Upper-Intermediate English course, track B1 → C1

This track is for students who are at level B1. This means that you can already talk with people in English about yourself and your opinions and ideas, and you probably sometimes read English news and watch TV in English (with subtitles), but you don’t always know exactly how to say what you want to say. Maybe in your writing you know you make some grammar mistakes, but you’re not quite sure how to fix them.

In the B2 course, our trainers will help you to take your English to B1 level. They will work on fluency and accuracy in both writing and speaking, adding to your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. You will look at how to give more detailed, abstract and nuanced information. You will have lots of chances to speak and receive feedback on your spoken production.

In the C1 course, our trainers will help you to learn how to take your English to level C1. They will work on fluency and accuracy in both writing and speaking, adding to your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. Learning about formal and informal language in writing and speaking is an important part of this course.

You can start with this track if you have completed our English Intermediate course or if you have attained B1 level via another route. Would you like to know your current language level? Try our free language level test!

This track takes you towards level C1.

• You will feel considerably more confident using English and will know many more words and phrases that help you to express complex ideas in speaking and writing. You will be able to present and discuss abstract ideas and information, and feel at ease with whatever social and workplace situations come your way.
• This track will give you the language you need to succeed in the Cambridge English C1 Advanced exam if your goal is to get an internationally recognised certificate proving you are at level C1. You may need this for immigration purposes in some countries, or to prove you have full working proficiency in English for larger organisations worldwide.

• The language of instruction is English.
• You will be working with a book. You can order this book on our special book page. Please make sure you have your book ready for the first session.
• You will receive a certificate of participation if you follow at least 80% of the classes.
• If you work or study at Utrecht University you will receive a 15% discount. Please register for the course using your UU email address. Your registration will then be processed automatically.

• This track consists of 36 classes of 1hr45 minutes. Alongside this, you will need to do some homework and preparation for your lessons. You should expect to spend at least 3 hours a week on this. You can submit writing practise to your teacher for feedback.
• The more time you give to learning, the more you will benefit. There are lots of exercises to practise at home available to you. There are also many websites where you can read more English texts, and many ways to listen to more English online. Your teacher will show you these, and you can decide for yourself how much you want to do and what suits you.

All Babel’s courses are taught by highly-qualified, professional teachers and are interactive, fun, and focused on students’ needs.

This means we:

• are flexible to what a group needs.
• ask for your feedback on how the lessons are going, and respond to what you tell us.
• use high-quality materials.
• do a lot of speaking activities, in small groups and as a whole group.
• teach grammar and vocabulary in a way that connects them to real life use.
• encourage students to learn outside the classroom too.