top of page

B1 -  LET'S SPEAK!

60 Hour COURSE PROGRAMME

Anchor 1
Anchor 2
Contents
Part 1 – People 1-10 hrs
  • 0. Diagnostic Test

  • 1. Getting to know someone.

  • 2. Character and feelings. 

  • 3. King of chess. 

  • 4. People’s appearance. 

  • 5. On the run. 

  • 6. Describing jobs. 

  • 7. Attending a job interview.

Part 2 - Out and about 11-20 hrs
  • 8. At the restaurant. 

  • 9. Food and drink. 

  • 10. Comfort food. 

  • 11. Cooking and eating. 

  • 12. At the clothes shop. 

  • 13. Clothes. 

  • 14. Banking.

PART 3 - TRAVEL AND PLACES​ 21-30 hrs
  • 15. For and against. 

  • 16. Sightseeing. 

  • 17. Extreme living. 

  • 18. Extreme adjectives. 

  • 19. At the hotel 

  • 20. In the wild. 

  • 21. Home improvements. 

  • 22. Land and sea. 

  • 23. Metro stress. 

  • 24. Road and transport. 

  • 25. Ecotourism.

  • 26. Suggesting ideas. 

Part 4 - Socialising 31-40 hrs
  • 27. Making plans.

  • 28. Planning ahead. 

  • 29. Common expressions 1. 

  • 30. Staying with people. 

  • 31. Helping people. 

  • 32. Common expressions 2. 

  • 33. Apologies, excuses and promises. 

Part 5 - Health and well-being 41-50 hrs
  • 34. Longevity. 

  • 35. Health and illness.

  • 36. Pet benefits. 

  • 37. Population science. 

  • 38. Sport. 

  • 39. Making a phone call 

  • 40. Press one. 

  • 41. Water crisis. 

  • 42. Emergencies. 

  • 43. Crazy idea. 

  • 44. War and conflict. 

Part 6 - Technology 51-60 hrs
  • 45. Predictions.

  • 46. Gadgets and appliances. 

  • 47. Difficulties on the phone. 

  • 48. The selfie revolution.

  • 49. Surfing the net.

  • 50. Troubleshooting. 

  • 51. Love at first byte.

  • 52. Artificial Intelligence.

  • 53. Slow television. 

  • 51. Exit Test

 

 

Part 1 – People

 1. Getting to know someone

  • Listening:  A dialogues between speakers asking about each other’s background, work, hobbies, travel experience, etc. 

  • Speaking: Getting to know one another using the language from the lesson. revision of terms for describing people you know, e.g. an acquaintance, a mutual friend, a flatmate, a colleague, etc.

 2. Character and feelings

Speaking: Using vocabulary related to people’s character and feelings.

 3. King of chess

  • Reading: An article on an extremely gifted child chess prodigy from Ireland.

  • Grammar: A review of the present simple, present perfect simple, past simple and used to + infinitive.

  • Speaking: Talking about sporting talents in different countries.

 4. People’s appearance

Speaking:  Using vocabulary related to people’s appearance.

5. On the run

  • Reading:  An article about Dean Karnazes, a so-called ‘ultra-marathon runner’ who has run distances of up to 350 miles non-stop. I

  • Grammar: Differences between the gerund and infinitive forms

  • Speaking: Discussion about the ultra-marathon lifestyle and other feats of endurance.

 

6. Describing jobs

Speaking: Typical adjectives and expressions used for describing work. 

7. Attending a job interview

  • Speaking: Useful vocabulary for attending a job interview in English.

  • Reading: An article about things candidates shouldn't say during an interview.

  • Discussion activity and role play exercise at the end of the lesson.

Part 2 - Out and about

  

8. At the restaurant

  • Speaking: Using common words and expressions for describing food and drink, restaurant service and parts of meals.

  • Listening: Listening and role play on how to order a meal in a restaurant as well as discussing menu options with a guest and decide who should pay.

9. Food and drink

  • Speaking: Using vocabulary related to food and drink.

10. Comfort food

  • Reading: An article on the cooking repertoire of the British and study words to describe different kinds of food and cooking.

  • Speaking: Talking about their different countries’ cuisines.

