Training Course: CE03 - Award in Communicative English – Loud and Clear!

Course Description: An essential part of learning English properly is to speak it. Many students of English, even after years of learning it, lack the confidence to use the language, especially orally. This course aims to help students improve their communication skills to have successful interactions when using the language. Students will improve their fluency through activities which focus on oral practice. Whether English is required for work purpose, study, or fun the course will give learners the opportunity to experiment with the various aspects of the language in different contexts and to develop their full communicative potential.

EQF/ MQF Level: Level 3                                                    ECTS per course: 1

Mode of Delivery: Traditional/ Face to Face                     Total Hours: 25 hours

Mode of Attendance: Part Time                                        Language: English      

Programme Duration: 1 Week      

Target Audience: 16-18, 25+,

Third country nationals visit - Central Visa Unit | Identity Malta Agency 

Target Group: This course is aimed at leaners 16+, it can however, be taken by any candidates. It is beneficial to all those looking to improve their English Communicative Skills.

Accreditation Category: Further Education Programme 

Accredited by: Malta Further & Higher Education Authority. (MFHEA).

Course Structure: This Award focuses on improving students' Communicative English in various contexts; formal and informal. Students will learn how to express themselves confidently, using the correct pronunciation and applying the right pauses and intonation. 

Knowledge

1. Recall the sounds of English letters: blends, diphthongs, triphthongs etc.

2. Memorise basic linguistic markers (lexical, grammatical, and phonological).

3. Identify and understand some varieties and registers of English.

4. Recognise basic paralinguistic markers such as body language, common in English speaking cultures.

5. Recall the pragmatic rules of greetings, turn-taking, and other social norms.

Skills

6. Understand straightforward information about familiar matters or job-related topics.

7. Develop one's communicative skills to speak clearly.

8. Utilise different stress, rhythm and intonation quite appropriately in clauses, sentences, questions and tag questions.

9. Describe, explain and narrate fluently a variety of subjects within one's field

of interest, and able to present information as a linear sequence of points.

10. Show the appropriate sociolinguistic competence expected at this level.

Competences

11. Demonstrates clear and intelligible pronunciation even if foreign accent is sometimes evident and occasional mispronunciations occur.

12. Showa sensitivity to language by structuring and organising one's talk to make it context appropriate.

13. Construct a conversation and thus socialises effectively taking number of roles.

14. Apply tools learnt to discuss, argue, and persuade in a variety of formal and informal contexts.

15. Demonstrate an ability to perform and respond to a wide range of language functions, using their most common exponents in a neutral register.

Entry Requirements: Have a basic secondary education /school leaving certificate. Be able to communicate both orally and in writing in English. Have a basic school leaving certificate or a Level 2 English.

Outline of Course:  The focus of this module is to help young people feel confident enough to use the English they know and be brave enough to speak the language irrelevant of any grammatical and lexical lacunae they might have. It also aims to show students what they can achieve once they believe in themselves, and how practising the language can boost their linguistic levels and push them forward.

Competences: - at the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the

responsibility and autonomy to:

a) demonstrate clear and intelligible pronunciation.

b) show a sensitivity to language by using context-appropriate talk.

c) construct a conversation and, thus, socialise effectively taking on several roles.

d) apply tools learnt to discus, argue, and persuade in different contexts.

Knowledge - at the end of the module/unit the learner will have been exposed to

the following:

e) recalling the sounds of English letters including blends, diphthongs and triphthongs.

f) memorising basic linguistic markers (lexical, grammatical, and phonological).

g) identifying and understanding certain varieties and registers of English.

h) recognising basic paralinguistic markers such as body language, common

in English speaking cultures.

i)recall the pragmatic rules of greetings, turn-taking, and other social norms.

Skills - at the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the following

skills:

Applying knowledge and understanding

The learner will be able to:

a) understand straightforward information about familiar matters or job-related topics.

b) develop one's communicative skills to speak clearly.

c) utilise different stress, rhythm, and intonation quite appropriately includes sentences, questions, and tag questions.

d) describe, explain, and narrate fluently a variety of subjects within one's field of interest.

e) show the appropriate sociolinguistic competence expected at this level.

Judgment Skills and Critical Abilities

This section has been made sufficiently open to accommodate both vocational and academic orientations. Applicants can refer to Judgement Skills, or Critical Abilities (critical skills, dispositions, values, and actions), or both.

The learner will be able to:

a) evaluate all relevant information gathered during the module to identify lexical and grammatical lacunae which need addressing for better communicative English.

b) analyse different learning and memorising techniques to see which best fit one's character and personal learning style for future studying.

c) define what is keeping one from speaking in English and address this effectively by taking the first step and find situations where one can practise the target language.

Module-Specific Learner Skills

The learner will be able to:

a) reflect on language gaps and become pro-active in finding ways to further one's learning.

b) adapt to new learning techniques, especially speaking to native speakers to improve one's vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences

The learner will be able to:

a) search for and find new friends online who share a similar interest in L2.

b) find online chats, and active groups, to practise speaking and listening to

English.

Learning Outcome 1: Outcome Type – Skill

Introduce oneself / others; describe feelings and narrate events. Express one’s opinion while concurring/disagreeing with others. Infer unknown words from the rest of the information given. Express future and dreams, including speculation. Communicate with reasonable accuracy in familiar contexts.

Learning Outcome 2: Outcome Type – Knowledge

Assess their communicative English skills and look up opportunities to practise the language, i.e., talk to foreigners and native speakers. Try new memory techniques to memorise vocabulary and thus enrich their conversation.

Assessment: The assessment for this Award consists of two parts:
1) For the Formative Assessment participants are assessed on their participation in class: Speaking and Listening during simulation exercises; Reading and Writing through written classwork

2) For the Summative Assessment a one hour written exam is set at the end of the course. The exam carries several different tasks, including a listening and a short writing task.

The maximum mark for the course is set at 100% and to be awarded a certificate, participants will be required to achieve a minimum aggregate of 50% of the maximum mark.

Hours of Total Learning – 25:

Total Contact Hours: 10

Self-Study Hours: 10

Supervised Placement and Practice Hours: 3

Assessment Hours: 2 

Course Fee: Starting from €1,250