General English Courses

Our General English Courses focus on communication

All English courses focus on the language itself (grammar and vocabulary), and use it in speaking, reading, writing and listening. You use the language in a real context on your English course, both inside and outside the classroom.

You will be amazed at how quickly your confidence grows and your progress will be measured at every step.

What to expect

Our General English courses help students improve all their skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) and learn the grammar, vocabulary and cultural knowledge necessary for living in the UK and using English in an international context. We focus on practical, effective and natural communication and you will get at least five pieces of new language in each 45-minute class.

15 or  22.5 hours per week.

Maximum 12 students per class.

Minimum 2 different teachers on every course.

Speak English from day one, whatever your level.

The Cultural Question gives you new grammar and vocabulary on a new subject every day, as well as a chance to share stories about your culture and learn about the culture of others.

The teachers are friendly and patient and will understand all your questions. They use great exercises with different methods and make the classes very dynamic.

The English Phrase of the Day introduces a phrase used by native English speakers, but not usually found in coursebooks. POTD helps you to understand the English being spoken around you in the UK and to sound more natural when you speak to other people.

With so many opportunities to improve your English, you should feel you are making progress from the day  you arrive. For more details, please see our 'Why learn with us' page.

Please note: the minimum age for all adult General/Intensive English courses is 16

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General English 30 Lessons (morning & afternoon)

30 lessons (22.5 hours per week)

Mornings (lessons 1-4): using a general English course book, with a balance of skills, vocabulary and grammar. Every morning we also teach our Phrase of the Day to help you sound more natural in your language use and our Cultural Question to help you learn about UK and other students’ cultures. Teachers include additional English focuses which are useful for the students in the class.

Afternoons (lessons 5 and 6): skills and fluency focus. Lessons focused on reading, writing, speaking and listening. We often have longer activities to help you improve your fluency.

The afternoon skills and fluency classes mean you make even better use of the language you are learning. For students with limited time to study, the General English 30 Lessons course is the best way to ensure  you get the maximum benefit out of your time at International House Bristol.

Our flexible English course syllabus ensuring a balanced programme.

Optional daily supervised study room also available - see below for full list of included extras.

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General English 20 Lessons (morning only)

20 lessons, 15 hours per week

Mornings (lessons 1-4): using a general English course book, with a balance of skills, vocabulary and grammar. Every morning we also teach our Phrase of the Day to help you sound more natural in your language use and our Cultural Question to help you learn about UK and other students’ cultures. Teachers include additional English focuses which are useful for the students in the class.

Our flexible English course syllabus ensuring a varied and balanced programme.

Afternoons: free self-study in our study room or explore Bristol with your friends

Optional daily supervised study room also available - see below for full list of included extras.

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Beginners' course dates

Our Beginners' courses follows the same structure as our General English courses (GE20 or GE30). All students must complete a placement test at time of booking to first confirm level. The 12-week course has fixed start dates (students can study a minimum of 4 weeks+):

  • Monday 11th March 2024 - end Friday 31st May 2024 (please note the school will be closed for UK Bank Holiday on Monday 1st April, 6th May, 27th May.)
  • Monday 1st July 2024 - end 20th Sept 2024 (please note the school will be closed for UK Bank Holiday on Monday 26th August.)
  • Monday 30th September 2024 - end 20th December 2024

Please note we require a minimum of 4 students to open a Beginners class. 

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Class timetable

Below is a sample timetable. 

Morning classes

Class Time            Focus

Morning Class 1

Morning Class 2

9.15am ‒ 10am

10am ‒10.45am

 We use a general English coursebook, which has a balance of skills, vocabulary and grammar. Every morning we also teach you a Phrase of the Day, to help you sound natural. Teachers include additional English focuses which are useful for the students in the class.

Morning Class 3

Morning Class 4

11.15am ‒12pm

12pm ‒12.45pm

 We use a general English coursebook, which has a balance of skills, vocabulary and grammar. You'll start the class with a Cultural Question, to help you understand the cultures of the UK and other students. Teachers include additional English focuses which are useful for the students in the class.

