GA & BEP CEFR LB2

Program # 7

CEFR General English Level B2

At this level one –
1.    has a good command of a broad range of language allowing him/her to select a formulation to express him/ herself clearly in an appropriate style on a wide range of general, academic, professional or leisure topics without having to restrict what he/she wants to say.       
2.    consistently maintains a high degree of grammatical accuracy; errors are rare, difficult to spot and generally corrected when they do occur.      
3.    can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously, almost effortlessly. only a conceptually difficult subject can hinder a natural, smooth flow of language.
4.    can select a suitable phrase from a readily available range of discourse functions to preface his remarks in order to get or to keep the floor and to relate his/her own contributions skilfully to those of other speakers. 
5.    can produce clear, smoothly-flowing, well-structured speech, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.

Grammar
        It’s time/It’s high time / It’s about time + past tense
        Linking words
        Clauses of purpose (to / in order to / so that)
        Countable/uncountable (special cases – wine / wines)
        The Passive (review + get for informal use)
        Causative Verbs (revision of have / get something done)
        Adverbs (manner / place /time / frequency / degree)
        Contrasting conjunctions (but / however /
        despite / in spite of / although / even though) (review)
        Future Continuous (review)
        Future Perfect
        Modals (review)
        Gerunds and infinitives (revision and verbs
        used with both but with change of meaning –
        Try / regret / remember / stop / go on / mean)
        Reported speech (review)
        Be (progressive forms “You’re being
        stupid”)
        Prepositions (review)
        Word formation (from ‘root’ word)
        Didn’t need to / needn’t have – contrast ’d rather / ’d better – contrast
        Verb + prepositions
        Nouns + prepositions


Vocabulary (All of B1+ and the ones below)
        False friends (sensible/sensitive – actually/currently, etc.)
        Geographical descriptions
        Technology and tools
        Marketing
        Banking
        Politics
        Understanding newspaper language (using ‘authentic’ material)


Functions
        Advising and warning
        Stating and opinion
        Persuading
        Writing letters of complaint
        Writing business letters
        Writing letters requesting information
        Writing letters of application
        Writing summaries
        Writing a speech
        Graph description
        Note-taking
        Describing a photo (N.B. essential for the
        second part of the oral paper)
        Compositions in general
        Preparing a CV
        Giving advice
        Writing articles from headlines
        Account for and sustain opinions in a discussion, providing relevant explanations, arguments and comments
        Explaining a viewpoint on a topical issue, giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options
        Explaining an argument, making it clear that the counterpart must make a concession
        Speculate about causes, consequences, hypothetical situations
        Correcting mistakes if they’ve lead to misunderstandings


Useful Expressions
        At loggerheads
        On a shoestring
        Be on cloud nine
        Be long-winded
        Be hard up
        Be in a fix
        Be in a tight corner
        Be set in one’s ways
        Catch 22
        Can’t be bothered
        Come again?
        Come off it!
        Come on!
        Dirt cheap
        Down in the dumps
        Find (something) heavy-going
        From Day One/scratch
        Get off to a good/bad start
        Get on one’s nerves
        Give someone the cold shoulder
        Going great guns
        Go to great lengths
        It goes without saying, …
        I need it yesterday
        It should be a two-way street
        It will never fly
        Have a change of heart
        Have one’s head in the clouds
        Have one’s head screwed on
        High-flyer
        Keep up with the Joneses
        Jump in with both feet
        Light at the end of the tunnel
        Lay cards on the table
        Let the cat out of the bag
        Live and let live
        Make a go of something
        To moonlight
        On the brink
        Once in a blue moon
        Out of turn
        Paint the town red
        Pay through the nose
        Put one’s foot down
        Put one’s mind to …
        Put one’s back up
        Put two and two together
        Spread like wildfire
        Two heads are better than one
        Turn a hair
        Turn over a new leaf
        Watch one’s step
        Wear the trousers


