Course detail

General English I

FSI-GEN1 Acad. year: 2023/2024 Winter semester

The course focuses on teaching general English as a foreign language at B1 level with an emphasis on revision and consolidation.

Language of instruction

English

Entry knowledge

Course is intended for students who are familiar with the language at the pre-intermediate level as a minimum, i.e. they are expected to have the knowledge and skills corresponding to A2+ level.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

To complete the course successfully it is necessary, apart from active participation in the class and individual home preparation, to achieve a mark of 60% or higher in the credit test. The credit test is focused on testing grammar and vocabulary. In case of failure, there is a possibility for the student to resit the test.


Attendance at seminars is compulsory and is systematically checked by the teacher. Students are allowed to miss two language seminars. In well-founded cases, extra absences can be made up for after consulting the situation with the teacher.

Aims

The aim of the course is to equip students for real-life tasks and everyday communication as well as preparing them for Technical English courses in the second year of studies. It is intended to consolidate the knowledge obtained at secondary school and practise all four language skills.


Students will consolidate general vocabulary and grammar structures for everyday communication at B1 level. A student who successfully completes the GEN1 course understands the main ideas of comprehensible input on topics that he/she regularly encounters in everyday situations, in the workplace, while studying or visiting places where English is used as the main language of communication. They can engage in conversation, describe facts, events and goals, and can briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans. 

The study programmes with the given course

Programme B-ENE-P: Energy, Bachelor's, compulsory

Programme B-PRP-P: Professional Pilot, Bachelor's, compulsory

Programme B-MET-P: Mechatronics, Bachelor's, compulsory

Programme B-PDS-P: Industrial Design, Bachelor's, compulsory

Programme B-FIN-P: Physical Engineering and Nanotechnology, Bachelor's, compulsory

Programme B-STI-A: Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor's, compulsory

Programme B-MAI-P: Mathematical Engineering, Bachelor's, compulsory

Programme B-ZSI-P: Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor's
specialization MTI: Materials Engineering, compulsory

Programme B-ZSI-P: Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor's
specialization STI: Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering, compulsory

Programme B-STR-P: Engineering, Bachelor's
specialization STR: Engineering, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Language exercise

26 hours, compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Syllabus


  1. Introduction. U1: Learning languages. Question forms.

  2. U1: Talking about important life events. Relationships. Common stereotypes. Review of verb tenses.

  3. U1: Interview advice. Talking about yourself in an interview.

  4. U2: Facts or fiction. Types of story. Present perfect and past simple.

  5. U2: Conspiracy theories. Narrative tenses.

  6. U2: Telling a story. Say/tell.

  7. U3: Planning and procrastination. Talking about future plans.

  8. U3: Future inventions. Making future predictions. Future time markers.

  9. U3: Idioms. Dealing with misunderstandings.

  10. U4: Jobs. Personal qualities. Must/have to/should (obligation).

  11. U4: Dream job. Extreme adjectives. Confusing words.

  12. U4: Business vocabulary. Reaching agreement and managing a discussion.

  13. Credit test.

Computer-assisted exercise

13 hours, optionally

Syllabus

Computer assisted language learning is an integral part of the course GEN1 and covers the topics and areas dealt with in the main part of the course. The use of authentic videos helps students to further practise and develop their language skills.