English Lower Intermediate B1.1 Course Offered by Università di Napoli Federico II from Coursera

The English Lower Intermediate B1.1 Course offered by Università di Napoli Federico II on Coursera is designed to help learners improve their English language skills to an intermediate level. Here’s an overview of what you might expect from such a course:
Course Description
This course is likely structured to build on existing basic English skills, helping learners develop a more solid understanding of the language. It typically covers the following areas:

  • Grammar: Focus on intermediate grammar topics, such as past tenses, future forms, conditionals, and modal verbs.
  • Vocabulary: Expansion of vocabulary related to everyday topics, work, travel, and more specific areas of interest.
  • Listening: Improving listening skills through various audio materials, including conversations, interviews, and lectures.
  • Speaking: Enhancing speaking abilities through practice exercises, role-plays, and possibly interaction with peers or instructors.
  • Reading: Developing reading comprehension with texts of intermediate complexity, including articles, stories, and factual texts.
  • Writing: Practicing writing skills, including emails, reports, and essays.

Skills you will gain

Here’s a detailed look at what you will learn:
Course Learning Outcomes
1. Essential Grammar and Vocabulary

  • Grammar:
    • Mastery of intermediate grammar topics such as past tenses (simple past, past continuous), future forms (will, going to), conditionals (zero, first, and second conditionals), and modal verbs (can, could, should, must).
    • Usage of comparative and superlative forms of adjectives.
    • Understanding and using prepositions of time and place.
    • Forming questions and negatives in various tenses.
  • Vocabulary:
    • Expansion of vocabulary related to everyday life, work, travel, and specific areas of interest.
    • Learning phrases and expressions for common situations such as shopping, dining, and asking for directions.
    • Building a vocabulary base for discussing hobbies, interests, and personal experiences.
    • Acquiring technical terms and jargon relevant to specific fields as necessary.

2. Reading and Listening Skills Development

  • Reading:
    • Comprehension of intermediate-level texts including articles, short stories, and factual information.
    • Strategies for understanding the main ideas, details, and inferences in written texts.
    • Enhancing the ability to read for different purposes (skimming, scanning, detailed reading).
  • Listening:
    • Developing the ability to understand spoken English in various contexts, including conversations, interviews, and lectures.
    • Improving listening for gist and specific information.
    • Exposure to different accents and speeds of speech to build adaptability.

3. Problem-Solving Skills for Travel

  • Practical skills for dealing with real-world travel situations such as:
    • Booking accommodation and transportation.
    • Asking for and giving directions.
    • Handling travel-related issues like lost luggage, delays, and cancellations.
    • Communicating effectively in emergencies and seeking assistance.

What you will learn

English is a critical international language for both the workplace and academic study. The course includes varied learning activities that will enable you to communicate effectively in diverse situations and on a range of important topics, including daily life, travel, and food. By the end of the course, you will be an independent user of the English language, capable of handling practical situations while abroad, such as finding work, accommodation, and creating a social network.
Course Structure: 6 Modules
Module 1: Welcome and Introduction

  • Overview:
    • Introduction to the course and its objectives.
    • Orientation to the learning platform and resources.
  • Content:
    • Brief introduction to key topics covered in the course.
    • Initial assessment to gauge your current English level.

Module 2: Daily Life

  • Grammar and Vocabulary:
    • Present simple and continuous tenses.
    • Vocabulary related to daily routines, household chores, and common activities.
  • Skills Development:
    • Listening: Understanding conversations about daily life.
    • Speaking: Describing your daily routine and discussing common activities.
    • Reading: Comprehending texts about everyday life.
    • Writing: Writing about your daily schedule and habits.

Module 3: Travel

  • Grammar and Vocabulary:
    • Past simple and past continuous tenses.
    • Vocabulary for travel, including transportation, accommodation, and directions.
  • Skills Development:
    • Listening: Following travel-related dialogues and announcements.
    • Speaking: Asking for and giving directions, booking accommodation.
    • Reading: Understanding travel brochures and timetables.
    • Writing: Writing travel itineraries and postcards.

Module 4: Food and Eating Out

  • Grammar and Vocabulary:
    • Countable and uncountable nouns, quantifiers.
    • Vocabulary related to food, meals, and restaurants.
  • Skills Development:
    • Listening: Comprehending conversations in restaurants and food-related contexts.
    • Speaking: Ordering food, discussing preferences.
    • Reading: Reading menus and recipes.
    • Writing: Writing a recipe or a restaurant review.

Module 5: Social and Work Life

  • Grammar and Vocabulary:
    • Future forms: will, going to, present continuous for future.
    • Vocabulary for job hunting, social interactions, and workplace communication.
  • Skills Development:
    • Listening: Understanding job interviews and workplace conversations.
    • Speaking: Discussing job preferences, engaging in social small talk.
    • Reading: Reading job advertisements and workplace guidelines.
    • Writing: Writing a cover letter and a simple CV.

Module 6: Practical Situations Abroad

  • Grammar and Vocabulary:
    • Modal verbs (can, could, should, must) for advice and obligations.
    • Vocabulary for dealing with emergencies, health issues, and social networking.
  • Skills Development:
    • Listening: Understanding emergency instructions and health consultations.
    • Speaking: Asking for help, describing symptoms, making social plans.
    • Reading: Reading signs, notices, and online social media posts.
    • Writing: Writing messages to friends and family, creating a social media post.