Special Interest Groups

Fluency and Experience

Pronunciation

• This speaking skills class will help you speak more clearly and naturally.
• It will guide you from controlled practice to communicative interaction.
• You will develop the most important parts of spoken English, such as stress, rhythm, and intonation.

Vocabulary development

• This class improves your reading skills and vocabulary.
• You will work with academic materials and learn valuable words from the Academic Word List.

Conversation skills

• This SIG improves your speaking.
• You will learn common idioms, phrases, and modern expressions.
• You will also improve your listening and speaking by acquiring conversational vocabulary.

Group discussion

• This SIG covers important topics that are debated in American or British society.
• You will learn how to apply abstract ideas, think critically about what you learn, and exchange your opinions respectfully. All in English!

Elementary skills

• On this SIG, you will focus equally on writing, reading, listening and speaking.
• You are given the language training and practice you need to become a skilled and confident communicator.

British culture and history

• This SIG looks at British history, literature, philosophy, law, etiquette and the British education system.
• You will visit places of interest, whilst also improving your English.
• There is a focus on spoken fluency and reading skills.

Survival English

• This SIG is for beginners with very little English.
• It provides specific support in the daily functions necessary to 'survive' in the UK or US.
• You will develop your everyday spoken English skills and your cultural awareness through thematic study.

Discussion skills

• This SIG focuses on English used to agree and disagree, negotiate, suggest, clarify, summarise or any other type of discussion.
• It also develops your listening skills and the accuracy and fluency of your pronunciation.
• You will explore the differences between how discussions are conducted in English and in your own culture.

American culture

• This SIG looks at American views on religion, business, government, race relations, education and family.
• You will develop more advanced vocabulary and refine your English skills.

Drama

• This SIG focuses on English in the context of drama.
• Your existing dramatic knowledge in English will be expanded and you will develop your skills in play writing, acting and directing.
• You can work together in class to produce and perform a short dramatic piece.

Cinema and television

• This SIG improves your oral skills and your understanding of English-speaking culture by analysing films and TV shows.
• You will develop idiomatic language and vocabulary while understanding differences in dialect and social communication.

Music

• This SIG introduces the musical genres and styles of modern music in the US or UK.
• You will develop your language skills by exploring your own musical interests.

Speaking, drama and pronunciation

• This SIG will develop the clarity and fluency of your spoken English through a range of drama-based activities.
• You will focus on pronunciation, from individual sounds to words, phrases, sentences and longer stretches of speech.
• You will gain the knowledge, skills and practice to use spoken English in a variety of contexts and for a range of purposes. You’ll learn to speak with clarity, precision and emotional expressiveness.