What is Comprehensive English?
Skills Institute Australia is proud to present its Comprehensive English course as an all-purpose English language course designed to meet the needs of a wide variety of learners.
Comprehensive English is flexible enough to accommodate learners from any background and English level. Learners may be absolute beginners, or they may already be highly proficient in English and require preparatory language instruction prior to entering university.
CRICOS code: 095325D
Entrance requirements
All students must be at least 18 years old.
Purpose
To learn and enhance English skills for:
- Social survival
- Community access and participation
- Personal growth
- Career enhancement
- Professional development
- Further study
Duration
This course is delivered as full time study at 20 hours per week of scheduled class time on site at the Skills Institute Australia campus.
Students may enrol for short or long periods of time, however each proficiency level is completed over 26 weeks of full time study, including three weeks of holidays.
This qualification is delivered face-to-face in the classroom. There is a new intake each month.
| Proficiency level | Duration (weeks) |
|---|---|
| Elementary | 23 |
| Holidays | 3 |
| Pre-intermediate | 23 |
| Holidays | 3 |
| Intermediate | 23 |
| Holidays | 3 |
| Upper-intermediate | 23 |
| Holidays | 3 |
| Total course length | 104 |
Proficiency levels
Students are placed in the class that best matches their English level and learning style.
The Comprehensive English curriculum is arranged into four proficiency levels.
| Level | Who is this for? |
|---|---|
| Elementary | Beginners |
| Pre-intermediate | You are starting to communicate in English with other people and would like to learn more |
| Intermediate | You communicate OK but want to improve your accuracy and clarity |
| Upper-intermediate | With a little more study, you will be ready to enter university! |
Entrance to these proficiency levels is determined through diagnostic placement testing occurring at the time of enrolment or course commencement. Each proficiency level is taught over 26 weeks, including three weeks holiday. Learners who progress rapidly may be transferred to the next proficiency level ahead of schedule, and those who require additional tuition may remain in the class for a longer period of time.
There are seven learning areas in Comprehensive English.
| Learning areas | What you will learn |
|---|---|
| Speaking | Talk to people and be understood |
| Listening | Understand what people are saying to you |
| Reading | Get the obvious and hidden meanings in what you read |
| Writing | Write accurately, clearly and effectively |
| Grammar | The rules and exceptions |
| Vocabulary | The building blocks of language |
| Function | How English is used in real life situations |
Each proficiency level covers all seven learning areas.
Testing
The curriculum is designed to include ongoing testing and tasks to evaluate how well you are learning. These tests cover all the skills of the Comprehensive English program and are delivered in a variety of methods.
| Type of test | Example task |
|---|---|
| Written test | Write an email to a friend |
| Oral presentation | Explain to the class something about your country |
| Role-play | Pretend to be a customer in a shop |
| Interviews | Your teacher asks you questions about yourself |
| Observation | Your teacher watches as you interact in English with your classmates |
| Group discussion | Make plans in a small group for a celebration |
| Pairwork | Work with a partner on a project |
| Homework | Complete a grammar exercise at home |
| Research | Collect information from the internet about Australian history |
| End of course test | Complete a written quiz |
Pathways
Upon successful completion of Comprehensive English, learners may continue in further study in the VET sector, at TAFE, university or other higher learning institution.
Course Syllabus
Click here for a brief synopsis of the Comprehensive English course
Click here for details about the Comprehensive English course syllabus.
Additional resources
Click here to access further learning resources.