flagship course
English as a Second Language for Work
Build fluent, clear workplace English: sounds, grammar, vocabulary, writing, meetings and interviews, with steady practice and honest feedback.
about this course
What you will be able to do
Build fluent, clear workplace English: sounds, grammar, vocabulary, writing, meetings and interviews, with steady practice and honest feedback.
- Define a personal level and a work goal in English.
- Apply clear pronunciation and grammar in short talks.
- Analyse your own recordings for patterns.
- Evaluate emails for clarity and tone.
- Create a work portfolio of talks, emails and a report.
Task, condition and standard
Task
Speak and write clear English in five work situations and keep a recorded portfolio.
Condition
About 12 weeks part-time. A phone for recording, a practice partner, a mentor.
Standard
Each recording is clear to a listener, written work is edited, and progress is shown by dated samples.
Who it is for: Students, returners to work, professionals, small-business staff. Requirements: Basic reading in English. Materials: lesson text, templates, rubric, check with answers.
lesson by lesson
8 modules with worked examples
Module 1 Level and goal 3 hDefine
- Place yourself on the six common levels using can-do statements.
- Choose one work goal such as interviews or client calls.
- Record a first sample.
Activity. Record a baseline and write a goal.
Standard to meet. Sample is saved with date; goal is specific.
Module 2 Sounds, stress and clarity 5 hApply
- Vowels and consonants that confuse; minimal pairs.
- Word stress and sentence rhythm.
- Slow, clear speech before fast speech.
- Keep your own accent but make it clear.
Activity. Record twenty minimal pairs and a thirty-second talk.
Standard to meet. Check that the listener can repeat the key words without asking again.
Module 3 Grammar that matters at work 5 hApply
- Tenses for past work, present tasks and plans.
- Questions and polite requests.
- Articles and prepositions: common errors.
Activity. Fix ten error sentences and write ten of your own.
Standard to meet. Correct errors with a short reason.
Module 4 Vocabulary in context 4 hApply
- Word families and collocations.
- Review after 1, 3 and 7 days.
- Build a personal word bank for your job.
Activity. Build a 60-word bank with sentences.
Standard to meet. Write a sentence from your work for each word.
Module 5 Business writing 6 hCreate
- Emails: subject, purpose, action, thanks.
- Short reports: summary, findings, next steps.
- Plain words; short sentences; proofread.
Activity. Write three emails and a one-page report.
Standard to meet. Give each text a clear purpose and action, and fix errors.
Module 6 Meetings, calls and negotiation 5 hApply
- Open, ask, clarify, summarise.
- Disagree politely.
- Virtual meeting manners and time zones.
Activity. Role-play three meetings.
Standard to meet. Use polite forms and a summary in each role-play.
Module 7 Interviews and presentations 5 hCreate
- Answer in five beats: context, challenge, action, result, lesson.
- Open a talk with a hook; end with an action.
- Handle questions you do not know.
Activity. Deliver a five-minute talk and a mock interview.
Standard to meet. Talk is timed and clear; answers use the beats.
Module 8 Capstone: work portfolio 4 hCreate
- Choose best samples.
- Compare with your baseline.
- Present to a mentor.
- Set the next goal.
Activity. Present.
Standard to meet. Show clear progress in dated samples.
assessment
How you are checked
Evidence: the work product from each module, kept in one folder with dates. A mentor and two peers mark it with this rubric. Pass: no criterion at 'Not yet'.
| Criterion | Not yet | Meets | Exceeds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarity | Missing or unclear | Meets the stated check | Listener understands first time |
| Writing | Guessing | Evidence kept | Edited and purposeful |
| Records | Gaps | Complete | Complete and reviewed by a peer |
| Safety and ethics | Overlooked | Followed | Followed and taught to others |
Ten-question check, with model answers
Q1. Why record a baseline?
Model answer: To measure progress later. (Covered in module 1: Level and goal. To pass that module: Sample is saved with date; goal is specific.)
Q2. Why practise stress?
Model answer: Stress carries meaning and clarity. (Covered in module 2: Sounds, stress and clarity. To pass that module: Check that the listener can repeat the key words without asking again.)
Q3. When use present perfect?
Model answer: For experience or a past action linked to now. (Covered in module 3: Grammar that matters at work. To pass that module: Correct errors with a short reason.)
Q4. What is a collocation?
Model answer: Words that commonly go together. (Covered in module 4: Vocabulary in context. To pass that module: Write a sentence from your work for each word.)
Q5. What should open an email?
Model answer: A clear subject and purpose. (Covered in module 5: Business writing. To pass that module: Give each text a clear purpose and action, and fix errors.)
Q6. How to disagree politely?
Model answer: Acknowledge, then offer another option. (Covered in module 6: Meetings, calls and negotiation. To pass that module: Use polite forms and a summary in each role-play.)
Q7. Name the five answer beats.
Model answer: Context, challenge, action, result, lesson. (Covered in module 7: Interviews and presentations. To pass that module: Talk is timed and clear; answers use the beats.)
Q8. What proves progress?
Model answer: Dated samples compared with the baseline. (Covered in module 8: Capstone: work portfolio. To pass that module: Show clear progress in dated samples.)
Q9. Why speak slowly first?
Model answer: Clarity before speed. (Covered in: Task, condition and standard, near the top of this page.)
Q10. Why use your own examples?
Model answer: They are easier to remember and more useful. (Covered in: Task, condition and standard, near the top of this page.)
seven levels
Your ladder, L1 to L7
This course sits at L4 Practitioner. Each level adds to the one below.
