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The minimum proficiency students should have at the start of the Year 1 is the A2 Waystage level on the European CEFR scale. As a guide, A2 is equivalent to a score of 12 in English in the French Baccalaureate. However, the most important prerequisite is a desire to learn.
By the end of Year 1, students should reach the European CEFR’s B1 Threshold level. To help students progress towards this objective, the Course focuses on strengthening students’ language skills in relation to:
-The 4 basic skills: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening
-Their range of vocabulary/expression and awareness of sociolinguistic norms (register, polite forms, etc.).
-Grammar
-Basic economic and business vocabulary.
Year 1 is a transitional year and our goal is to help students become independent learners. For many students, Year 1 will be their first exposure to a fast-paced English-speaking environment, so it is important that they adopt a proactive learning mindset (preparing, participating, asking questions and taking notes) and see classes as an opportunity to ‘have a go’. Our teachers pride themselves in creating a welcoming, lively and intellectually stimulating environment in which students feel both supported and free to make mistakes ‒ from which learn by receiving feedback from their teacher.
In each semester students attend 18 hours of classes, aka, ‘TD’; that’s 2 hours per week of face-to-face language work (see Methods below). Classes focus on language but do so through discussion on economic topics selected to give students a broad foundational vocabulary in business English.
Typical Semester 2 topics include:
Introduction to Business organizations
- Sectors of economy-primary/secondary/tertiary
- Types of business organization and ownership
Sole trader/partnerships/limited companies etc
- private and public sector
Talking about companies
- Describing company activity-What companies do?
- Describing organization charts and company departments
- Presenting a company (formal group presentation with PowerPoint slides)
News and current affairs (At the start of every lesson)
In addition to weekly classes, students pursue several independent learning activities: a Selected Reading Programme, E-Learning and Grammar Revision
Modalités
At FGES we use ACTIVE learning methods, covering each of the 4 language skills. These include debates/dialogues, pair work, role playing, presentations by the teacher and by students, quizzes, etc. Why ACTIVE? Because we tend to remember 90% of what we SAY and DO, but only 10% of what we read.
The classes of around 16 students maximize opportunities for speaking and interaction (SAYING & DOING). In addition to discussion on the Year 1 Topics, each week, students may be asked to present an economic news article to the rest of the class. Teachers encourage the use of techniques such as chunking and speaking without notes, which mimics natural language acquisition and builds confidence. Teacher feedback is systematic and friendly, ensuring students’ progress.
Ressources
Recommended reading/purchasing for students:||Oxford Business English Grammar and Practice with answers –OUP or||Business Grammar Builder by Paul Emmersen -Macmillan)||Oxford Business English Grammar and Practice with Answers (OUP)||Business Grammar Builder by Paul Emmerson (Macmillan)||<ul></ul><b> </b><i> </i>||