Pre-intermediate syllabus class.ef.com
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, INTRODUCTION Pre-intermediate syllabus We present the first seven units of our Pre-intermediate course at a B1 CEFR level. These units focus on the United Kingdom, teen life, the Commonwealth, society and politics, the United States, leisure time, and the environment. They explore issues relevant to students lives and also take an in-depth look at the diversity of the English-speaking world. We look forward to getting feedback from teachers on these materials. This will enable us to adjust and improve forthcoming Pre-intermediate lessons. 02
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, OVERVIEW Pre-intermediate overview GRAMMAR LISTENING SPEAKING READING WRITING PROJECT THE UNITED KINGDOM Multicultural food in London: Present perfect and simple past Britain s Industrial Revolution: A historical documentary Meeting a UK family: A polite conversation Alice s Adventures in Wonderland: A British novel extract In response to your advertisement: A formal email A British sport: A presentation TEEN LIFE Online bullying: Second conditional Teenagers and alcohol: A news report Relationship issues: Giving advice Body image: A newspaper article A memorable experience: A personal narrative Teen pressures: A blog post THE COMMONWEALTH What is the Commonwealth?: Phrasal verbs Canada s indigenous people: A documentary Organizing a trip in a Commonwealth country: A telephone conversation South Africa in the 21st century: A newspaper article Commonwealth countries: A compare and contrast essay A Commonwealth country, past, present, and future: A presentation SOCIETY AND POLITICS Let s protest: Past modal verbs Disability today: A news report Crime and punishment: A discussion Immigration and farright extremism: A newspaper article I can t agree: Online comments on an article Issues in society: A debate THE UNITED STATES History and America s Wild West: Third conditional Civil rights and segregation: A documentary Who was the first US president?: A quiz The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: A US novel extract What s going on?: An informal email The story of a US song: Creative writing LEISURE TIME Video games now!: Passives The Jamaican sprint factory: A sports documentary Choose a movie: A group discussion Online trends: An article Five stars: A review Watch this!: A demonstration THE ENVIRONMENT Green technology: Future tenses Save the pandas: A news report How environmentally friendly are you?: A survey Climate change: An article The future of our planet: An opinion essay Environmental issues: A speech 03
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, THE UNITED KINGDOM The United Kingdom The United Kingdom unit covers the rich variety of life in the British Isles, offering insights into its unique and distinctive food, sports, culture, history, geography, and rules of etiquette. GRAMMAR LISTENING SPEAKING Multicultural food in London: Present perfect and simple past Britain s Industrial Revolution: A historical documentary Meeting a UK family: A polite conversation Be able to use the present perfect and simple past tenses Be able to discuss international food and food experiences Practise using for and since with time expressions Understand and respond to part of an authentic historical documentary about Britain s Industrial Revolution Use a variety of listening strategies effectively Choose the correct definitions for new words based on their use in the documentary Recognize vocabulary related to industry Understand the need for politeness in English-speaking countries Be able to use polite language to greet, request, offer, and apologize Recognize phrases commonly used in polite conversations Focus on appropriate and inappropriate behaviour, topics, and language in polite conversations Authentic video: BBC documentary 04
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, THE UNITED KINGDOM READING WRITING PROJECT Alice s Adventures in Wonderland: A British novel extract In response to your advertisement: A formal email A British sport: A presentation Understand and respond to the content and language of an authentic novel extract Be able to use a variety of reading strategies effectively Recognize vocabulary in works of fiction Practise using nouns to describe feelings Write a formal email asking for information Recognize phrases for politely making requests, introducing new information, and showing contrast in emails Focus on identifying and using formal structures and language in an email Give a presentation about a sport from the United Kingdom Authentic text: Extract from Alice s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 05
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, TEEN LIFE Teen life The Teen life unit covers issues that arise in the move from childhood into adulthood, from worrying about physical appearances to bullying, relationships, and the experiences which often define who we are for the rest of our lives. GRAMMAR LISTENING SPEAKING Online bullying: Second conditional Teenagers and alcohol: A news report Relationship issues: Giving advice Be able to use the second conditional Be able to have a conversation about online bullying Recognize and form compound words related to online technology Understand and respond to part of an authentic report on teenage issues Use a variety of listening strategies effectively and recognize attitudes Choose the correct definitions for new words based on their use in the report Practise writing definitions for informal American slang terms Be able to give advice on relationship problems Recognize language for giving advice Understand the structure of a discussion about a specific topic Authentic video: CBS news report 06
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, TEEN LIFE READING WRITING PROJECT Body image: A newspaper article A memorable experience: A personal narrative Teen pressures: A blog post Understand and respond to the content and language of an authentic news article on teenage issues Be able to use a variety of reading strategies effectively Choose the correct definitions for new words based on their use in the text Write a personal narrative Recognize and categorize phrases for talking about time Focus on sequencing events using time phrases Create a blog post Practise using negative prefixes with different adjectives Authentic text: Guardian newspaper article 07
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, THE COMMONWEALTH The Commonwealth In the Commonwealth unit, students learn about the Commonwealth of Nations and Britain s Imperial legacy through topics such as the lives of indigenous Canadians, the challenges of post-apartheid South Africa, and Indian tourism. GRAMMAR LISTENING SPEAKING What is the Commonwealth?: Phrasal verbs Canada s indigenous people: A documentary Organizing a trip in a Commonwealth country: A telephone conversation Be able to use phrasal verbs correctly in sentences Gain knowledge of the Commonwealth and its purpose in the world today Practise forming and using phrasal verbs Understand and respond to part of an authentic documentary about indigenous people in the Commonwealth Use a variety of listening strategies effectively Choose the correct definitions for new words based on their use in the documentary Role-play making a phone call in English Recognize language for clarifying meaning and checking understanding in telephone calls Focus on improving telephone skills Practise using idiomatic language Authentic video: BBC documentary 08
