Connection. Confidence. Knowledge. Success. Professional English Courses 2014 Bloom Language College: helping you go further, faster. 1
Table of Contents: Director s Welcome..p.3 About Bloom..p.4 Discover Ireland p.5 Professional Courses.p.6 Academic Courses p.8 Junior Homestay Courses p.9 About the Bloom Language Portfolio p.10 2
Director s Welcome Thank you for your interest in learning English with us. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Bloom Language College. Established in 2013, Bloom Language College has set itself the goal of becoming a globally recognised brand in professional English language training. Our mission is to fulfil the English Language Training needs of our clients, and in so doing, to exceed their expectations for quality, service and value. We will always strive to earn our customers loyalty and recommendation, by working hard to deliver more than promised, by being honest and fair, and by going the extra mile to ensure all our clients receive exceptional service. To achieve the best results we make full use of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and the European Language Portfolio (ELP), to ensure that all our clients are fully conversant with the learning process. We don t just teach English, we teach confidence, and we teach success. I encourage you to visit our website at www.bloomlanguagecollege.com, or to contact us by email at info@bloomlanguagecollege.com to learn more. I look forward to welcoming you, in person, to Bloom Language College in the future Yours Sincerely, Louis Vernon Bloom College Director 3
About Bloom Bloom Language College is a new institution, established to serve the training needs of professional clients. Drawing on years of experience, our staff of industry experts and experienced teachers are committed to providing each of our clients with a tailored learning experience. Using our Bloom Language Portfolio, we maximize the learning potential of our clients through our actionoriented approach to learning. Our methodology encourages learners to use their own life experience and fields of interest to create their optimum path to proficiency. At Bloom there is no one size fits all approach. We know that each learner is an individual, with their own learning style. We help you to identify that style and to use it to reach your goals. Bloom Language College is not just another language school. All our course are fully focused on the individual needs of each of our clients. We offer full immersion courses to help you get the most from your stay. With us, you will eat, sleep and play in English. We know that you strive for excellence. At Bloom we do too. Our promise is to give you the confidence you need to achieve your potential, and the portfolio to prove it. 4
Discover Ireland Ireland is an island situated to the north-west of continental Europe. It is a country famed for its natural beauty, from the rugged fiords on the Atlantic coast in the south west to the wondrous Giant s Causeway in the north east. Ireland is well known for the friendliness of its people, and for its contribution to literature, music and art. Ireland is an independent country, whose capital city is Dublin. Dublin is a cosmopolitan city, situated at the mouth of the river Liffey in Dublin bay. It offers a warm welcome to people from all over the world. Geographically it is a small city, easily crossed on foot or by bicycle. The population of the city is about 600,000, with a further 600,000 in the suburbs. It is not necessary to own a car in Dublin as there is a good public transport service. For students who wish to rent a car and travel, we drive on the left hand side. Dublin has many great restaurants and bars in the city centre. It also has a thriving live music and theatre scene. The climate of Ireland is temperate, which means it does not suffer extremes of temperature. The average temperature in winter in Ireland is about five degrees, rising to 20 degrees in summer. Ireland is also a country where it rains often, on average 175 days a year are considered wet days. Students should be aware that they will need to be prepared for all kinds of weather in Ireland, regardless of the season. 5
Professional English Courses English for Business In an increasingly globalised world, English is the language of communication of International trade. Our Business English courses prepare you to communicate effectively and efficiently on the international stage. The course is designed to make you an fluent in: Business Correspondence Report writing Presentations Meetings Negotiation The course makes use of the European Language Portfolio and the description of language competence provided in CEFR. Courses range from one to 12 weeks. Whether you are a student preparing to study business in an English speaking University or an entrepreneur who wants to enter the global market, this is the course for you. English for Aviation International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Course 291: This intensive course prepares pilots and air traffic controllers to reach ICAO Level 4 and above. The course includes general English and industry specific English. It deals with the specific challenges posed by radiotelephony. The course has a strong emphasis on listening, pronunciation, and accuracy in communication. The course makes use of the European Language Portfolio and the description of language competence provided in CEFR. Bloom Language College offers the English Language Proficiency for Aeronautical Communication (ELPAC) test at the end of the course. It is the responsibility of the learner to check the acceptability of the ELPAC test with their national civil aviation organisation. Other Aviation English: We also offer a more general course in English suitable for cabin crew, ground crews, engineers and dispatchers. Contact us for details. Courses range from one to 12 weeks. English for Medicine This intensive course is aimed at overseas doctors, nurses, dentists and other medical professionals, who intend to seek work in an English speaking country. The course includes general and academic English, as well as cultural awareness. It prepares students for the reality of living and working in an English environment. The course makes use of the European Language Portfolio and the description of language competence provided in CEFR. Students hoping to take an IELTS exam to work in the UK or Ireland should book the course at least two months in advance to ensure that a suitable test date is available. Courses range from one to 12 weeks. 6
