Reading and Writing Portfolio 5

Reading language school brochures

Which school? Writing formal and informal writing
Review requests; Present Simple
1 Read the website about language courses in England. Then complete the table.
If there is no information, write DS (doesn’t say).

school town name of lessons per hours per minimum age maximum number
course week week of students
The Select 1 Cambridge 2 English lessons DS 3 15 DS 4 10
School
Fluency First 5 Bath Let’s talk 6 14 7 DS 8 DS DS
College
9 Language Links 10 Brighton English Express 11 28 12 25 13 17 14 12

A B C

The Select School of English:
Intensive English Plus
This course offers 15 hours of general
English lessons and four hours of one-to-
one classes* every week. The main course
develops grammar, vocabulary and skills
in a class of no more than 10 students. In
the one-to-one classes you can plan your
work with a teacher and work on areas
that are important to your studies or work.
CA mbridge is A BEAUT iful city ANd home of
one of the world’s most FAmous universities.
London is only 50 minutes by trAin.
Fluency First College:
Let’s Talk – communication
and special interests
The focus of Let’s Talk is on
communicating clearly in everyday
language. Every week there are 14
general language lessons and eight
special interest lessons. Subjects
include: business language, culture
and customs, language and the media
and literature.
Let’s Talk is available at our school
in the historical city of Bath.
Language Links: English Express
Brighton is often called ‘London by the
Sea’. There are so many things to do!
And London is only 55 minutes away on
the train.
• The school offers four-week courses
of 28 lessons per week (24 hours).
• There are 21 lessons of general
English and seven lessons that
develop skills.
• The maximum class size is 12 and the
minimum age of students is 17.

2 Paola, Emre, Daiki and Kiko are going to study English. Read about the kind of language school they would like.
Choose a school (A–C) for each person.

I’m a student at a I learned English We want a course

business college when I was for about a month.
in Milan, Italy. at school and We want to study
I want to learn now I want to in the same class
language that is use it again. I and we want to
important for think I’m pre- work really hard.
my degree. It’s intermediate We’d like to be in
not important level, but I need or near London
Paola Emre Daiki and Kiko
where I go in some extra because we
England. B help. C like going out. A

*one-to-one CLASSES = CLASSES with one student AND one TEACHER

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3 Read Paola’s email to a language
school. Tick the thing she mentions.
what she is studying at the moment
her language level
the type of English she wants to study
the skills she wants to practise
information@ffcollege.co.uk
Paola Conte
Language courses
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you with reference
to your advertisement for courses
in Bath.
I would be grateful if you could
send me further information about
the course including: the minimum
age of students, the maximum
number of students in a class and
the length of the lessons. At the
moment, I’m studying at a business
college in Italy, so I am interested
in the special interest lesson of
‘Business language’. Could you send
me some details on this course?
I would also like some information
about accommodation. Do students
stay at the school or with families?
Finally, would you be able to send
me some brochures about the city
of Bath?
I look forward to hearing from
you soon.
Yours faithfully,
Paola Conte
HELP WITH WRITING
Formal and informal letters/emails
4 a Complete the table with these words/phrases.
Dear Sir/Madam, All the best, Yours sincerely, Love, Kiko
Yours faithfully, Dear John, Dear Mr Austin,
formal informal
starting a letter/an email if you:
know the person’s name 1 Dear Mr Austin 2 Dear John
don’t know the person’s name 3 Dear Sir/Madam,
ending a letter/an email if you:
know the person’s name 4 Yours faithfully 5 Love, Kiko
or 6 All the best,
don’t know the person’s name 7 Yours sincerely
b In formal writing, we use formal phrases. Match the
words/ phrases in bold in the email to informal meanings 1–7.
1 Can you: Could you and you with reference to
2 Please can you: I would be grateful if you could
3 about: furthe
4 I like the idea of: I would also like
5 I also want: I am interested in
6 more: would you be able to
7 Please write back soon: I look forwad to hearing from you soon.
5 a Imagine you are writing to a language school. Make notes.
Juana Vargas
Who are you writing to?
Intermediate
What is your language level?
the minimum age of students, the
What information do you need? maximum number of students in a class
and the length of the lessons.
I am interested in the special interest
Do you have any special
lesson of ‘Business language’.
interests?
b Write a formal letter to a language school asking for information.
● Use your notes from 5a.
● Use the formal phrases from Paola’s letter.
● Read and check for mistakes.
● Give your letter to your teacher in your next class.
Tick the things you can do in English in the
Reading and Writing Progress Portfolio, p88.
 73

A: information@ffcollege.co.uk
From: Juana Vargas
Subject: Language courses

Dear Mrs. Juana Vargas

I am writing to you in reference to your online
course announcement.
I would be grateful if you could send me
more information about the course,
including: the minimum age of the students,
the maximum number of students in a class
and the duration of the lessons. At the
moment, I am studying in one , so I am
interested in the special interest lesson
"Business Language". Could you send me
some details of this course?
I would also like to receive information about
accommodation. Do students stay at the
school or in host families?
I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely, Gean Huaynates