Learn English Select Business gets better when English gets better The new online course to improve workplace English and give your business a boost If you want to succeed in your business, your employees need to speak the language of success. The world s English teaching experts at the British Council have created a new specialist online course to help your employees contribute to your success. Learn English Select has been created to help employees improve their workplace English language skills. The course is ideal for those who wish to improve their business language and develop their professional skills in a commercial and international context. The focus is on Business English; the content focuses on English for work and employability. Learn English Select Is the new way for professionals to learn the English they need to succeed in the workplace By improving practical English skills needed for applying for jobs or in the workplace, Learn English Select opens up new doors and helps learners realise their career potentials. Learn English Select enables jobseekers and professionals boost their employability skills and career prospects. This course develops the English language skills needed to successfully apply for work and perform with confidence. Learn English Select: is a new suite of interactive online courses, aimed at developing English language for workplace contexts and employability. is the new way to learn the English needed for making career progress. provides the workplace English language skills to achieve career goals and ambitions. Benefits to participants: Convenience and flexibility for busy people who want to study when and where they want to. Professional development opportunity for those who want to take their career to the next level. Confidence when applying for jobs, preparing for an interview, and asking and answering questions during interviews. 1
Communicate effectively at work and learn how to actively participate in work situations, including meetings, talks and presentations. Speak professionally in public while presenting products and services, and when interacting with clients, customers, partners and stakeholders. Improve work productivity. Manage time better with improved workplace communication skills. Why British Council? British Council s expertise and certification British Council as the world s English leading experts offer the most comprehensive high quality range of English language courses, assessment, support services and learning tools, now available online. You will gain from the British Council s 80 years track record and experience in English language teaching and assessment, proven methodologies and respected certification. The courses have been designed by English language experts and are structured to ensure participants make steady progress. Learn English Select is designed for busy people. It is very flexible because learners can study at their own pace and fit learning within their busy schedules Flexibility Learn English Select offers easily accessible, convenient, flexible and efficient learning through interactive online courses, additional resources and support. Learners can study at their own pace and fit learning within their busy schedules. Learn English Select is offered as a digital or online version and a blended version (a good blend of digital and face-toface training) Unique focus on employability Learn English Select is a unique online English learning suite focused on English language specific to employability. By improving practical English skills needed for applying for jobs or in the workplace, Learn English Select opens up doors and helps learners realise their career. Participants will learn practical English language used in real work scenarios phrases, conversations and pronunciation. How is Learn English Select structured? There are five levels which participants can complete in any order they wish but there is a suggested linear route through the content. It is expected participants will take approximately 20-25 weeks to complete one level. Study is self-paced and the time taken to complete each level will vary according to the individual learner. Our methodology ensures a balance of activities and exercises to develop grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, as well as key skills, for the world of work. 2
Learn English Select overall structure Levels Modules per level Content units per module Total lessons Tests Level 1: Beginner 8 5 40 A module Level 2: Elementary 8 5 40 A module Level 3: Pre-intermediate 1 8 5 40 A module Level 4: Pre-intermediate 2 8 5 40 A module Level 5: Intermediate 8 5 40 A module Approximate time duration 20-25 weeks 20-25 weeks 20 25 weeks 20 25 weeks 20 25 weeks There are total five levels: o Beginner o Elementary o Pre-intermediate 1 o Pre-intermediate 2 o Intermediate Each level consists of eight modules. Each module has five content units. Each level therefore has 40 content units (8 modules X 5 units). There is a test at the end of every module. Learn English Select syllabus summaries and modules: 1. BEGINNER - CEFR level A1.1 Activities Helps you do basic tasks at work in English such as meeting and greeting new people, saying numbers and dates, making a telephone can and chatting to your colleagues. Module 1: Introductions 1 Module 2: Introductions 2 Module 3: Talking about yourself 1 Module 4: Talking about yourself 2 Module 5: Asking for things 1 Module 6: Asking for things 2 Module 7: Daily life Module 8: Talking about jobs 3
2. ELEMENTARY CEFR Level A1.2 Activities Module 1: Introductions Learn how to introduce yourself, write a job application, Module 2: Jobs, family and free time prepare for an interview and have basic conversations Module 3: Job applications about work and everyday life. Module 4: Preparing for an interview Module 5: Going for an interview 1 Module 6: Going for an interview 2 Module 7: Eating out with friends Module 8: Getting a job offer 3. PRE-INTERMEDIATE 1 CEFR level A2.1 Activities Learn how to ask for more information in the workplace, give and receive instructions, give and respond to opinions, plan a business trip and describe and compare different options. Module 1: Introductions and instructions Module 2: Company information Module 3: Travel information Module 4: Understanding announcements Module 5: Making suggestions, eating out Module 6: Going out with friends Module 7: Telephone calls and talking about plans Module 8: Apologising and asking for help. 4. PRE-INTERMEDIATE 2 CEFR level A2.2 Activities Module 1: Buying a product Helps you perform more complex tasks at work in Module 2: Looking for a job English such as talking about prices and discounts, Module 3: Job applications and interviews planning events and dealing with problems and difficult Module 4: Job interviews; accepting an offer customers, plan an event and assign tasks. Module 5: Company information Module 6: Making arrangements to meet Module 7: Planning events Module 8: Networking 5. INTERMEDIATE CEFR level B1 Activities Module 1: Job applications Develops your workplace English further so you can Module 2: Job interviews talk about your experience in an interview, deal with Module 3: Complaints and problems complaints and write a product description. Module 4: Meetings Module 5: Describing and comparing products Module 6: Presentations Module 7: Planning events Module 8: Networking 4
Our methodology ensures a balance of activities and exercises to develop grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, as well as key skills, for the world of work Learn English Select: Is offered as a digital version and a blended version (with around 70% digital learning and 30% face-to-face training by a trainer). has video- and audio-based content featuring a range of accents that is followed by interactive practice activities. Learn English Select focusses on three workplace contexts: o Entering the workplace: applying for jobs, preparing for an interview o In the workplace: interacting in the workplace, meetings, presentations (including informal settings and socialising outside the workplace) o Facing the public: describing products and services, interacting with clients and customers. offers functional language phrases and real, authentic workplace scenarios; content is not grammar-driven offers a sense of completion as there is a progress test after every module, covering specific learning objectives. Learn English Select develops the English language skills needed when entering the workplace, when on the job and when facing the public A self-printable certificate of completion is available after the end of each level. There are two versions of the course: Digital version Blended version *Single module Learn English Select **Complete course Learn English Select: 5 modules 45 hours 45 hours online and 20 hours face-to-face. 225 hours 225 hours online and 100 hours face-to-face. *Single module means one level/eight modules for six months. **Complete course means five levels/40 modules (5 levels x 8 modules = 40 modules) for one year. 5
Annex 1: Common European Framework of Reference These levels describe a learner s general English language proficiency. You can find this scale and more detailed information about the CEF from www.alte.org Proficient User Independent User Basic User C2 C1 B2 B1 A2 A1 Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations. Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices. Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options. Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes & ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans. Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need. Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/her and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help. 6