11. Cooking and eating

Speaking: Using vocabulary related to cooking and eating.

12. At the clothes shop

  • Speaking: common words and expressions for describing clothes (in British and American English), clothing material and shopping for clothes.

  • Listening and role play: Asking to try on an item, enquire about sizes and colours, and decide whether or not to buy.

13. Clothes

Speaking: Using vocabulary related to clothes

14. Banking

  • Speaking: Useful words and phrases for describing banking products and services including types of bank accounts, loans, payment methods and foreign exchange.

  • Listening and role play: Exchanging money from one currency to another, pay in and withdraw cash, enquire about their bank balance and check their overdraft limit

​PART 3 - TRAVEL AND PLACES​

 

15. For and against

 

  • Grammar: Useful expressions for giving opinions, agreeing and disagreeing.

  • Listening: An animated video of three travellers discussing the impact of tourism on a historical European town. 

 

16. Sightseeing

  • Speaking: Talking about a sightseeing holiday.

  • Grammar: common adjectives for describing a tourist destination.

17. Extreme living

The topic of this lesson is living in an extreme environment.

  • Reading: an article on how the inhabitants of Yakutsk in Russia cope with living in the world’s coldest city.

  • Speaking: Discussion about how the climate in different countries compares.

18. Extreme adjectives

Speaking: Learn how to be more descriptive using extreme adjectives, e.g. brilliant, terrible, dreadful, exhausted, huge, tiny, filthy, starving, etc.

19. At the hotel

  • Speaking: Common words and phrases for describing hotel facilities, service and staff, as well as practical expressions to use with a hotel receptionist.

  • Listening and role play: Booking a room, check in and check out.

20. In the wild

 

  • Reading: A text based on a newspaper interview with Jake Williams, a hermit who has lived in the Scottish wilderness for 30 years.

  • Grammar: The present perfect, past simple and past perfect tenses, Speaking:  Discussion on the hermit lifestyle.

21. Home improvements

 

Speaking: Using vocabulary related to DIY and home improvements. Grammar: The structure 'have something done'.

 

22. Land and sea

Speaking: Using vocabulary related to land and sea.

23. Metro stress

The theme of this lesson is transport and stress.

  • Reading: An article on the problems faced by commuters and workers on the metro in the Russian capital Moscow.

  • Grammar: The passive voice

  • Speaking: Talking about the transport systems in different countries.

24. Road and transport

Speaking: Using vocabulary related to road and transport.

25. Ecotourism

Reading and Speaking: A text about the potential dangers of ecotourism.

Grammar: The structure be/get used to doing something.

26. Suggesting ideas

Using vocabulary for describing and discussing ideas.

  • Listening: A dialogue between two friends planning a weekend break

  • Speaking: asking for, making and responding to suggestions. 

Part 4 - Socialising

 

27. Making plans

  • Speaking: Making plans and arrangements.

  • Listening and role play: Learn how to schedule, cancel and re-schedule a meeting.

  • Grammar: use of the present continuous for stating future plans is also studied, as well as common phrasal verbs used when making arrangements. 

28. Planning ahead

  • Reading: An article on an unusual, statistical approach to planning their week.

  • Grammar: Collocations for describing several routines and activities are studied. In the grammar exercises, students learn how to express probability and chance using modal verbs and other useful structures. 

  • Speaking: Talking about a list of topics and discussing what will happen in each case.

29. Common expressions 1

Speaking: Common social expressions that English speakers use in a variety of situations, including be careful, bless you, congratulations, cheers, good luck, never mind, etc.

  

30. Staying with people

  • Speaking: Using vocabulary and expressions related to the topic of staying and living with other people. 

  • Listening and role play: Welcome a guest, make small talk, make offers and requests, as well as thank somebody for their hospitality. 

  

31. Helping people

Speaking: Using expressions for offering, accepting and refusing help. Common phrases for responding when other people express their gratitude.

32. Common expressions 2

Speaking: Common social expressions that English speakers use in a variety of situations, including by all means, calm down, get well soon, what a pity, get well soon, it doesn’t matter, etc.