Afternoon classes (30 lessons only)

Class

Time

 Focus

Afternoon Class 1

Afternoon Class 2

13:45 - 14:30

14:30 - 15:15

 These classes focus on practising the four skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. We often have longer activities to help you improve your fluency and we use a higher proportion of authentic materials when appropriate.

 

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Eight levels: from beginner to advanced English

IHB CEF Cambridge ESOL IELTS bands    Trinity levels                 Summary of abilities
Level 1 Beginner A1   1.0 ‒ 2.0 Grade 2 Learners can communicate at a basic level and can deal with some situations necessary to survive in an English-speaking environment. Their comprehension of English is limited but a foundation has been laid for further learning.
Level 2 Elementary A2 KET 2.5 ‒ 3.0 Grade 3 Learners can communicate at a basic level. They can survive in an English-speaking environment. Their comprehension of English is limited but a foundation has been laid for further learning.
Level 3 Pre-Intermediate A2 KET 3 ‒ 3.5 Grade 4 Learners are able to communicate in English adequately in simple everyday situations. Their range of vocabulary and ability to manipulate grammatical structure is developing, as is their ability to comprehend oral and written English.
Level 4 Lower Intermediate B1 PET 4.0 Grade 5 Although their English vocabulary and grammar are limited in range, learners are able to communicate in most basic everyday situations. They are beginning to deal confidently with authentic reading and listening material.
Level 5 Mid-Intermediate B1 PET 4.5 Grade 6 Learners are developing their English language skills and can speak quite fluently in most everyday situations. Their ability to express more complex ideas is beginning to develop, although their language is not always accurate.
Level 6 Upper Intermediate B2 FCE 6.0 Grades 7‒ 9 Learners are of approximately Cambridge First Certificate in English standard with a range of vocabulary and a command of all basic grammatical structures. They can use English in a variety of contexts and are beginning to appreciate many of the complexities of the language.
Level 7 Lower Advanced C1 CAE 7.0 Grades 10 ‒ 11 Learners are able to use a wide range of language effectively in a variety of contexts and can easily comprehend natural spoken and written English.
Level 8 Upper Advanced C2 CAE 8.0 ‒ 9.0 Grade 12

Learners are developing an understanding of and an ability to produce subtleties and complexities of the language, although they may still require some work on accuracy. At the end of this level, students should be close to native English speaker competence.

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Our flexible syllabus – teachers select areas each week that best match the needs of your group

 

Language area Examples
Topics Life in the UK, technology, health, going out, music, personality, national festivals
Grammar Tenses and verb structures, the grammar of phrases, modal verbs, determiners, conditionals
Vocabulary Collocations (words that naturally go together), phrases, idioms, phrasal verbs, affixes
Pronunciation Word stress, difficult sounds, natural pronunciation, intonation
The four skills Reading, writing, speaking and listening: to improve your communication outside the classroom
Effective communication Formal / informal language and politeness, linking sentences together to form texts
Functional language Agreeing / disagreeing, giving advice, giving opinions, suggesting

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Free extras

 

  • Access to our online e-learning platform from the moment you enrol until 3 months after the end of your course
  • Permanent open access to our Free Exercises
  • Free coursebook for 4-week Cambridge summer and 10-week Cambridge preparation courses (for 1 week only bookings, we provide photocopies for you)
  • Regular help with English pronunciation
  • Daily homework
  • Suggestions about how to learn more effectively
  • Authentic materials (texts created for native speakers), so that you are learning real English
  • Study room open from 3.30-5pm, with a tutor available for one hour every afternoon after classes from Monday to Thursday
  • A huge range of resources or assistance from our tutors to help with your homework, explain English grammar and vocabulary you find difficult or give you advice about improving your English
  • Access to our weekly conversation club on Friday afternoons to practise English with other students and teachers

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Optional modules

You can add a number of supplementary courses to a General English 20 Lessons course and have lessons in the afternoon as well. Click on the links for more information.

For more information on any of our English courses, please contact us today.

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Students aged 16/17 on adult courses

Please note: The minimum age to join this course is 16. The safety and welfare of all our students is very important to us, but especially for students under the age of 18 and any vulnerable adults. You can see more information on our U18s policies, supervision, parental agreements, U18 permission forms here 

 

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