Course syllabus
English Proficiency I – (preliminary) planning SEM 2
updated: 30.01.2026
|
Week* |
Dates |
Session |
Module 1 – Skills**** |
Module 2 – Grammar and Vocabulary*** |
| 22 | 9/02 - 15/02 | 1 | Looking back, looking forward: recap SEM1 |
GR 8: Articles |
| 23 | 16/02 - 22/02 | 2 | Coherence and cohesion, sentence variety + Pronunciation intermezzo |
VOC 6: Health Source: Little Things Matter: The Prevention Paradox: Why We are Failing to Prevent Disease (YouTube video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx6HljDFqlQ Units** 51 52 53 54 |
| 24 | 23/02 - 01/03 | 3 | Coherence and cohesion, sentence variety (continued) | GR 9: Possessives and plurals |
| 25 | 02/03 - 08/03 | 4 | Paraphrasing, referencing, reported speech + Pronunciation intermezzo |
GR 10: Adjectives and adverbs |
| 26 | 09/03 - 15/03 | 5 | Paraphrasing, referencing, reported speech (continued) | VOC 7: Love, Life & Romance Source: Lahiri, Jhumpa. “A Temporary Matter.” Interpreter of Maladies. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1991. 1-21. You can also listen to the audiobook on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70DuzPeCZxs Units** 11 12 13 14 15 |
| 27 | 16/03 - 22/03 | 6 | Mandatory writing class | GR 11: Modality and modals (1) |
|
28 |
23/03 - 29/03 |
7 |
AI in context: part 1 |
GR 12: Modality and modals (2) |
|
29 |
30/03 - 05/04 |
8 |
AI in context: part 2 ! opt-out without generative tools available |
VOC 8: Fashion Source: Dressed – Fashionopolis, an interview with Dana Thomas (podcast) Units** 16 17 18 19 |
| 30-31 | 06/04-19/04 | / |
SPRING BREAK |
|
| 32 | 20/04-26/04 | 9 | What is a TEDx talk? + Public speaking: advanced (1) | GR 13: Conditionals, subjunctives, and the 'unreal' past (1) |
| 33 | 27/04-03/05 | 10 |
WPO 2, 4, 5, 6 & 7: Public speaking: advanced (2)
No class for WPO 1, 3, and 8 on Friday 1 May |
WPO 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8: VOC 9: Advertising Units** 47 48 49 50 No class for WPO 2 |
| 34 | 04/05-10/05 | 11 |
WPO 1, 3 & 8: Public speaking: advanced (2) WPO 2, 4, 6 & 7: Public speaking: advanced (3) |
WPO 1, 3, 4, 7: GR 14: Conditionals, subjunctives, and the 'unreal' past (2) WPO 2: VOC 9: Advertising Sources: two YouTube videos Units** 47 48 49 50 |
|
35
|
11/05-17/05 | 12 |
WPO 1, 3, 5 & 8: Public speaking: advanced (3) + Pronunciation intermezzo
No class for WPO 2, 4, 6 & 7 |
WPO 2, 5, 6 and 8: GR 14: Conditionals, subjunctives and the 'unreal' past (2)
No class for WPO 1, 3, 4 and 7 |
|
36
|
18/05-24/05 | 13 | Speaking lab: mock exam | Mock exam + exam preparation |
* According to the VUB academic calendar
** Units to study in English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
*** Self-study for M2:
1) VOC 10: 8. Climate p. 41 with key
Sources: two speeches
Speech 1: Greta Thunberg: If you choose to fail us, we will never forgive you (23.09.2019)
Speech 2: Laura Ingraham: The climatology cult (23.09.2019)
VUI Units 28 29 30 31 32 33
2) GR 15: Multi-unit verbs
**** For module 1, recall that you must reach a 70% participation rate for the continuous assessment component.