Welcome to The English Lab

By completing the guided and independent components of this course, you will be able to speak, write and make presentations in professional-level English more effectively, with fewer technical errors and with more confidence, using vocabulary and situations most relevant to your industry and interests.

General Information

This is a private coaching and instruction course, available in both 9 and 12-hour formats, completed in six to eight (6 to 8) weeks. Classes meet via Internet two (2) days per week, 45 minutes each class, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. AST.

Orientation, Planning & Scheduling (phone call)

The 15-minute Orientation, Planning & Scheduling phone call is to informally assess your current level of proficiency, experience, level of comfort and goals, as they relate to English.

During this phone call, you will be asked to talk about - in English, to the best of your ability - your current job, tasks and responsibilities. You will also be asked to talk about some hobby, activity or interest outside of work.

The meeting schedule - two (2) times per week, 45-minutes each class for eight (8) weeks - is also discussed and established during this phone call. You will be asked to choose two (2) days and times for your regular meeting schedule.

Structure of the Class Meetings

In the class meetings, you will be engaged in conversation about general topics - how your day is, was or has been so far - always with the purpose of stimulating appropriate conversation.

Conversations may also be about procedures at work (how to do certain tasks, why they are done) and conversations related to your personal interests and hobbies outside of work.

Skills from the online lessons and quizzes are also reviewed and practiced in the class meetings, as well as the reading, writing and presentation projects in the course.

The English Lab: Lessons & Quizzes

There are forty (40) lessons and quizzes in this course. At the bottom of each lesson is a multiple-choice quiz. Complete each quiz. Click CHECK, then CONTINUE. Do not click 'Complete and Continue' until after you have completed the entire quiz.

The platform does not save your score; when you exit the platform, your score is erased, but your overall progress is recorded. If you have a question about a specific item, take a screenshot, write it down or use the comments section.

NOTE: Click COMPLETE AND CONTINUE after you have completed the entire quiz and received your score, so that your progress is recorded. You may repeat all lessons and quizzes after you have marked them completed.

Writing Assignments

There are at least two (2) writing assignments in this course. Writing assignments are usually a maximum of three (3), well-organized paragraphs, which include additional revisions or drafts by the student as needed.

Writing assignments are usually a summary of a presentation or reading or listening assignment. Writing assignments must be written without the use of any aid like Copilot, translator or similar apps. Ideally, writing assignments should be by hand.

Students are also encouraged to submit any recent emails or short reports from work they have written in English, provided they do not have any confidential or otherwise sensitive information (change or delete names & numbers).

Listening & Reading Assignments

There are at least two (2) listening & reading comprehension assignments in this course. These assignments usually consist of reading material, or watching short videos (assigned by the teacher, appropriate for level & interest), reading related transcripts or summaries, and discussing them with the teacher.

Student Presentations

Students should expect to prepare and deliver two (2) short, 5- to 8-minute presentations or ‘talks’ during their course. Topics for these presentations or talks are chosen by the student and planned with the teacher.

Often, students do a talk or presentation related to a work topic, and a talk or presentation related to a hobby or activity (like a ‘how to’ presentation).

Completing the Course, Certificate of Completion

The student successfully completes the course and receives a Certificate of Completion by completing the assigned & scheduled contact hours.

Students must also complete the assigned written and presentation assignments, diagnostic & learning outcomes tests, and complete the assigned lessons and quizzes.