Class contents and exam requirements English Language Code 30123-30129 IELTS Academic B2 - Preparation Course Head Teacher: Prof. Dermot Costello Introduction pag. 2 Program pag. 3 Set and recommended textbooks pag. 6 Concluding Info pag. 7 Reference: a.y. 2012-2013/30129/June 2012 Bocconi Language Centre materials are developed solely for self-study and class use. Copyright June/2012 Università Bocconi Author: Dermot Costello No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of Bocconi Centro Linguistico.
IELTS Academic B2 preparation course The course is aimed at students enrolled in a Bachelor program taught in Italian (CLEAM, CLES, CLEACC, CLEF, CLMG) who already have an adequate level of knowledge of the language, established by a specific placement test. It is for a limited number of applicants and is a one semester course. Terms and enrollment procedures will be communicated via the student s diary you@b at the beginning of each semester. Please note that the course will run only if a minimum number of enrollments is received. The course takes into account the fact that the students are preparing solely for the Cambridge external certification IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing). In order to achieve a B2 level students will be given the necessary skills and tools. This should enable the students to consolidate their level and pass an IELTS Academic certificate at a grade of 5.5 or higher Learning Path In order to prepare students in each of these four skills, IELTS Academic preparation course consists of four modules: Listening Speaking Reading Writing. The aim of the course is to provide a solid preparation in order to tackle and successfully pass the two hour and forty-five minute test. Listening Module: provides a variety of recorded materials, including monologues and dialogues. The level of the materials will be graded to reflect the different levels of difficulty of each listening task. Academic Reading Module: presents a range of reading passages, taken from magazines, journals and newspaper, with the objective of developing the appropriate skills required to successfully complete the three reading sections in the test. Academic Writing Module: provides the tools to tackle the two writing tasks. o First task: a written presentation describing in your own words the information taken from a diagram, chart or other data. o Second task: discussing a current issue or topic, for which the student is asked to present and justify an opinion or analyse a problem. Speaking Module: develops the speaking skills needed to complete a one-to-one interview. o o The first task is related to familiar topics such as home, family, habits or job etc. The second task provides the tools to talk about a topic for one-to-two minutes after having been given a one-minute preparation period. Finally, the last task is linked to developing a two-way discussion concerning a more abstract issue/topic. In conclusion, the course will also outline the markers used in evaluating their performance. Markers such as task achievement, task response, cohesion and coherence, vocabulary range and grammatical accuracy. 2
1. Health s magic bullet page 8 Exercise facts 1 Text types 2 The walking school bus questions T/F/NG; global questions 1 Talking about personal interests (Parts 1,2) 2 Comparing and contrasting Dealing with unknown Vocabulary Assignments: Academic Style Functions Page 16, Academic Vocabulary Page 17 2. Food for thought Page 18 Healthy eating 1 Interpreting data 2 Paragraphing 1 Students Union survey 2 Healthy eating Eating habits (Part 1) Assignments: Reflective Learning 1 What is reflective learning? Page 27 3. Location is everything Page 28 Identifying cities Location is everything Matching sentences 1 Urban problems (Part 3) 2 Describing places (Parts 1,2) Assignments: Academic Style Formality Page 36; Academic Vocabulary 2 Page 37 4. Haves and have-nots Page 38 World quiz 1 Interpreting and comparing data 2 Paragraphing Wasting energy 2 Case study: Sao Paulo Standards of living Assignments: Critical Thinking 1 What is critical thinking? Page 47 5. Hurry Sickness Page 48 The pace of life 1 Hurry Sickness Headings: multiple choice; Summary completion 2 Distinguishing fact from opinion 1 Stereotypes (Part 1) 2 Priorities Assignments: Academic Style 3 Nouns and Noun phrases 1 Page 56; Academic Vocabulary 3 Page 57 6. Time out Page 58 Leisure Structuring an argument: Evidence-led approach Leisure activities 1 Student interviews 2 Ten ways to slow down your life Assignments: Reflective Learning 2 Self-evaluation and setting learning goals Page 67 Describing people vocabulary: pronunciation: Word stress 3
