English Upper-Intermediate (B1 → B2)
Locations: Virtual Classroom, Utrecht
Level: Upper-Intermediate (B1/B2)
Ready to go to the next level with your English? Are you already able to use English for practical daily life activities but now want to go beyond this into expressing more developed or abstract ideas in speaking and writing? Are you looking to expand or refresh your vocabulary and grammar knowledge in a fast-paced course? In this course you will work towards level B2.
About the course
This course is for students who are at level B1. This means that you can already talk with people in English about yourself and your opinions and ideas, and you probably sometimes read English news and watch TV in English (with subtitles), but you don’t always know exactly how to say what you want to say. Maybe in your writing you know you make some grammar mistakes, but you’re not quite sure how to fix them.
In this course, our teachers will help you to take your English to B2 level. They will work on fluency and accuracy in both writing and speaking, adding to your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. You will look at how to give more detailed, abstract and nuanced information. You will have lots of chances to speak and receive feedback on your spoken production.
You can start with this course if you have completed our English Intermediate course or if you have attained B1 level via another route. Would you like to know your current language level? Try our free language level test!
Learning goals
This course will take you towards level B2.
By the end of this course:
- you will feel considerably more confident using English and will know many more words and phrases that help you to express yourself in speaking and writing. You will be able to present and discuss abstract ideas and information more easily. You will have practising speaking on a range of topics.
- you will probably understand a lot more of the English you read and hear around you too. Maybe you’ll risk turning the subtitles off in an English language film every now and then!
- have the language you need to succeed in the Cambridge English First Exam (B2), if your goal is to get a certificate proving you are at level B2. You may need this for immigration purposes in some countries.
Method
All Babel’s courses are taught by highly-qualified, professional teachers and are interactive, fun, and focused on students’ needs. This means we:
- are flexible to what a group needs.
- ask for your feedback on how the lessons are going, and respond to what you tell us.
- use high-quality materials.
- do a lot of speaking activities, in small groups and as a whole group.
- teach grammar and vocabulary in a way that connects them to real life use.
- encourage students to learn outside the classroom too.
Time investment
- This course consists of 18 classes of 1hr45 minutes. Alongside this, you will need to do some homework and preparation for your lessons. You should expect to spend at least 3 hours a week on this.
- However, the more time you give to learning, the more you will benefit. There are lots of exercises to practise at home available to you. There are also many websites where you can read more English texts, and many ways to listen to more English. Your teacher will show you some of these, and you can decide for yourself how much you want to do. We recommend jumping in!
Practical
- The language of instruction is English.
- You will be working with a book. You can order this book on our special book page. Please ensure you have your book ready for the first session.
- If you are learning online, you can order the e-book version of the student book. You can do this here.
- You will receive a certificate of participation if you follow at least 80% of the classes.
- If you work or study at Utrecht University you will receive a 15% discount. Please register with your UU email address. Your registration will then be processed automatically.
Schedule
Please note: There are two course options; intensive (2x/week lessons) and regular (1x/week lessons).
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Starting date: 25 June 2024 (Virtual Classroom)
Day Date Start End Tuesday 25 June 2024 18:00 19:45 Thursday 27 June 2024 18:00 19:45 Tuesday 2 July 2024 18:00 19:45 Thursday 4 July 2024 18:00 19:45 Tuesday 9 July 2024 18:00 19:45 Thursday 11 July 2024 18:00 19:45 Tuesday 16 July 2024 18:00 19:45 Thursday 18 July 2024 18:00 19:45 Tuesday 23 July 2024 18:00 19:45 Thursday 25 July 2024 18:00 19:45 Tuesday 30 July 2024 18:00 19:45 Thursday 1 August 2024 18:00 19:45 Tuesday 6 August 2024 18:00 19:45 Thursday 8 August 2024 18:00 19:45 Tuesday 13 August 2024 18:00 19:45 Thursday 15 August 2024 18:00 19:45 Tuesday 20 August 2024 18:00 19:45 Thursday 22 August 2024 18:00 19:45 -
Starting date: 2 September 2024 (Virtual Classroom)
Day Date Start End Monday 2 September 2024 20:00 21:45 Thursday 5 September 2024 20:00 21:45 Monday 9 September 2024 20:00 21:45 Thursday 12 September 2024 20:00 21:45 Monday 16 September 2024 20:00 21:45 Thursday 19 September 2024 20:00 21:45 Monday 23 September 2024 20:00 21:45 Thursday 26 September 2024 20:00 21:45 Monday 30 September 2024 20:00 21:45 Thursday 3 October 2024 20:00 21:45 Monday 7 October 2024 20:00 21:45 Thursday 10 October 2024 20:00 21:45 Monday 14 October 2024 20:00 21:45 Thursday 17 October 2024 20:00 21:45 Monday 21 October 2024 20:00 21:45 Thursday 24 October 2024 20:00 21:45 Monday 28 October 2024 20:00 21:45 Thursday 31 October 2024 20:00 21:45 -
Starting date: 4 September 2024 (Utrecht)
Day Date Start End Wednesday 4 September 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 11 September 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 18 September 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 25 September 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 2 October 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 9 October 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 16 October 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 23 October 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 30 October 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 6 November 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 13 November 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 20 November 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 27 November 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 4 December 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 11 December 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 18 December 2024 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 8 January 2025 18:00 19:45 Wednesday 15 January 2025 18:00 19:45
Take our placement test
If you want to take a course at Babel, it is important to take our free placement test.
