B2)

Textbook: N/A

Duration: 40 hours over a 10-week period, two hours/session.

The course focuses on Business English and is comprised of a variety of activities and exercises to best accommodate different learning styles. These include, but are not limited to: video lessons, reading comprehension, grammar explanations and exercises, listening comprehension activities and speaking practice. 

The course also has a strong focus on grammar and vocabulary in order to rapidly build the learners’ language base.  At this level, learners also develop their speaking and listening skills to communicate well on business topics, and are able to read and write more complex business texts. Students are encouraged to work collaboratively in class to help each other reach his or her language learning goal. 

Prerequisite: B2 or equivalent

Textbook: In Company 3.0 Upper-Intermediate, John Allison, Mark Powell, 2014, McMillan.

This course is intended for levels A2- (elementary, pre-intermediate) and is offered online for a period of 5 weeks / 20 hours. 

Everyday English focuses on: listening, speaking, as well as grammar correction, vocabulary and pronunciation. It aims to improve students' skills in the areas of speaking and listening in order to communicate more effectively using English in both formal and informal settings.

 

Description

It is for students who already have a basic knowledge of English, but want to improve their ability to communicate in real-life situations. This will be done in a fun, enjoyable way.

The lessons will contain vocabulary, grammar, expressions and idioms you need to know in order to communicate successfully in English in a wide range of everyday situations.

The situations include:

  • ordering food in restaurants
  • making an appointment on the phone
  • shopping/ returning goods to a shop
  • having a small conversation (formal/ informal)

 

Prerequisites: This class is best suited for students who have passed Elementary 1, Elementary 2 or Elementary 3 (or equivalent).

All materials are provided to the students.

The IELTS preparation and Training course is intended for levels A2- B2 and is offered online for a period of 5 weeks / 20 hours. 

The goal of the course is to help you understand the IELTS test, improve your English and get tips on how to get a better band score. The course takes you through all the parts of the test; Speaking, Writing, Reading, Listening and provides Practice Tests. 

The course is intended for those who wish to apply for University courses in Qatar or abroad, for immigration purposes or to get a better job. 

 

What skills will I learn?

In this course you will:

 

  • Explore in detail each of the four parts of the test     
  • Examine the assessment criteria and what is needed to attain high band scores 
  • Explore a variety of topics and task types seen in all parts of the test   
  • Get tips and develop important techniques to help prepare for the test

Course materials will be provided to the students.

The ‘English Grammar’ course is intended for level A2 (pre-intermediate) and is offered online for a period of 5 weeks / 20 hours. 

 

This course is for students who want help with English grammar points covered up to Pre-Intermediate level, and who wish to review and practise the grammar they have previously studied. There will be a focus on providing explanations of English grammatical structures and their meanings, and grammar-based exercises which encourage students to recognise and identify grammatical forms themselves and practice their use. Students will also engage in interactive grammar games and activities, allowing them to use the grammar together, and helping them to remember these forms and their rules through use.

 

What skills will I learn?

 

In this course you will:

 

Learn, revise, and practice Pre-Intermediate level English grammar points.

 

Develop understanding of Pre-Intermediate grammatical forms, their uses, and meanings.

 

Learn to identify and practice use of grammatical forms through speaking, writing, and reading exercises, and interactive activities.

 

Prerequisites: This class is best suited to students who have passed Elementary 3 or Pre-Intermediate 1 (or equivalent). 

 

Textbook: No textbook is used during this course. All materials are provided by the instructor.

 

The ‘English Speaking’ course is intended for (Pre-Intermediate) students of English and is offered online for a period of 5 weeks / 20 hours. 

 

This course is for students who want to practice their English-speaking skills at the (Pre-Intermediate) level. Students will engage in tasks to help them learn and practise useful phrases for daily situations, and to learn to speak English effectively. Each lesson will combine both independent and interactive learning tasks aimed at practicing language for a particular use. Lessons will use preparatory tasks that provide examples of the language being studied in context; tasks that check understanding of this language; and finally speaking tasks that allow students to communicate with one another and put the language into use. Teachers will aim to design the lessons according to each student’s communicative needs.

 

What skills will I learn?

 

In this course you will:

 

  • Learn and practice useful English phrases and expressions at the Pre-Intermediate level. 
  • Develop English speaking accuracy and fluency through interactive communicative tasks.
  • Learn to use and identify synonymous phrases and expressions for particular speaking tasks.

 

Prerequisites: This class is best suited for students who have passed Elementary 3, Pre-Intermediate 1 or equivalent.

 

Textbook: No textbook is used during this course. The instructor provides relevant materials.

