Course Details
What is General English?
Cambridge College Australia is proud to present its General English course as a comprehensive English language course designed to meet the needs of a wide variety of learners.
General English is flexible enough to accommodate learners from any background and English level. Learners may be absolute beginners, or they may already be highly proficient in English and require preparatory language instruction prior to entering university.
Entrance requirements
All students must be at least 18 years old.
Purpose
To learn and enhance English skills for:
- Social survival
- Community access and participation
- Personal growth
- Career enhancement
- Professional development
- Further study
Course duration
This course is delivered as full time study at 20 hours per week of scheduled class time at the Cambridge College Australia campus.
Students may enrol for short or long periods of time, however each proficiency level is completed over 26 weeks of full time study, including three weeks of holidays.
This qualification is delivered face-to-face in the classroom. There is a new intake each month.
An example timetable for each proficiency level:
| WEEKS | HOURS PER WEEK | TOTAL HOURS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study/ training | 24 | 20 | 460 |
| Holiday | 3 | ||
| Total | 26 | 460 |
Proficiency
Proficiency levels
Students are placed in the class that best matches their English level and learning style.
The General English curriculum is arranged into four proficiency levels:
- Elementary
- Pre-intermediate
- Intermediate
- Upper-intermediate
Entrance to these proficiency levels is determined through diagnostic placement testing occurring at the time of enrolment or course commencement. Each proficiency level is taught over 26 weeks, including three weeks holiday. Learners who progress rapidly may be transferred to the next proficiency level ahead of schedule, and those who require additional tuition may remain in the class for a longer period of time.
There are seven learning areas in General English 1-4:
- Speaking
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Function
Each proficiency level covers all seven learning areas.
Assessment
The curriculum is designed to include ongoing assessment tasks. These assessment tasks cover all the skills of the general English program and are delivered in a variety of methods, including:
- Written tests
- Oral presentation
- Role-play
- Interviews
- Observation
- Group discussion
- Pairwork or group work
- Homework tasks
- Research assignments
- End of course tests
Pathways
Upon successful completion of General English 1-4, learners may continue in further study in the VET sector, at TAFE, university or other higher learning institution.
| SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF PROFICIENCY LEVEL | LEARNER MAY ENTER |
|---|---|
| Elementary | Elementary |
| Pre-intermediate | Pre-intermediate |
| Intermediate | Intermediate |
| Upper-Intermediate | Upper-Intermediate |
Syllabus
Course Syllabus
Elementary
Elementary Learning Areas
| LEARNING AREA | LEARNING OUTCOMES |
|---|---|
| Speaking | Communicate in simple and routine tasks on familiar topics and activities. Simply describe:
|
| Listening | Understand phrases and common vocabulary on common areas:
Understand the main point in short, clear, simple messages and announcements. |
| Reading | Read very short, simple texts. Find specific, predictable information in:
Understand short simple personal letters. |
| Writing | Write short, simple notes and messages:
|
| Grammar | Demonstrate elementary comprehension and use of:
|
| Vocabulary | Demonstrate elementary comprehension and use of vocabulary to describe:
|
| Function | Use elementary constructions to:
|
Pre-Intermediate
Pre-Intermediate Learning Areas
| LEARNING AREA | LEARNING OUTCOMES |
|---|---|
| Speaking | Demonstrate pre-intermediate spoken comprehension. Deal with most situations when travelling in an area where people speak English.
|
| Listening | Demonstrate pre-intermediate listening comprehension.
|
| Reading | Demonstrate pre-intermediate reading comprehension.
|
| Writing | Write at a pre-intermediate level.
|
| Grammar | Demonstrate pre-intermediate comprehension and use of:
|
| Vocabulary | Demonstrate pre-intermediate comprehension and use of vocabulary to describe:
|
| Function | Use familiar English functions at a pre-intermediate level:
|
Intermediate
Intermediate Learning Areas
| LEARNING AREA | LEARNING OUTCOMES |
|---|---|
| Speaking | Demonstrate Intermediate speaking proficiency.
|
| Listening | Demonstrate Intermediate listening proficiency.
|
| Reading | Read at an intermediate level.
|
| Writing | Demonstrate intermediate writing skills.
|
| Grammar | Demonstrate Intermediate comprehension and use of:
|
| Vocabulary | Demonstrate intermediate comprehension and use of vocabulary to describe:
|
| Function | Use intermediate English in common and important functional ways:
|
Upper-Intermediate
Upper-Intermediate Learning Areas
| LEARNING AREA | LEARNING OUTCOMES |
|---|---|
| Speaking | Demonstrate advanced levels of spoken English.
|
| Listening | Demonstrate advanced comprehension of English listening skills.
|
| Reading | Demonstrate advanced English reading skills.
|
| Writing | Write using advanced English skills.
|
| Grammar | Demonstrate upper-intermediate comprehension and use of:
|
| Vocabulary | Demonstrate upper-intermediate comprehension and use of vocabulary to describe:
|
| Function | Demonstrate familiarity with advanced and specialised English functions:
|
Is this course available for Domestic or International students?
The majority of our courses are open to both international and domestic students. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for more information.