Proficient Practical English

Practical information

CEF

A1	At the end of the course, you can understand and use familiar, everyday expressions and basic phrases in areas of immediate need. You can also read and write short, simple texts. You can interact in a simple way provided the other person speaks slowly and clearly and is willing to help. You can for example introduce yourself and you can ask and answer questions on very familiar topics.
A2	At the end of the course you can understand phrases related to areas of most immediate personal relevance (e.g. personal and family information, shopping, employment, ...). You can read and write short, simple notes and messages and find information in everyday material such as advertisements and timetables. You can communicate in simple and routine situations on familiar, everyday topics. You can describe in simple phrases some aspects of your background, your close surroundings and your immediate needs.
B1	At the end of the course you can understand the main points of standard communication on familiar matters regularly encountered. You can enter unprepared into conversation on topics that are familiar and you can connect phrases in a simple way. You can write simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest and you can briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
B2	At the end of the course you can understand most TV news and current affairs programmes. You can even follow complex lines of argument provided the topic is reasonably familiar. You can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible. You can understand the main points of complex texts on concrete and abstract topics and you can understand technical discussions related to your field. You can write clear, detailed texts on a wide range of subjects and you can explain a viewpoint on a topical issue expressing the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
C1	At the end of this course you can better understand native speakers, even when they talk very fast. You learn how to express yourself fluently and spontaneously without any preparation and without much obvious searching for expressions. You can understand more difficult and longer texts, like those you will encounter during your studies. You can also recognize implicit meaning. You can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. You can write clear, well-structured, detailed texts about complex subjects, logically structured, coherent and well connected.
C2	At the end of the course you have no difficulty in understanding any kind of spoken or written language. You can summarize spoken or written language and reconstruct arguments and presentations coherently. You can express yourself fluently and spontaneously and convey finer shades of meaning precisely, even in more complex situations.

Course hours

Prices		Evening
Commercial student This is the standard price for this language course. If you are not entitled to a discount, this is the price you will need to pay.		€305
Student UGent You are registered as a UGent student and you take a course this academic year (or the summer before). Not registered yet? Check out the FAQ discount for future UGent students. PhD students benefit from the staff rate.		€200
Scholarship student UGent You are registered as a UGent student and you have a scholarship from the Flemish Community this academic year. Send us a proof of your scholarship via this form, together with your registration.		€160
Incoming exchange student UGent You are registered as an incoming exchange student of UGent. You will receive an extra discount for a Dutch course. For more info, see the FAQ discount for incoming exchange students.		€200
Outgoing exchange student UGent As an outgoing exchange student of UGent you receive an extra discount. You pay the student fee first and after your departure (after you upload the confirmation of arrival) your discount will be settled automatically.		€55
Outgoing exchange scholarship student UGent		€40
Staff member UGent As a staff member of UGent, you receive a discount, independent of the paying method used for the course. PhD students fall under this category as well.		€270

Hours per week

1x2,5

Books by

Standaard Boekhandel Shopping Zuid, Woodrow Wilsonplein 4, 9000 Gent

Objectives and content

Advanced and Proficient Practical English share the same objectives and content level. In these courses, different subjects and language aspects are dealt with and these courses can be followed in either order after the Practical English trajectory after level 5 or as a challenging communicatie course to develop your English skills further at a high level.
The courses Advanced Practical English and Proficial Practical English are parallel courses, which means that they cover different topics at the same level and therefore, they can be followed in either order.

to train your productive English skills in an interactive classroom environment,
to broaden your vocabulary range and become aware of subtle word choices,
to fine-tune your grammatical accuracy by practically implementing advanced principles
to become a fluent, confident user of the language who feels at ease when talking about diverse topics.

Advanced authentic material in a dynamic, interactive environment
Challenging vocabulary exercises training lexical awareness
Advanced grammar topics in practice
Extensive training to strengthen both receptive and productive skills
A wide range of speaking and writing exercises

Required prior knowledge

You have advanced knowledge of English:

You can fluently participate in spontaneous conversation about concrete and abstract topics.
You can participate actively in a discussion and defend your views, even about topics which are not part of your everyday life.
You master the basics of the English grammar and make hardly any consistent errors against it.
Your vocabulary is extensive, but you wish to enlarge it further.

Tests

There is a placement test and a final test.
It is required that you take a brief online test before enrolling. This way, you can assess whether the course Proficient Practical English is suitable for you.
During the first session, the teacher will also test all participants to assess whether the result of the online test can be confirmed. If you are referred to a different level, you can enter that level on condition that sufficient places are still available.
Participants who passed the final test of the course Practical English 5 will also have to take this orientation test to check if their English proficiency suffices. If you passed the course Advanced Practical English, you can automatically register for this course.

Course materials

Course book: De Moor, Tom: Proficient Practical English: On The Road To Perfection, Universiteit Gent en Academia Press, 2020
When you buy this course book at Standaard Boekhandel Shopping Zuid, Woodrow Wilsonplein 4, 9000 Gent (in the campus shop next to the shop), you will receive a discount of 10% on the official price. Make sure to mention that you take a language course at the UCT.

Are you already registered for this course? Check out our FAQ ‘What to do after my registration?’.

Schedule and subscribe

11/02/2025 - 13/05/2025

Time	19:00 - 21:30
Days	Tue
Location	Roz 1.1

University Language Centre