EC Academic Brochure 2016 - English

Real Outcomes EC’s Academic Architecture USA / CANADA / UK / MALTA / SOUTH AFRICA

Who We Are The last 25 years have seen EC grow into a global network of 21 schools in five English-speaking countries spread across three continents.

EC continuously works to stay at the forefront of advances in education and technology, and works to deliver real, measurable outcomes for its students.

As a family-run organisation, we remain true to our roots and to our mission – to help students succeed in a global community, and become part of an international conversation.

industry leaders All EC schools are accredited by the leading associations in their respective countries and also by major international organisations.

Members of our senior executive team hold board-level positions in these organisations, which are driving our industry forward.

Andrew Mangion Executive Chairman Treasurer, ALTO | President FELTOM (former)

US

UK

for the teaching of English

With almost 20 years of experience in the industry, Andrew has been a key player in growing our organisation.

Canada

Mike Xuereb Chief Executive Officer Director, Enterprise Board | Director, English UK

Malta

As CEO, Mike has been instrumental in EC’s growth and success through his skilled handling of our operational division.

South Africa

May Arthur Executive Vice President AIRC Board Advisor | NAFSA Representative | President English USA (former) May has been central to the development of our network of US schools and currently heads our Higher Education division.

Caroline O’Neal Product Development Director President, English USA Caroline has over a decade of experience working in International Education with a variety of respected institutions.

Chain School 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Junior Course for Under 18s 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

Chain School 2011 Innovation of the Year 2009, 2010

thought leaders Being at the forefront of educational design in the English language sector, our academic team members are regularly invited to lecture on current trends and subjects in their fields.

Our professionals are always ready to share their expertise and lead the discussion.

Below are some of EC’s most recent contributions to current industry conversations.

Industry Event

Subject Beyond Scores: Building Learner Autonomy

English USA

Action Research: Ultimate Teacher Development Creating a Community of Leaders Peer Teaching for Pronunciation Lessons Action Research: Ultimate Teacher Development

IATEFL

Textploitation Pronunciation Preparing for IELTS Using Technology in the Language Classroom

English UK Management

Building a Community in a Multi-centred Organisation

Ireland ELT

Communication in a Multi-centred Organisation

IATEFL BESIG Barcelona

Should Teachers be Good Learners?

ACCET Conference

Developing Policies in Compliance with ACCET

TESOL

Digital Storytelling Using Cahoot (online application)

EC Contributor Bindu Vargese Director of Studies, EC New York Sarah Glinski and Gillian Davidson EC Regional and Global Academic Directors Autumn Garrett Academic Coordinator, EC San Diego Bindu Vargese Director of Studies, EC New York Sarah Glinski EC Regional Director David Bryne and Mark Heffernan EC Teachers Steve Bliss Continuous Professional Development Coordinator Deb Hobbs EC Teacher Ryan Parmee Director of Studies, EC Cambridge Gillian Davidson EC Global Academic Director Gillian Davidson EC Global Academic Director Taona Knights Director of Studies, EC Vancouver Sarah Glinski EC Regional Academic Director Jamey Sadownick Director of Studies, EC Washington, DC Alena Acker Assistant Director of Studies, EC New York

Curriculum Design meet the team This is the team of Curriculum Design & Technology specialists who devise EC’s curriculum, based on measurable data collected from students over many years.

Their innovative approach, continual research, and contribution to industry debate keep EC at the forefront of advances in language learning methods and technology.

Dr Annica Schjott Instructional Designer

Jen Meldrum Curriculum Director

Dave Symonds Education Technologist

PhD Francophone Studies & MA Learning Sciences,

MA Applied Linguistics, University of Illinois;

MA Education Technology, University of British

Northwestern University

BSc Technical Communications, Clarkson University

Columbia; MA Linguistics, University of Birmingham

With a background in developing online language learning tools, Annica is also a former language instructor at Northwestern University and Pantheon-Sorbonne University.

Jen, formerly Managing Editor at Oxford University Press, is author of two ELT course books. She has 10 years’ teaching experience in Syria, UAE, Korea, and China.