7. Retail therapy Page 68 Shopping Behaviour Retail therapy Questions : Summary Matching T/F/NG Discussing likes and dislikes; Consumer topics (Parts 1, 3) 2 Describing objects (Part) Business and Economics vocabulary; Pronunciation Sounds Assignments: Academic Style 4 Nouns and Noun phrases 2 Page 76; Academic Vocabulary 4 Page 77 8. What s on Page 78 The Arts and culture vocabulary; Word stress Describing tables and graphs 2 Presenting and justifying an option 1 Music festival 2 The Museum of Anthropology 1 Discuss cultural attractions (Part 2) 2 Describing an event (Part2) (Task 2 ) Assignments: Critical Thinking 2 What is critical thinking? Page 87 9. Water, water everywhere Page 88 Water use 1 Water: Earth s most precious resource 2 The Ecology of Hollywood Table matching; sentence multiple choice Water issues Derived adjectives Assignments: Academic Style 5 Hedging Page 96; Academic Vocabulary 5 Page 97 10. Hazard warning Page 98 Taking risks quiz Describing a process 1 Predicting a volcanic eruption 2 Tsunami 1 Natural hazards (Part 1) sounds 2 Describing stages, discussing risk (parts 2, 3) Assignments: Reflective Learning 3 Learning and recording vocabulary Page 107 11. Use it or lose it page 108 Memory test 1 Sleep Reading for detail 2 Use it or lose it Multiple choice; sentence Matching; T/F/NG Memories (Parts 2,3) Word families 4
Assignments: Academic Style 6 Signposting Page 116; Academic Vocabulary 6 Page 117 12. You live and learn Page 118 Education Vocabulary ; Word stress 1 Presenting an opinion: thesisled approach Identifying data 1 The golden rules of listening 2 Making the most of your memory 1 Schooldays (Parts 1,2) 2 Teachers and students Assignments: Critical Thinking 3 Questioning Page 127 13. Bones to Phones Page 128 Communication Introducing systems examples 1 Communication devices 2 Bones to phones Locating information; Matching; multiple choice Comparing and contrasting Assignments: Academic Style 7 Attributive adjectives Page 136; Academic Vocabulary 7 Page 137 14. The proper channels Page 138 Electronic messaging silent letters, sounds 1 Dealing with different data 2 Beginning and ending 1 Mean survey 2 Couch potatoes (Section 3 ) 1 Communication problems (Part 3) The written word (Part 2) Assignments: Reflective Learning 4 dealing with errors Page 147 15. Beyond gravity Page 148 Space quiz 1 Out of this world Sentence T/F/NG; Matching; multiple choice; Labelling a diagram; Matching 1 The final frontier 2 Sci-fi (Part 2) Assignments: Academic Style 8 Nouns and Noun phrases 3 Page 156; Academic Vocabulary 8 Page 157 16. Going forward Page 158 Predictions 1 Explaining how something works 2 Summarising sentences 1 Reality or science fiction? 2 The technohouse 1 Predicting the future ( Part 3) 2 Personal goals (Part 2) Assignments: Critical Thinking 4 Evaluation Page 167 5
17. Avoiding gridlock Page 168 Transport facts 1 Avoiding gridlock Locating information; Sentence and flow-chart completion. 2 Demolishing stereotypes questions; Classification On four wheels More or less Verbs expressing increase and decrease Assignments: Academic Style 9 Being Impersonal Page 176; Academic Vocabulary 9 Page 177 18. Small world Page 178 Tourism 1 Presenting solution to a problem 2 Dealing with different data 1 Worldwide student projects 2 The end of the oil 1 Tourism vocabulary; Sounds 2 Time off (Parts 1-3) Assignments: Reflective Learning 5 Time management Page 187 19. Face value Page 188 Facial expressions 1 Face the facts 2 Reference links; Dealing with unknown vocabulary 2 Face questions, Table completion, Multiple choice 1 Face the facts 1 2 Dress the part (Parts 2,3) Assignments: Academic Style 10 Review Page 196; Academic Vocabulary 10 Page 197 20. Through the lens Page 198 Wording building Noun and adjective formation; dependent prepositions Photography word stress Describing an object Practice interview (Part 1-3) Photography Courses (section 1) 2 History of cinema Assignments: Critical Thinking 5 Presenting another point of view Page 207, Academic Word List Page 208, Key Language Bank Page 210, Writing Practice Bank 235 Set textbook Sue O Connell Focus on IELTS, Pearson - Longman, Students Book 2010 6
Concluding info The preparation course is aimed to the relevant external certification, which takes place at the authorized exam centers. Further information concerning centers, dates, fees and registration procedures can be found at www.ielts.org. Please note that to achieve the best results student should take the exam as soon as possible after the end of the course. The certification can be converted as an alternative to the English exams (codes 30123 and 30129) if the student hasn t already passed them. Further information Bocconi learning path and exams ( Path 2, Path 3) at www.unibocconi.eu/languagecenter > Exams-Certificates > Bocconi exams Conversion table (results/grade out of thirty) at www.unibocconi.eu/languagecenter > Exams-Certificates > Language Certificates. 7