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, THE COMMONWEALTH READING WRITING PROJECT South Africa in the 21st century: A newspaper article Commonwealth countries: A compare and contrast essay A Commonwealth country, past, present, and future: A presentation Gain an understanding of social issues in a Commonwealth country Understand the content, language, and purpose of an article Choose the correct definitions for new words based on their use in the text Recognize different forms from the same word family Write a compare and contrast essay about two Commonwealth countries Recognize words that link sentences together to compare and contrast Focus on the structure and language of a compare and contrast essay Give a presentation on the past, present, and future of a Commonwealth country Authentic text: Guardian opinion article 09
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS Society and politics The Society and politics unit covers key issues that may affect students lives in today s society, such as protest movements, immigration, disability, and crime. GRAMMAR LISTENING SPEAKING Let s protest: Past modal verbs Disability today: A news report Crime and punishment: A discussion Be able to use past modals of deduction and speculation Be able to discuss and speculate about different types of protest Practise forming and using modal verbs of permission, prohibition, and obligation in the past and present Understand and respond to part of an authentic news report about a teenager who has a disability Use a variety of listening strategies effectively Choose the correct definitions for new words based on their use in the news report Hold a discussion about suitable punishments for crimes Identify phrases for giving opinions Focus on disagreeing politely Practise forming and using words with the suffixes -ence and -ent Authentic video: CBS news report 10
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS READING WRITING PROJECT Immigration and far-right extremism: A newspaper article I can t agree: Online comments on an article Issues in society: A debate Understand and respond to the content and language of an authentic news article about immigration and far-right extremism Be able to use a variety of reading strategies effectively Choose the correct definitions for new words based on their use in the text Practise using verb + noun collocations Write an online comment on an article Categorize expressions for strong agreement, partial agreement, partial disagreement, and strong disagreement Focus on the structure and language of an online comment Take part in a short debate Authentic text: Guardian newspaper article 11
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, THE UNITED STATES The United States In the United States unit, students learn about various aspects of US life and history through topics such as the Wild West and civil rights, and current issues such as gun control, as well as literature through an extract from the classic US novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. GRAMMAR LISTENING SPEAKING History and America s Wild West: Third conditional Civil rights and segregation: A documentary Who was the first US president?: A quiz Be able to use the third conditional Gain an understanding of the expansion of the United States into the west during the 19th century Practise using first, second, and third conditionals Understand and respond to part of an authentic documentary about segregation in the United States and the civil rights movement Use a variety of listening strategies effectively Find and accurately explain the meaning of words used in the documentary Practise using verb + preposition collocations Take part in a quiz about the United States Recognize language for expressing certainty, guessing answers, giving yourself time to think, and saying someone is right Focus on working in a group Authentic video: 12 CBS documentary
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, THE UNITED STATES READING WRITING PROJECT The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: A US novel extract What s going on?: An informal email The story of a US song: Creative writing Understand and respond to the content and language of an authentic novel extract Be able to use a variety of reading strategies effectively Choose the correct definitions for new words based on their use in the text Write an informal email Recognize appropriate language for an informal email Focus on the structure and language of an informal email Write a short story based on the lyrics of a song Practise forming and using words with the suffixes -ful and -less Authentic text: Extract from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 13
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, LEISURE TIME Leisure time In the Leisure time unit, students learn about different ways to spend their free time through topics such as video games, online trends, sports, and movies. GRAMMAR LISTENING SPEAKING Video games now!: Passives The Jamaican sprint factory: A sports documentary Choose a movie: A group discussion Be able to use passives Be able to discuss trends related to technology, particularly video games Practise forming irregular past participles Understand and respond to part of an authentic sports documentary Use a variety of listening strategies effectively Write definitions for new words based on their use in the documentary Practise forming collocations with go, do, and play Work in a group to discuss and decide on a film to watch together Recognize and use language for interrupting politely and continuing after an interruption Focus on making decisions together Authentic video: Guardian documentary 14
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, LEISURE TIME READING WRITING PROJECT Online trends: An article Five stars: A review Watch this!: A demonstration Understand and respond to the content and language of an authentic article on an online trend Be able to use a variety of reading strategies effectively Recognize new words based on their use in the text Recognize acronyms and initials commonly used online Write a book, film, or TV review Identify the function of language used in reviews Focus on the structure and language of a review Give a demonstration about a hobby or interest Authentic text: Guardian opinion article 15
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, THE ENVIRONMENT The environment The environment unit covers key topics such as climate change, saving endangered species, and green technology, as well as actions that students can take to help save the planet. GRAMMAR LISTENING SPEAKING Green technology: Future tenses Save the pandas: A news report How environmentally friendly are you?: A survey Be able to use future tenses Be able to discuss green technology of the future Practise using the simple present and present progressive to talk about the future Understand and respond to a news report about saving pandas Use a variety of listening strategies effectively Recognize new words based on their use in the news report Recognize and use language related to wildlife conservation Carry out a survey about the environment Recognize language for checking understanding, saying you understand, and saying you don t understand Focus on writing, carrying out, and answering surveys Authentic video: ITN news report 16
PRE-INTERMEDIATE, THE ENVIRONMENT READING WRITING PROJECT Climate change: An article The future of our planet: An opinion essay Environmental issues: A speech Understand and respond to the content and language of an authentic news article on climate change Be able to use a variety of reading strategies effectively Recognize new words based on their use in the text Recognize language for extreme weather events Write an opinion essay about an environmental issue Identify the function of sentence linkers used to introduce reasons and results Focus on writing opinion essays Give a persuasive speech about an environmental issue Authentic text: Guardian newspaper article 17
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