With almost a decade of experience teaching English in Korea, Dave has a first-hand understanding of how technology enhances the language learning process.

delivering success to thousands EC’s Global Spread

05

Countries

...............

03

...............

Continents

Every one of our 45,000 students per year has a different set of life goals, strengths and challenges. EC designs programmes that deliver reliable, targeted success to every individual.

143

45,000

...............

Nationalities

Students per year

Student Nationality Breakdown LIBYAN 12%

OTHER 30%

Research underaken by our Curriculum Design team includes analysis of EC’s own data, extensive academic research and years of professional experience.

143 143

nationalities Nationalities

ITALIAN 12%

From this, we know the key to success for every student, across different backgrounds, nationalities, and ages, is an academic experience that is both personalised and focused on real, deliverable outcomes.

BRAZILIAN 12%

KOREAN 11%

COLOMBIAN 5% TURKISH 4% JAPANESE 9%

SAUDI ARABIAN 11%

SWISS 8%

Student Age Breakdown -12 13-17

18-25

36-45 26-35

46+

our academic principles We design all aspects of the EC academic experience around the following key principles.

Personalisation We teach according to every student’s needs and abilities.

Real outcomes Learning is designed to achieve every student’s goal.

Scientific approach Continual data capture and benchmarking ensures every student is on track.

invest in real results Our team’s independent research has shown that full immersion study abroad is by far the best way to acquire a new language.

Learning online or in one’s home country can help lay the foundation for basic vocabulary and grammar rules, but offer little in terms of building productive skills and overall proficiency. With these techniques, motivation too is compromised.

All this means students looking for a fluent command of the language should seek an immersive experience encompassing comprehensive academic instruction and support.

Projected hours to progress per CEFR level Projected hours to progress per CEFR level 450

online*

450

online* in-country*

255 255

in-country* full immersion

180

full immersion

180

0

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

0 50 100 150 200 *With limited productive skills

50

100

150

250

300

350

400

450

500

*With limited productive skills

our curriculum We take a structured and outcome focused approach to our learning architecture. Outcomes at every level are mapped to global standards, with targeted skills training to ensure we are meeting every student’s individual needs.

Level Descriptor for Upper Intermediate (cefr b2) Ref: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment by Cambridge University Press and EAQUALS British Council Core Curriculum

SPEAKING

PRONUNCIATION

On completion of this level you should:

On completion of this level you should:

be able to participate easily in conversations, expressing ideas naturally with effective turn-taking. be able to evaluate advantages and disadvantages of various options and participate in decisions made in formal or informal discussions. be able to sustain an opinion by providing relevant explanations, arguments, and comments. be able to find out and pass on detailed information, ask follow up questions and get clarification. be able to make a complaint effectively, explaining the problem and demanding appropriate action. be able to give clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects related to my interests. be able to develop a clear argument, expanding and supporting points with examples. be able to present an issue in a critical manner. be able to summarize information and arguments from a number of sources. be able to expres certainty, probability, and doubt.

LISTENING

On completion of this level you should: be able to understand the main ideas of complex speech on concrete and abstract topics. be able to understand in detail what is said in standard spoken language. be able to catch much of what is said around you but may find it difficult to understand speakers who do not modify their language in any way. be able to follow and take notes on academic and professional presentations. understand announcements and messages spoken in standard dialect at normal speed.

be confident when spelling aloud. hear and use weak forms of auxiliary verbs. be aware of word and sentence stress. be aware of use of intonation to express meaning. have knowledge of common homonyms and homophones. be aware of shifting stress when word forms change. hear the difference in a variety of minimal pairs.

WRITING

On completion of this level you should: be able to write very clear and detailed descriptions. be able to develop a clear argument, expanding and supporting points with examples. be able to write about an issue in a critical manner, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of options. be able to write a summary of information and arguments from a number of sources. be able to write formal documents related to your field. be able to write succinct thoughts (tweets). be able to report experiences, incidents, and events with biographic details.

