The General English Course consists of 18 hours tuition (60 minutes per hour) per week and the aim is to help you achieve fluency, accuracy and confidence in both spoken and written English.
There are classes at all levels from Elementary to Advanced. The maximum class size is 10 (12 in July and August) and although the minimum age for this course is 16, more than 50% of our students are aged between 25 and 50 and often older. TIS students come from all over the world and there are usually between 15 and 25 nationalities in the school.
Classes take place every morning from Monday to Friday 0900 to 1230 plus Tuesday afternoon from 1330 to 1600. You will be able to join the social and sporting activities and excursions on your free afternoons, at weekends, and some evenings.
The way we study
We focus on the needs of our students and teach the four skills - Speaking, Reading, Writing and Listening - in an interactive way. We build confidence and stimulate social interaction. Students work with each other and the teacher to improve their grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. Language is all about communicating with other people and we aim to help you improve your communicative language skills as much as possible.
...and you will find:
Motivated, experienced, and qualified teachers who offer a varied and interesting tuition programme in and out of the classroom.
A friendly and helpful atmosphere
Small classes – maximum 10, average 6/8 (max 12 in July/August, average 9/10)
Lending library with easy readers & reference books and dictionaries
Self-access Internet Centre
Wireless connection throughout the school
Classroom Work & Daily Timetable
Here is a sample of a classroom week at the Intermediate level on the 18 hour General English Course.
Teacher: Michel Thomas
Level: Intermediate
Students: Markus aged 20 (Germany), Esther 41 (Israel), Yoko 24 (Japan), Julianna 35 (Hungary), Ewa 31 (Poland), Astrid 22 (Switzerland), Paulo 23 (Italy), Jaber 26 (Libya) who went on to study a degree programme at Plymouth University.
Sessions - each session has a 20 minute break
Materials used
Monday (09.00 - 12.30)
Warm-up, talk about the weekend
Vocab - nationalities a) quiz, b) game
Vocab - speaking - scenery, discussing photos,
scenery test
Future forms recycled - listening, speaking
Speaking, mingling 'Have you ever...'
+ follow-up questions for small talk
Will, going to, agreeing, disagreeing; present continuous future
Review vocabulary learned during mingling exercise
Listening - telephoning to make arrangements using future forms, speaking, role plays
Reading - scanning - life in Britain
Speaking - wonders of Britain, of the world
Students studying on the 23 hours Programme General English Plus Options will also have classes in the afternoon.
Own material
English File Intermediate 4C, p72
Headway Intermediate Tense sheets
/irregular verb sheets p. 49, 50
Watcyn Jones Vocab. Unit 2
Own material
New Headway Intermediate Video 1
Homework
Useful verbs + regular or irregular?
Target Vocab. 2 p.135, 136
Thursday (09.00 - 12.30)
Warm-up verb search a-z
Vocabulary - review useful verbs, testing in pairs using definitions - irregular & irregular (homework check)
Presentation of relative clauses - crossword using learners' definitions
Further practice speaking & writing
Listening - my ambulance story
listening for specific information
Mingle - vocabulary & speaking activity
Students studying on the 23 hour programme General English Plus Options will also have classes in the afternoon.
Own material
Target Vocab. 2 p.135, 136
Murphy's Intermediate English, Unit 93
Intermediate Reward Resources, Unit 27
Own material
Watcyn Jones Vocab. Unit 3
Homework
Relative clauses - who, whom, which, where, that
Murphy's Intermediate English, Unit 92/3
Friday (09.30 - 12.30)
Complete mingling activity - speaking, general vocabulary
Review relative clauses (homework check)
Describing likes & dislikes
verb + 'ing' or to + infinitive
writing, speaking