The ‘Spoken English for Public Speaking’ course is intended for Intermediate or Upper Intermediate students and is offered online for a period of 5 weeks / 20 hours. 

 

This course aims to help students who want to practise their spoken English in the context of public speaking / speaking to an audience.

 

The course will help to prepare students to articulate their ideas better in English, focusing on key areas of grammar and language that assist in presenting information convincingly. Students will also understand more about the importance of intonation in spoken English, vocal variety, and body language when expressing themselves. 

 

Live debate exercises and in-class presentations will provide opportunities to put into practise the language, grammar and vocal tips learnt, as well as some lively class discussions in which to practice conversational English at the same time.

 

What skills will I learn?

 

In this course you will:

 

  • Learn to plan and deliver a structured answer for live presentations, short speeches, and debates in-class. 
  • Explore key aspects of grammar and language in a spoken context.
  • Build confidence in speaking English to an audience.

 

Prerequisites: This class is best suited to students who are of an intermediate or upper-intermediate level. 

 

Textbook: No textbook is used during this course. All materials are provided by the instructor.

This academic writing course is aimed principally at post-graduate students. It is designed to reinforce essay composition skills and introduce students to the practice of writing for academic purposes, not content. It will prepare students for work in high level English courses in which research writing is a requirement. Classes will therefore focus on developing students’ academic writing skills and will provide opportunities as required, to analyse and practice areas such as direct vs indirect speech, active vs passive mode, formal vs informal style, referencing, plagiarism, paraphrasing, citation, proofreading, punctuation, cohesion, coherence and unity. Students will also learn how to write an abstract, introduction, literature review, discussion and conclusion chapters.   

Duration: 40 hours over a 12-week period, one hour and forty minutes/session.

This course covers the first half of ‘Unlock level 5’. It will develop the students’ language skills at an advanced level. The students will be dealing with more formal skills of writing, grammar, reading, and organization strategies, as well as speaking and listening skills, presentations, and conversation.  Included will be study skills, critical thinking, vocabulary development, and practice for fluency.

Pre-requisite: B2 (Upper-Intermediate 2 or equivalent)

Textbook: UNLOCK 5, C1 Advanced, Second Edition, Westbrook, C, Baker, L & Sowton, C, Cambridge

 

This course covers the second half of ‘Unlock level 4’. It is created to build the skills and language that students need for their studies. The students will further enhance their English language skills in reading writing, listening, and speaking to reach level C1 of the CEFR. This course also develops students’ abilities to think critically in an academic context. Critical thinking sections in the book give students framework to formulate their own opinions and express themselves effectively in every end-of-unit academic task.

Pre-requisite: B2 (Upper-Intermediate 1 or equivalent)

 

Textbook: UNLOCK 4, B2 Upper-Intermediate, Second Edition, Westbrook, C, Baker, L & Sowton, C, Cambridge

The course is intended for (Intermediate) students of English and is offered for a period of 5 weeks / 20 hours. 
 
This course is for students who want to take their English to the next level and to practice their English-speaking skills at the (Intermediate) level. Students will engage in tasks to help them learn and practise useful phrases for daily situations, and to learn to speak English effectively and fluently. Each lesson will combine both independent and interactive learning tasks aimed at practicing language for a particular use. Lessons will use preparatory tasks that provide examples of the language being studied in context; tasks that check understanding of this language; and finally speaking tasks that allow students to communicate with one another and put the language into use. Teachers will aim to design the lessons according to each student’s communicative needs.
 
What skills will I learn?
In this course you will:
learn and practise useful English phrases, idioms and expressions at the Intermediate level. 
develop English speaking accuracy and fluency through interactive communicative tasks.
learn to use and identify synonymous phrases and expressions for speaking tasks.
 
Prerequisites: This class is best suited for students who are at an intermediate level (B1) or equivalent.

 This course is aimed at students who want to practice their conversational skills at a C1 level. Students will engage with topic-based discussion, natural usage, pronunciation, and vocabulary to enrich their communicative skills with the aim of sounding more natural and fluent. Lessons will be based on preparatory worksheets that will contain video material accompanied by tasks with topic vocabulary and relevant expressions. The target language will be used in classroom-based discussion and speaking activities designed to give context to the target language and practice fluency. 

In this course you will: 
Acquire and practice topic-based vocabulary and idiomatic expressions in a communicative setting 
Develop fluency and communicative skills in a guided setting 
Look at features of native pronunciation and speech rhythm 

Prerequisites: This class is best suited for students who are at an advanced level (C1) or equivalent.
 

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