READING

On completion of this level you should: be able read independently, using a dictionary. be able to grasp the content and the significance of articles and reports on topics related to your interests . understand texts in which the writers express specific points of view (e.g. political commentary, critiques). be able to read short stories and novels written in straightforward language and style. be able to label graphical information using information from a text. be able to understand inferred information. be able to take notes from a text and summarize it.

ENGLISH IN USE

On completion of this level you should know: all passive forms, including passive with modals regrets and hopes (wish/if only) all past tenses: past perfect, past perfect continuous reported speech relative clauses modals: should have/might have modals of deduction and speculation linkers: although, in spite of, despite exposure to narrative tenses phrasal verbs, extended verbs with gerunds or infinitives how to express cause and effect and contrast colloquial language how to talk about: technology, scientific developments global environmental issues; future of the planet international events social issues, news, and current affairs

Learning Outcomes These are planned out and benchmarked to global standards, set by EAQUALS, the British Council and The Common European Framework for Languages.

Skills Focus We create unique, targeted content to help students develop each of the four skills. This allows us to tailor learning for groups with specific linguistic needs.

Upper Intermediate Course Map 5 Jan 2015 30 Mar 2015 22 Jun 2015 14 Sep 2015 1 Dec 2015

Week of

12 Jan 2015 6 Apr 2015 29 Jun 2015 21 Sep 2015 8 Dec 2015

Unit 3

Unit 4

26 Jan 2015 20 Apr 2015 13 Jul 2015 5 Oct 2015 22 Dec 2015

Unit 2

Unit 1

Speak Out Upper Intermediate

3.1: S.1; R.1; R.3; used to/ would; W.3 or W.7 3.2: L.1; L.3; future review; S.4 3.3: S.4; W.1; S.10 3.4: L.2; W.7

4.1: E.7; R.4; S.6; R.6; P.2 4.2: E.2; L.2; R.2; E.6 4.3: S.1; S.3; S.9 4.4: W.1; L.2

2.1: R.1; R.2 2.2: E.1; S.3; S.5; L.2; L.3; W.2 2.3: S.7; S.9; L.2; L.1 2.4: L.2; W.3

1.1: S.1; S.3; L.2; indirect questions; informal email 1.2: E.3; S.6; S.4; S.1; R.1 1.3: S.1; S.4 1.4: L.2; write a summary

Supplement

P.7

P.6

P.5

P.1 E.3

Club Days

Speaking: S.4 = be able to find out and pass on detailed information

Speaking: S.5 = complain

Speaking: S.3 = sustain an opinion

Speaking: S.2 = weigh advantages and disadvantages

Listening: L.1 = understand main ideas of complex speech on concrete and abstract topics

Listening: L.4 = understand announcements and messages

Listening: L.3 = take notes

Listening: L.2 = understand details in standard spoken language

Reading: R.6 = inference

Reading: R.4 = read short stories and novels

Reading: R.1; R.2; R.7 = read articles independently, take notes and summarize

Reading: R.2 = grasp content and significance of articles and reports

Writing: W.1 = clear and detailed descriptions

Writing: W.4 = summary from number of sources

Writing: W.3 = write about advantages and disadvantages of something

Writing: W.2; W.4 = read various points and make an argument

16 Feb 2015 11 May 2015 3 Aug 2015 26 Oct 2015 12 Jan 2016

23 Feb 2015 18 May 2015 10 Aug 2015 2 Nov 2015 19 Jan 2016

2 Feb 2015 27 Apr 2015 20 Jul 2015 12 Oct 2015 29 Dec 2015

Week of

9 Feb 2015 4 May 2015 27 Jul 2015 19 Oct 2015 5 Jan 2016

Unit 5

Course Materials We select only the best resources from top publishers. We have carefully analysed and mapped the content to EC’s learning outcomes.