33. Apologies, excuses and promises

  • Speaking: Common expressions for making apologies, excuses and promises.

  • Listening and role play: Apologise for something, accept or reject an apology, explain a problem or mistake and promise action.

Part 5 - Health and wellbeing

34. Longevity

The theme of this lesson is longevity.

  • Reading: an article on the habits that can lead to a longer life and study common collocations for describing healthy lifestyles.

  • Grammar: Structures for speculating and explaining. 

  • Speaking: Discussion on the article topic.

35. Health and illness

Speaking: Using vocabulary related to health and illness.

36. Pet benefits

  • Reading: an article about the health benefits of keeping a pet.

  • Speaking: talking about health and well-being as well as functional expressions for connecting ideas and developing an argument.

37. Population science

The theme of this lesson is education and the problem of rising global population.

  • Reading:  an article about a proposed strategy to limit global population growth by putting more girls in the developing world through secondary school.

  • Grammar: The first and second conditionals are studied and practised.

  • Speaking: Discussion about population problems in different countries.

38. Sport

Speaking: Using vocabulary related to sport.

39. Making a phone call

  • Speaking:  describing telephone equipment and using a telephone.

  • Listening and role play: useful expressions for making and answering a phone call, as well as taking and leaving messages.

40. Press one

  • Reading: an article about why a British man built a website to help people save time and avoid getting frustrated when phoning company call centres.

  • Speaking: Discussion of the topic.

41. Water crisis

The topic of this lesson is Brazil's water crisis.

  • Reading: a short text about how a recent drought is affecting Brazil's largest city.

  • Speaking: Discussion about the topic.

  • Grammar:  review activiAty on the present perfect simple.

42. Emergencies

Speaking: Emergency services as well as expressions for reporting an emergency.

43. Crazy idea

The theme of this lesson is the migrant crisis in Europe.

  • Reading: A text about an Egyptian billionaire who wants to accommodate desperate refugees on two privately-owned Greek islands. 

  • Speaking: Discussion about the topic.

  • Grammar: reported speech

44. War and conflict

Speaking: Using vocabulary related to war, conflict and terrorism.

 

 

Part 6 - Technology

 

45. Predictions

The theme of this lesson is prediction.

  • Reading:  an amusing article on eight embarrassing predictions made by well-respected experts at different periods of modern history.

  • Grammar: Structures for reporting a prediction made in the past are learnt and the use and omission of the definite article for talking in general is studied.

  • Speaking:  practise making and reporting predictions.

46. Gadgets and appliances

Speaking: Using vocabulary related to gadgets and appliances.

47. Difficulties on the phone

Speaking: expressions for dealing with difficulties on the phone. Common technical and communication problems such as weak signals, crossed lines, battery problems, language barriers etc.

48. The selfie revolution

  • Reading:  an article examining the modern fad of taking selfies (self-portrait photographs).

  • Speaking: A discussion on the topic of selfies.

  • Grammar: A few common uses of the present perfect simple and present perfect continuous.

49. Surfing the net

  • Speaking: Talking about the internet.

  • Reading: A short text and discussion activity on the principle of 'net neutrality'.

  • Writing: Writing short sentences based on 8 short webcast clips.

50. Troubleshooting

Speaking : Talking about and troubleshooting technical problems. 

51. Love at first byte

The topic of this lesson is online dating and relationships.

  • Reading: an article on a trend called ‘network dating’ – the use of social media websites and mutual friends to help single people get together. Speaking: Common expressions for describing the different stages of a relationship.

  • Grammar:  The use of the present continuous, present perfect and past simple tenses for describing trends.

52. Artificial Intelligence

  • Speaking: A discussion about artificial intelligence.

  • Reading: an article on how technological progress over the next 20 years will result in the development of machines that are able to match the intelligence of human beings.

  • Grammar: part of the worksheet, comparative forms and structures are studied and practised. 

53. Slow television

  • Reading and Speaking:  an article about a Norwegian trend called 'Slow TV' -- hours and hours of television coverage by fixed cameras on one single subject.

  • Grammar: defining and non-defining relative clauses.

Anchor 3
Anchor 4
Anchor 5
Anchor 6
bottom of page