English
English Language and American Culture
Speak! Language Center offers various levels of classes in English to meet your personal and professional ESL needs. In both our classes and private lessons, you will practice pronunciation, review grammar challenges, paraphrase reading material, learn and reinforce new vocabulary through speaking and writing, and explain terminology and describe processes.
With this excellent preparation in English, you will be able to:
- Communicate more effectively with colleagues
- Be prepared to write proposals and papers
- Be confident at interviews and seminars
- Understand cultural differences
Please note that many employers will reimburse for language training. University of Virginia employees and most Postdoctoral and Research Fellows are eligible to apply annual education benefits ($2,000/year) to language training at Speak!
Advanced English for Professional Purposes
- Instructor: Paula Levine and Team
- Course dates and times: To Fit Your Schedule
- Tuition Packages: 12 Hours: $660; 20 Hours: $1,110; 38 Hours: $2,000
- Special Discount Rate for Graduate Students : $45/hr
Program Description
Do you use your English every day at work, but would like to refine it for your professional advancement? Whether you are studying to be a doctor or are already working as a scientist or investment banker, this higher-level English course will cater to your professional needs, whatever your field may be. We’ll review the more complex grammatical structures to help refine your conversational and writing skills. Through situational practice, we will work on tone of speech and writing “voice,” so that your American colleagues understand your intended meaning.
Our Experienced English Instructors will help you:
- Communicate effectively with colleagues–describe processes, defend ideas
- Be prepared to write proposals and papers–reinforce complex grammar
- Be confident at interviews and seminars–improve pronunciation
- Understand cultural differences–practice spontaneous responses
Intensive Individual English Training, all levels
- Instructor: ESL Team
- Lesson times: To fit your schedule
- Tuition Packages: 12 Hours: $660; 20 Hours: $1,110; 38 Hours: $2,000
- Special Discount Rate for Graduate Students : $45/hr
Course Description
If you are committed to improving your English in a short period of time, our intensive one-on-one course is ideal for you. Whether you complete the course in a week or over the period of 2-3 months, you will benefit from a program tailored entirely to your unique language needs and personal or professional communicative goals. All levels welcome: from beginners through more advanced English speakers.
Advanced Beginner/Lower-Intermediate ESL: Daily Life in the U.S.
- Instructor: ESL Team
- Lesson times: TBA
- Course dates:TBA
Small Group Class Description
Is this you or a friend, colleague?
You can understand the main idea in a conversation, but you still struggle in a group or a stressful situation. Or you just don’t understand the jokes at a party. Maybe you’ve studied English in school and can read, but speaking is still difficult. Perhaps you’ve studied the past tenses, but you still mostly speak in present tense. This course will refresh your knowledge of the past tenses, putting them into active practice. We’ll also introduce more complex grammatical structures, such as conditional statements, phrasal verbs, and the passive voice. Our instructor will build the course topics around the group’s needs, so that your English practice is relevant to your daily life. We’ll be sure to include modern expressions heard in everyday American speech and popular culture. While the focus of this course will be on speaking and listening, we will supplement your learning with reading and writing exercises as well.
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Speak Abroad – Come with us to Todi
Now Enrolling for 2012!
Fall: June 16-30, 2012
Join Christina Ball (Speak!) and La Lingua, La Vita Italian school in the hill town of Todi for a glorious two week cultural and linguistic immersion experience.
Click here for more info!