19 Jan 2015 13 Apr 2015 6 Jul 2015 28 Sep 2015 15 Dec 2015

Speak Out Upper Intermediate

5.1: R.2 5.2: conditionals; L.3; L.2; R.5; W.5 5.3: S.4; S.10; 5.4: L.2; W.1

Supplement

P.5; P.1

Club Days

Support Week W.6 W.4 R.6 P.2 S.10 L.3 S.7

Unit 9 9.1: E.8 9.2: E.6 9.3: S.5

Unit 7 7.1: L.2; reading; S.3 7.2: E.4; discursive essay 7.3: P.4

Curriculum Mapping P.7 P.1 P.3 These outcomes are then mapped against Speaking: S.8 = present an Speaking: S.4 = ask follow up Speaking: S.8 = present an issue Speaking: S.2 = participate in issue in a critical manner questions and get clarification in a critical manner decisions made in discussions each course.

All teachers follow a specific Summarize and present one view. guide, which provides content and aListening: planL.4to Listening: L.1 = understand Listening: L.2 = understand Listening: L.3 = take notes = announcements main ideas of complex details in standard spoken and messages speech on concrete andcover language all learning goals. abstract topics

Reading R. 5 = graphical information

Reading: R.7; R.1 = read different points of view on one issue.

Reading: R.7 = Be able to summarize a text from notes

Reading: R. 4; R. 7 = short stories and summarize

Writing: W.2 = develop a clear argument, expanding and supporting points with examples

Writing W.7 = biographical details in experience

Writing: W.3 = write about advantages and disadvantages of something

Writing: W.6 = succinct thoughts (tweets)

ec online With EC Online we deliver the ultimate personalised learning experience, enabling students to optimise their learning.

EC students use this exclusive digital platform to track their entire academic journey, access a wide range of top learning materials, and receive individual communication and guidance directly from their teacher.

For EC, ‘the future is here’. We know technology has an exciting part to play in both learning in general, and language acquisition in particular.

guaranteed outcomes The progress planner below is based on real learning and real results, which show that EC students progress, on average, one level every 12 weeks.

Nationality All students Brazilian French Japanese Korean Russian Saudi Swiss

The EC Guarantee states that if a committed student taking Intensive English (22.5 hours per week) does not progress as shown on our Progress Planner below, EC will give them all the extra lessons, support and guidance to get them there, free of charge.

Average weeks required to progress one level* 12.2 12.4 11.0 13.1 13.6 8.4 14.9 11.5

20 lessons per week

* Based on Oxford University Press Online entry and exit level test results of over 14,000 EC students in 2015

BULATS

CPE

BEC

FCE

CAE

CAMBRIDGE

TOEIC

EC LEVELS

C

use industry terms for your field of study.

200

A

PROFICIENCY You have near-full command of the language. You can

90

B

220

C2

210

905 - 990

106 - 120

8.0-9.0

A

230

TOEFL

IELTS

24 lessons per week

With a good command of English, you can read and

75

HIGHER

ADVANCED write accurately with few errors. You can understand

C

most academic texts and lectures.

VANTAGE

B2+

read English newspapers, follow TV news and apply for an English-speaking job.

B2

UPPER-INTERMEDIATE You can use the language with some confidence but

60

C

PRE-ADVANCED You can use the language with confidence. You can

170

46 - 65

5.5-6.5

605 - 780

B

66 - 85

180

A

190

785 - 900

86 - 105

7.0-7.5

B

C1

with noticeable lapses in accuracy and fluency. You

PRELIMINARY

B1+

INTERMEDIATE You can communicate easily on everyday matters but have a limited range of expression. You can have a conversation on the telephone.

150

B1 40

405 - 600

4.0-5.0

35 - 45

160

can give a short business presentation in English.

PRE- INTERMEDIATE You speak fairly easily on everyday matters. You can

20

255 - 400

A2

ELEMENTARY You understand most conversations spoken slowly and clearly. You can give someone simple directions on the street.

10 - 250

3.0-3.5

140

explain what you need from service providers.

A1

BEGINNER You have a very basic knowledge of vocabulary and simple grammatical structure. You can invite someone somewhere (Let’s….) and talk about your past.

30 lessons per week

rigorous, ongoing assessment Oxford Unviersity Press Online Test At the beginning and end of their learning journey, EC students take the Oxford Online Test, a powerfully accurate test developed

by Oxford University Press, which gives an externally validated assessment of their overall progress.