Professional English Courses All our professional English courses are available at executive or standard level. Standard level: Our standard level courses involve 15 hours of general English lessons, followed by ten hours of job specific English. In the first lesson series we focus on general English: pronunciation, accuracy and fluency. While in the second lesson series we focus on communication specific to your professional area. The average class size for general English is ten (maximum 12) and for professional English is six (maximum 8). There is a minimum entry level requirement of CEFR Level B1, intermediate, for students attending professional English courses. We offer all students the chance to join us for a Saturday excursion to see one of Ireland s many wonderful sights. Details of the excursions and the cost will be made available during the week. We also encourage our students to stay with one of our carefully selected host families, who will provide you with a nurturing environment in which to practise your English. Executive Level: There is no minimum level requirement for the executive level course. Our executive level courses offer 20 hours of one to one language coaching, focusing on the specific needs of the individual. You set the goals and we teach to them, offering you a better, faster way to the language proficiency you require. This is followed by a further ten hours of small group lessons where you can put what you have learned into practise with other professionals in your field. The average size of the small group lessons is three (maximum five). The executive full immersion course offers a shadowing service or competent companion service. You are accompanied by an English speaker on a number of social activities and a full day excursion on Saturdays. This offers the maximum input, ensuring you are learning, and practising all the time. We do encourage our students to stay with a carefully selected executive host family who will provide comfort and conversation. At Bloom we estimate that students on the full immersion, executive course can expect to rise one level on the CEFR every six weeks, up to level B2 upper Intermediate. 7
Academic English Courses Bloom s academic English courses are designed to cater for students who intend to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level at an English speaking University. The focus of the lessons is on improving your accuracy, fluency and confidence in English. All lessons cover the key skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Our task-based, communicative activities will give you the confidence to communicate in English in all situations, and our focus on academic skills will ensure you succeed in meeting your educational goals. To increase the level of attention you receive, Academic English courses take place in groups of four in the home of your teacher. Students wishing to take the IELTS exam should book at least two months in advance to be sure of getting an exam place. Our Academic English courses include: Assessment of your current level of English 20 hours of group lessons Personal Bloom Language Portfolio Continuous feedback from your teacher and a personal learning plan for when you finish the course. Chaperone to the exam centre on the day of the test At Bloom we also offer an immersion programme to help you to continue to learn outside the classroom. This includes: Airport transfers Seven nights full board homestay accommodation Packed lunch each day Three afternoon excursions to sites of historical or cultural interest. Saturday excursion One evening s entertainment All of the extra-curricular activities take place in the company of a learning facilitator. 8
Junior Homestay English Courses Our courses for teenage learners take place 40 kilometres south of Dublin city in the seaside village of Greystones, County Wicklow. Wicklow, The Garden of Ireland, is known for its breath-taking beauty, and Greystones is one of its more charming villages. Greystones is a very safe town with a proud history of welcoming students which stretches back more than twenty years. You too are sure to get a warm welcome when you join us for one of our summer courses. All summer courses include: Airport transfers Full board accommodation with one of our carefully selected host families. 15 hours of English lessons each week with one of our qualified and committed teachers Afternoon and evening activities and excursions conducted in English Cultural outing every Saturday Placement test on arrival and certificate of achievement on departure Disco every week The chance to make friends from all over the world All of our summer courses are available as group tuition or as four to one. Four to one students spend the full day from 9.30 to 17.00 in the company of a teacher. Four to one students have 15 hours of lessons followed by an afternoon excursion which enables them to continue using the English thy learned in class. All lessons and excursions are tied to the Bloom Portfolio. We like to live by the Irish saying: There are no strangers here; only friends you haven t met yet, and one of the great things about your holiday with us is that you will meet, and make friends with, people from many different countries. 9
About The Bloom Language Portfolio The Bloom Language Portfolio is a personal document in which language learners can record and reflect on their language learning and intercultural experiences. The Portfolio provides a space where learners can Record all of their language learning, whether it takes place inside or outside the classroom Develop their ability to plan, record and evaluate their own learning Think about the ways in which they learn best Record significant intercultural experiences Gather evidence of their language skills Document their language learning achievements The goal of the portfolio is to make the learning process more transparent so as to develop the learner s awareness of the process of learning. This in turn helps to accommodate learner initiative and control of the learning process. The portfolio also encourages the lifelong learning of languages. The Bloom Language Portfolio makes full use of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, and the six levels of communicative proficiency defined therein. The Portfolio is divided into three parts A language passport The passport provides a space for the learner to summarise his/her linguistic and cultural identity, language qualifications, experience of using different languages and contacts with different cultures. A language biography The biography helps the learner to set learning targets, to record and reflect on language learning and on intercultural experiences and to regularly assess progress. The biography focuses on an action oriented approach to language. That is, it sees the learner as a social agent who uses language to perform actions. A large part of the biography is given over to can do descriptors, which help the learner to recognise what it is necessary to be able to do in a language to have reached each of the CEFR levels. A dossier In this part of the Bloom Language Portfolio the learner can keep samples of his/her work in the languages he or she is learning. This allows the learner to prove the veracity of their portfolio and to monitor their increasing ability over time. 10