Course: English for Spouses 1: Michaelmas Term
Tutor: Amanda Jeffries
Entry level: Students’ level may range from B1 to B2.
Course Content
The aims of this course are:
 to improve your general confidence, fluency and accuracy in English
 to develop the language and skills needed in a range of everyday situations
 to increase your vocabulary
 to improve your pronunciation
 to revise and extend essential areas of grammar
 to give you guidance on using resources to improve your English outside class (books, CDs,
TV and radio, the Internet and the Language Centre Library)
 to discuss a range of topics including life in Britain, life in your own countries, and other
topics of interest to the class
We will spend about half of each class doing language work (e.g. pronunciation, vocabulary
development, error correction, learning everyday expressions, or study of a grammar area). In the
rest of the class you will take part in speaking activities (e.g. discussions, role-plays or short
presentations). You will also listen to short listening passages to increase your confidence in
listening.
You should be prepared to spend at least two hours a week doing grammar and / or vocabulary
study and consolidation exercises, short pieces of writing, and reading tasks, in preparation for
classes. You are strongly encouraged to use the self-study facilities at the Language Centre. It will
also be helpful to buy an English monolingual dictionary, a grammar book with exercises, and for
self-study work outside the class; these will be discussed at the beginning of the term.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this term, you should have increased your fluency in English on a range of topics, learned
more about life in Britain and Oxford, and have an awareness of how to function in certain social
situations. You should have revised some basic grammatical areas, and worked on your own accuracy,
gaining an awareness of errors you commonly make. You should have increased your vocabulary on
selected topics and everyday situations, and have a better understanding of how vocabulary functions in
English. You should have a better understanding of certain areas of English pronunciation and will
have had practice in listening for gist and detail.
Course text
There is no course text; handouts will be provided.
Course: English for Spouses 1: Hilary Term
Tutor: Amanda Jeffries
Entry level: Students’ level may range from B1 to B2.
Course Content
The aims of this course are:
 to improve your general confidence, fluency and accuracy in English
 to develop the language and skills needed in a range of everyday situations
 to increase your vocabulary
 to improve your pronunciation
 to revise and extend essential areas of grammar
 to give you guidance on using resources to improve your English outside class (books, CDs,
TV and radio, the Internet and the Language Centre Library)
 to discuss a range of topics including life in Britain, life in your own countries, and other
topics of interest to the class
We will spend about half of each class doing language work (e.g. pronunciation, vocabulary
development, error correction, learning everyday expressions, or study of a grammar area). In the
rest of the class you will take part in speaking activities (e.g. discussions, role-plays or short
presentations). You will also listen to short listening passages to increase your confidence in
listening.
You should be prepared to spend at least two hours a week doing grammar and / or vocabulary
study and consolidation exercises, short pieces of writing, and reading tasks, in preparation for
classes. You are strongly encouraged to use the self-study facilities at the Language Centre. It will
also be helpful to buy an English monolingual dictionary, a grammar book with exercises, and for
self-study work outside the class; these will be discussed at the beginning of the term.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this term, you should have increased your fluency in English on a range of topics, learned
more about life in Britain and Oxford, and have an awareness of how to function in certain social
situations. You should have revised some basic grammatical areas, and worked on your own accuracy,
gaining an awareness of errors you commonly make. You should have increased your vocabulary on
selected topics and everyday situations, and have a better understanding of how vocabulary functions in
English. You should have a better understanding of certain areas of English pronunciation and will
have had practice in listening for gist and detail.
Course text
There is no course text; handouts will be provided.
Course: English for Spouses 1: Trinity Term
Tutor: Amanda Jeffries
Entry level: Students’ level may range from B1 to B2.
Course Content
The aims of this course are:
 to improve your general confidence, fluency and accuracy in English
 to develop the language and skills needed in a range of everyday situations
 to increase your vocabulary
 to improve your pronunciation
 to revise and extend essential areas of grammar
 to give you guidance on using resources to improve your English outside class (books, CDs,
TV and radio, the Internet and the Language Centre Library)
 to discuss a range of topics including life in Britain, life in your own countries, and other
topics of interest to the class
We will spend about half of each class doing language work (e.g. pronunciation, vocabulary
development, error correction, learning everyday expressions, or study of a grammar area). In the
rest of the class you will take part in speaking activities (e.g. discussions, role-plays or short
presentations). You will also listen to short listening passages to increase your confidence in
listening.
You should be prepared to spend at least two hours a week doing grammar and / or vocabulary
study and consolidation exercises, short pieces of writing, and reading tasks, in preparation for
classes. You are strongly encouraged to use the self-study facilities at the Language Centre. It will
also be helpful to buy an English monolingual dictionary, a grammar book with exercises, and for
self-study work outside the class; these will be discussed at the beginning of the term.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this term, you should have increased your fluency in English on a range of topics, learned
more about life in Britain and Oxford, and have an awareness of how to function in certain social
situations. You should have revised some basic grammatical areas, and worked on your own accuracy,
gaining an awareness of errors you commonly make. You should have increased your vocabulary on
selected topics and everyday situations, and have a better understanding of how vocabulary functions in
English. You should have a better understanding of certain areas of English pronunciation and will
have had practice in listening for gist and detail.
Course text
There is no course text; handouts will be provided.