Progress Testing Every six weeks students also take a progress test, written exclusively for EC by former Oxford, Cambridge, and Pearson published authors. Assessing all four language skills, progress can be shown by level, compared to other students, and tracked to each unique learning outcome.

Student Reports Reports are generated that give detailed feedback on strengths and weaknesses, as well as overall progress.

Student reports include tracked progression data across all four skills, and personal teacher assessment

all day learning: sample week EC students experience a fully structured learning week, which can be adapted to their individual needs and abilities, and the outcomes they require.

Morning

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Core English: American English

Language workshop: Coffee & Conversation

Core English: American English

Language workshop: Lecture series

Core English: American English

Explaining why something is a problem.

Stories In the News

Listen to a conversation.

Lecture on CSR by local business owner

Understand main ideas in a reading passage.

Make a prediction and confirm.

Make predictions before you read.

Modals: ought to / could

Maintain a conversation by agreeing and disagreeing.

Practice –ed/-ing endings

Afternoon

Lunch Special focus: Academic English

Special focus: Academic English

Special focus: Academic English

Special focus: Academic English

Special focus: Academic English

Read about recycling

Brainstorming and organising. Write first draft: Is it better to repair or buy new?

Editing exercise. Review writing and discuss how to improve it. Re-write.

Hand in final paper and work with a partner to present ideas to the class.

Take notes and listen to presentations on ideas for upcycling.

Language workshop: Pronunciation Clinic

Skills Practice Reading & Writing

Language workshop: Writing Practice

Skills Practice Listening & Speaking

Language workshop: Homework Club

Targeted practice

Write a story others can follow.

Writing a Personal Statement

Express feelings about a situation.

Evening

Understand the main points from a story.

Listen to a lecture and identify the main ideas and details.

Structured after school study, social and cultural activities

Integrated skills lesson

Skills focus lesson

Special focus lesson

Language workshop

Academic Delivery meet the team This team works globally to ensure the consistent and high quality delivery of our courses. They are frequently on site to guide the excellent care of our custom groups, and to provide additional monitoring and support.

Gillian Davidson Global Academic Director

Sarah Glinski Regional Academic Director

MA, University of Edinburgh, Diploma TESOL, Trinity

MA TESOL, University of Central Florida

College London

Gill has over 18 years of academic management experience with several international educational organisations. She has taught in the UK, Slovenia, Indonesia and Russia.

Sarah has taught in Germany and Korea and is an experienced academic manager.

She is a frequent presenter at industry conferences and events, as well as a certified ACCET site reviewer.

measuring satisfaction We are the only English language school to employ the Net Promoter Score (NPS) system – a powerful feedback tool used by companies famous for customer loyalty, such as Apple and Virgin.

NPS is based on the question “On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend..?” with space for respondents to give a reason.

For EC, only the best is good enough. We survey students throughout their stay, taking immediate action for every score we receive below 9.

Student feedback via NPS has helped us develop all aspects of the EC experience, from our school design, to our courses, to our teacher/ student interactions.

teaching standards We continually monitor teacher performance, to ensure the highest quality of our academic delivery. Teachers are assessed based on regular observation, and also via student NPS feedback.

Overall Teacher Performance by school*

Individual Teacher Performance*

* Based on sample data

We offer personalised professional development courses for staff, and all EC teachers attend a number of training events or tasks throughout the year.

tailored programmes We know our students have many reasons and motivations to learn English. We therefore design different courses and programmes to deliver the outcomes they require.

Experience & Life We offer a range of experiential language courses such as English in the City and our General English courses, where students are fully immersed in the life, language and culture of the exciting and dynamic cities where our schools are located.

Academic Success With our Academic English and exam courses, our on-campus schools and our broad network of 79 prestigious higher education partner institutions across North America, students can access the education of their dreams.

Career Success Our range of career focused courses and experiences, including English and Global Career Development, give a solid foundation for professional success and provide the skills needed to shine in an international arena.

30+ Exclusively for those aged 30 years and over, our 30+ concept is available in London, Toronto and Malta. Programmes are designed specifically for more mature students, who have greater experience of life and the world of work.

www.ecenglish.com