Confidence in English
> SMART Express at British Council is a new course exclusively for Malaysian school leavers
THE start of a new year means a lot of school leavers will be thinking about their next steps in life. They will be either considering furthering their studies at college or university, or entering the workforce. More than ever before, confidence in using English is seen as an essential skill for success in both studies and the workplace.
English skills are more than just the ability to pass tests. It’s having the confidence to communicate fluently and accurately in a variety of every day situations. This means that the most effective English programme for people who need to use English as a medium for work or study will be one that incorporates the essentials of the English language as well as training in skills to tackle a variety of real world situations.
The British Council has been helping people in Malaysia develop their English skills for decades. SMART Express is a new course exclusively for Malaysian school leavers at a special price that provides short but intensive English study, offering the support they need to succeed, whether it is at college, university or in the workplace.
The study day begins with a two-hour core class designed to activate and improve your knowledge of English with a focus on grammar, vocabulary, functional language and speaking. The focus here is on improving accuracy and building confidence.
After a short break, students can then opt for either General Skills, Academic Skills or IELTS Preparation. General Skills help students improve the four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing within the context of a weekly topic.
The topics chosen reflect a wide range of common every day areas where students may need to use English.
In the Academic Skills option, students will develop skills such as dealing with complex reading texts, listening to lectures and taking part in seminar discussions as a way of helping them prepare for college or university study. And in the IELTS Preparation stream, students will learn skills that will help them tackle the exam.
After lunch, students will have a further class that will focus on developing writing skills, such as describing data or presenting an opinion, as well as other academic skills such as presentations and debates.
Finally, the Further Learning Programme offers students an hour each day of guided self-study to help consolidate and review key learning points that have been covered. This is done via a combination of British Council online resources and other specially designed materials that students can work on at home after class.
The combination of the face-to-face study and further learning make SMART English a unique course offering more than just English to provide students with that competitive edge to help them work towards their long-term goals.
For details, visit www.britishcouncil.my/ SMARTexpress or contact 03 2780 3809.