English Conversation Class

Target Group

The target group of this course is staff with an advanced level of spoken English (level C1 according to the Common European Frame of Reference for Languages; you can find a guideline for self-evaluation on http://www.wu.ac.at/structure/servicecenters/pep/ERFL.pdf. The main goal is for the participants to become more fluent and confident in expressing themselves in less structured, often more informal communicative situations such as small talk, debates, topical conversations etc. The course offers participants the opportunity to speak English on a regular weekly basis and thus to deepen and reinforce the skills and knowledge gained, and also to cover a wide range of topics.

Workshop Goals

• Gain confidence in speaking spontaneously
• Learn to put across ideas and opinions with confidence
• Gain rhetorical skills
• Improve pronunciation and intonation
• Enhance vocabulary and awareness of topical social, cultural and work-related issues in English

Workshop Content

The sessions will cover a range of activities such as role-plays, debates and discussions. The theme will change each week, with the opportunity to tailor the sessions to the individual needs and interests of the participants. All participants will be encouraged to be as actively involved as possible.

Location, date and time

On Mondays from 3.00 pm - 4.30 pm

In detail the appointments are:

All registered participants will be informed of the location by email one week before the event.

Fees and Registration

This workshop is open to a limited number of participants. The registration deadline is 16 February 2015.

Please note that you should notify us before the registration deadline if you are unable to attend the workshop. Otherwise the full fee will be charged.

Please let the Personnel Development and Planning Office know if you will not be attending. There are often waiting lists for the workshops, and this will give one of your colleagues the chance to attend. In addition, if we can fill the vacancy with someone from the waiting list, no cancellation charges will apply for you.

To sign up for this workshop, please click "Register" at the bottom of this page.
For any further information please contact Elke Rittersbacher (elke.rittersbacher@wu.ac.at, DW 4448).

The course fee is €40.

Trainer

Anthony Copnall, M.A., P.G.C.E.   Born and educated in England, Anthony Copnall holds a bachelor’s degree in German and Swedish and a master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) which he gained at the Institute of Education, University of London. A qualified modern languages teacher, he taught at secondary school level in England before becoming a lecturer at WU’s Institute for English Business Communication in 2002, a post which he has held full-time since 2004. He is an experienced continuing education trainer and has run a variety of popular workshops for academic, professional and business contexts for WU and external institutions.