General English Course
Teacher: Irish National with 10 Years Experience
I provide general English lessons to adult part-time students. Everything I do in a lesson is backed up by research. I provide students with multiple techniques to increase learner autonomy. How to learn is more important than what to learn. I encourage students to perfect what they already know.
Fluency (the speed at which a student speaks, reads, and writes) is one important part of my lessons. Lessons are available from Monday to Saturday. Fees are 250 reais per month for one two-hour lesson per week: fees should be paid at the beginning of each month. Each student can also send me a maximum of one e-mail per day with questions, comments, doubts, etc. All students do a vocabulary test of 100 words per month. Students also read one book per month. The book is called a 'reader'. A reader is a book writtten in simple English. Readers are available at all levels: elementary, pre-intermediate, etc., and I buy them from Disal in Porto Alegre. The cost of the book and the accompanying CD is included in the fee of 250 reais. There are very many benefits to using readers:
● Set a limit to the quantity and type of information you study.
● Set a goal of deepening and perfecting your understanding of one book per month.
● Read large quantities of high-frequency words only.
● Read different meanings of the same high-frequency words.
● Read the same high-frequency words but in different contexts.
● Encounter different forms of the same high-frequency words.
● Read different uses of the same high-frequency words.
● Develop a very deep knowledge of high-frequency words.
● Improve reading fluency: speed of reading and understanding.
● Improve listening comprehension by listening to the accompanying CD.
● Improve listening fluency: the speed of English to which you can listen.
● Develop a deeper understanding of English by re-reading and re-listening.
● Encounter the same grammatical form multiple times even within the same paragraph.
● Increase knowledge of spelling, punctuation, and morphology.
● Reduce the need for revision; vocabulary is repeated very many times.
● Notice gaps in your knowledge of high-frequency words.
● Repeatedly read the same 320 function/grammar words of the language.
● Read different registers of English: formal, informal, British , American, etc.
● Enjoy the pleasure of reading an interesting story: combine work and pleasure.
● Read about subjects you are interested in; increase interest and motivation.
● Re-read with a specific reason each time: meaning, vocabulary, grammar, etc.
● The effects of reading allow students to be consciously aware of their progress.
● A conscious awareness of progress provides a sense of achievement.
● A sense of achievement increases and maintains motivation.
● Motivation increases and maintains long-term interest in learning.
● Maintain what you already know; maintain your knowledge of English.
Students can register and commence studies at the beginning of any month between February and November. The fee of 250 reais per month is payable over a twelve month period from the month of registration. All students sign a contract when they commence their studies. The fees for private lessons and group lessons are the same, but many groups are in fact very small. We have very satisfied students and student references are available. If you are interested in the general English course, please call Betina on (99087712).
Noel Swords [Thomas Swords English School]
Exam English Course
Teacher: Irish National with 10 Years Experience
The main focus of the exam English course is academic vocabulary and the development of learner autonomy. Just like the general English course, instruction in the exam course is backed up by academic research. Lessons are available from Monday to Saturday. Fees are 250 reais per month for one two-hour lesson per week; fees should be paid at the beginning of each month. Each student can also send me a maximum of one e-mail per day with questions, comments, doubts, etc.
All students do a vocabulary test of 100 words per month. There is no final end of year exam. Only vocabulary is tested each month. There is no coursebook for this course: specially prepared texts will be supplied by the teacher. The academic year is from the beginning of March to the end of November. The course lasts one academic year. Learner autonomy is extremely important when studying within a restricted period of time for an English exam. Therefore increasing learner autonomy is the primary focus, and the following points will form the focus of tuition and will be realized by means of activities in the lessons:
1. You should know what kind of vocabulary to learn.
2. You should know what quantity of words to learn for specific purposes.
3. You should know what to learn about each new word.
4. You should know how to learn each new word.
5. You should know how to put new words to use.
6. You should know how well you have learned each new word.
7. You should know how well you have used each new word.
8. You should continue to increase the number of words you know.
9. You should develop your knowledge of the words you already know.
10. You should use word frequency and personal need to determine what words to learn.
11. You should know what is involved in knowing a word and be able to find that information.
12. You should be familiar with patterns related to grammar, morphology, spelling, etc.
13. You should know how to learn words out of context.
14. You should learn by reading, writing, speaking, listening, a focus on form, and fluency.
15. You should be aware of your progress by means of self-testing.
Learners should have sufficient time to study at home. A knowledge of the 2,000 most frequent and useful words of general English are required to study this course. These words can be found on a document caled ‘A New General Service List’ which can be downloaded from the internet.
Students should be able to recognize these words in written and spoken form.
The exam English course is not focused on one specific academic course or examination, but is intended to equip students with sufficient academic vocabulary for study at university level and university level examinations. Students will learn academic vocabulary from a document called ‘A New Academic Word List’ which can be found on the internet. The list contains the most useful academic vocabulary based on the frequency and range. The list covers a wide range of academic subjects and contains almost 1,000 academic words and associated word families.
Students can register and commence studies at the beginning of any month between February and November. The fee of 250 reais per month is payable over a twelve month period from the month of registration. All students sign a contract when they commence their studies. The fees for private lessons and group lessons are the same, but many groups are in fact very small. We have very satisfied students and student references are available. If you are interested in the general English course, please call Betina on (99087712).
Noel Swords [Thomas Swords English School]