- L1 Basic. Greet and answer simply.
- L2 Awareness. Handle daily topics.
- L3 Foundation. Hold short work talks.
- L4 Practitioner. Use English fluently at work.
- L5 Specialist. Lead meetings and negotiate.
- L6 Advanced. Train others.
- L7 Super expert. Design language programmes for organisations.
Slide by slide
Seven slides, one per level. Open each for the slide text and the speaker notes.
Slide 1 L1 Basic: Greet and answer
Greet a visitor and answer 10 simple questions in short, correct sentences without long pauses.
Speaker notes. Teacher asks name, work and city questions and counts correct answers. Covered in module 3, Grammar that matters at work.
Slide 2 L2 Awareness: Daily topics
Speak for 1 minute on a daily topic with clear sounds and stress, using at least 10 learned words correctly.
Speaker notes. Teacher listens to a talk on a morning routine and counts the key words. Covered in modules 2 and 4.
Slide 3 L3 Foundation: Short work talks
Hold a 3-minute work talk with 5 correct sentences using the right tense and ask 2 clarifying questions.
Speaker notes. Teacher plays a customer and checks the tenses in the replies. Covered in module 3.
Slide 4 L4 Practitioner: Fluent work English
Write a 150-word work email with fewer than 5 errors and lead a 5-minute call using clear, polite language.
Speaker notes. Teacher marks errors on the email and times the call. Covered in module 3, Grammar that matters at work.
Slide 5 L5 Specialist: Meetings and negotiation
Lead a 15-minute meeting with an agenda, notes of 3 decisions and a polite negotiation that reaches an agreed price.
Speaker notes. Teacher plays the other side and checks the decisions are written down.
Slide 6 L6 Advanced: Training others
Train a group of 5 learners for 3 sessions with a lesson plan, practice tasks and feedback, lifting each learner's test score.
Speaker notes. Teacher reviews the plan and the before and after scores.
Slide 7 L7 Super expert: Language programme design
Design a 12-week language programme with level tests, weekly goals and a final assessment, and pilot it with one group of at least 10.
Speaker notes. Teacher checks every week has a measurable goal.
career routes
Roles, routes and subjects
These routes come from the India pathway tables. They show where this course leads, in my own words.
Career role families
- ESL teacher
- Communication coach
- Corporate language trainer
- Business English facilitator
- Test-preparation instructor
- Language lab manager
Ways to work: Employed in language institutes and companies; freelance tutor or coach; own training centre; learning-partner site. Who buys: Company language contracts, individual learners, university tie-ups, government skills missions. Learner journey: Learn, apply, empower, transform, renew.
| Axis | Subjects | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Language systems and fluency | Grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, accent clarity | Builds fluency and confidence for interviews and talks. |
| Applied communication | Business writing, emails, reports, negotiation, client talks | Raises workplace output and fit with global teams. |
| Cultural and digital literacy | Cross-cultural manners, virtual meetings | Helps small firms and companies work across borders. |
jobs this leads to
Where this takes you
- ESL teacher
- Communication coach
- Corporate language trainer
- Freelance tutor
- Customer service agent
ten locations and global
Your place
Local rules change licences, data handling, pricing words and names of bodies. Check them for your place before you act.
India (Bengaluru)
Language: English, Hindi, Kannada. Currency: INR. Data rule for what you publish: Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023. Skills frame to cite: National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) and the national credit framework.
Netherlands (Eindhoven area)
Language: Dutch, English. Currency: EUR. Data rule for what you publish: EU GDPR (Dutch: AVG), supervised by the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens. Skills frame to cite: the Dutch qualification framework (NLQF) linked to the European Qualifications Framework.
UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi)
Language: Arabic, English. Currency: AED. Data rule for what you publish: Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 (personal data protection). Skills frame to cite: the emirate education and training regulators (for example KHDA in Dubai) and the national qualifications framework.
Brazil (Sao Paulo)
Language: Portuguese (Spanish and English support). Currency: BRL. Data rule for what you publish: LGPD (Lei Geral de Protecao de Dados). Skills frame to cite: the national technical-education catalogue and the national S-system training bodies.
Canada (Toronto)
Language: English, French. Currency: CAD. Data rule for what you publish: PIPEDA, with provincial rules where they apply. Skills frame to cite: the provincial colleges framework and the national credential-recognition guidance.
United States
Language: English, Spanish. Currency: USD. Data rule for what you publish: state privacy laws (for example California), and COPPA for children under 13. Skills frame to cite: state and community-college credit systems.
Singapore
Language: English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil. Currency: SGD. Data rule for what you publish: Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). Skills frame to cite: the Singapore national skills frameworks and the national credit system.
Australia
Language: English. Currency: AUD. Data rule for what you publish: the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles. Skills frame to cite: the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) levels.
Hong Kong (Eastern Asia)
Language: Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin), English. Currency: HKD. Data rule for what you publish: the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. Skills frame to cite: the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework.
Georgia and Israel (Western Asia)
Language: Georgian, Hebrew, Arabic, English. Currency: GEL or ILS. Data rule for what you publish: the personal data law of the country where the learner lives. Skills frame to cite: the national qualifications framework of that country.
Cayman Islands (Caribbean)
Language: English. Currency: KYD. Data rule for what you publish: the Data Protection Act. Skills frame to cite: the local education and training framework.
Mexico
Language: Spanish, English. Currency: MXN. Data rule for what you publish: the federal law on personal data held by private parties. Skills frame to cite: the national competency certification system and the education ministry levels.
next
Draft
Draft flagship. Own wording. Not live.