This level is equivalent to CEFR B2.
Perception:
Upper-intermediate students rightly feel that they are now quite high-level learners of English and are ready to ‘push on’ to become proficient users of the language. To achieve this they need motivating materials and challenging tasks. They need clear objectives to focus on taking their skills to a higher level, as well as dealing with more complex language input. Finally, they need classes to be as fun and dynamic as they were at lower levels; there is no reason that higher-level lessons should become dry and overserious. Students still want to enjoy their English classes – role-plays, language games, challenges, and quizzes are still as valuable pedagogically as ever and can often be exploited more effectively at this level.
During this level, you will:
● improve your speaking through up-to-date, stimulating topics to talk and exchange opinions about
○ politely refusing to answer a question, reacting to what someone says
○ reacting to a story about something strange
○ flight stories, telling an anecdote understanding formal language in announcement.
○ managing discussions, politely disagreeing
○ ways of talking about feelings, wishes, the environment, risk-taking, emergencies, sleep, music, crime, media, reading habits, and cities
○ talking about future possibilities
● improve your understanding through;
○ engaging topics and stimulating material
○ exposure to a wide variety of authentic text types and colloquial spoken language
○ exposure to longer listenings and a wide variety of accents
○ achievable tasks but with an increasing level of challenge, such as
■ Using a diagram to understand a text
■ Using your knowledge of the world to help you understand formal advice
■ Understanding facts vs theories
■ Identifying solutions to problems
■ Understanding the language of speculation public speaking
■ Understanding a discussion – opinions, explanations, examples
■ Identifying advantages and disadvantages