Phrasal Verbs (Revision of all phrasal verbs taught at the previous level is essential)
        Be up (of time)
        Be up to
        Break out
        Break up (from school)
        Break up (relationships)
        Bring about (cause to happen)
        Bring in (a law)
        Blow up
        Build up (strength / business / housing)
        Carry out (a survey/work/an/experiment)
        Catch on (understand / become popular)
        Change one’s mind
        Check up on
        Come across (find unexpectedly)
        Come round (regain consciousness / visit)
        Come up (happen unexpectedly)
        Come up with
        Come up against
        Crack down
        Cut down on
        Cut off (disconnected / become isolated)
        Do away with
        Fill up
        Fit in
        Freshen up
        Get by (manage)
        Get on (progress)
        Go far
        Go through (experience / review)
        Go without
        Help oneself to
        Keep up with
        Knock over
        Lay off
        Let down
        Let off (steam)
        Move on to (something else)
        Pass out (faint)
        Put off (distract / postpone)
        Put up
        Put up with
        Run across/into (happen to meet/find)
        Run down (criticise)
        Run over
        See through
        Set off (leave)
        Do without
        Drink up
        Drop off
        End up
        Set up
        Show off
        Slip up
        Sort out (a problem)
        Stand by (support / be in reserve)
        Stand up to/for
        Stop off (break a journey)
        Sum up
        Take after
        Take back (retract)
        Take down (write)
        Take on (staff / work, responsibilities)
        Take over
        Talk at cross purposes
        Talk rubbish
        Talk shop
        Tidy up
        Turn down (refuse)
        Turn up (appear)
        Wear out (person / clothes)
        Work out (a problem)
        Wrap up (a meeting)


General (This is just an idea of the kind of vocabulary students of this level are expected to use. It is impossible to cover all lexical fields here. This section should be further developed according to students’ needs, ability and interests)



       Newspaper language:
choose from authentic headlines and articles (from different types of newspapers).

       Prepositions + noun:
At + all costs  ...  a loose end  ...  the end  ...  a guess  ...  last  ...  large  ...  the latest  ... least  ...  great length  ...  random  ...  a time  ...  war. By + accident  ...  chance  ...  heart  ...  mistake  ...  sight. For + ages  ...  a change  ...  good  ...  hire  ...  once. In + agreement  ...  common  ...  command  ...  the end  ...  flames  ...  flower  ...  good hands  ...  your own interest  ...  the mood  ...  the newspaper  ...  pain  ...  principle  ...  some respects  ...  revenge  ...  safety  ...  self-defence  ...  uniform. On + business  ...  a diet  ...  duty  ...  fire  ...  holiday  ...  loan  ...  order  ...  purpose  ...  the radio  ...  strike  ...  television  ...  good terms  ...  time  ...  trial  ...  a visit. Out of + breath  ...  focus  ...  a job  ...  luck  ...  order  ...  place  ...  print  ...  the question  ...  sight. Under + age  ...  control  ...  discussion  ...  repair. Without + a break  ...  fail  ...  success  ...  warning.

       Noun + preposition:
destruction  ...  drawing  ...  photograph  ...  picture  ...  map  ...  plan + of. Alternative ...  answer  ...  attitude  ...  damage  ...  devotion  ...  introduction  ...  invitation  ...  reaction  ...  reference + to. Admiration  ...  demand  ...  desire  ...  dislike  ...  need  ... reason  ... respect  ...  responsibility  ...  solution  ...  substitute  ...  taste + for. Agreement  ...  attack  ...  comment  ...  effect + on. Connection  ...  contact  ...  link  ...  relationship + with. Connection  ... contact  ...  difference  ...  link  ...  relationship + between. Decrease  ...  difficulty  ...  fall  ...  increase  ...  rise + in.

       Adjective + preposition:
brave  ...  careless  ...  nice  ...  kind  ...  good  ...  generous  ...  intelligent  ...  polite  ...  silly  ...  stupid of someone to do something. Afraid  ...  (un)aware  ...  ashamed  ...  convinced  ...  (in)capable  ...  conscious  ...  critical  ...  envious  ...  fond  ...  frightened  ...  full  ...  jealous  ...  proud  ...  short  ...  suspicious  ...  tolerant  ...  typical  ...  terrified  ...  tired of something ... body. Angry  ...  annoyed  ...  furious about something  ...  with somebody for doing something. Excited  ...  happy  ...  nervous  ...  worried  ...  upset etc. about something happening. Bored  ...  fed up  ...  pleased  ...  (dis)satisfied  ...  disappointed etc. with something. Good  ...  bad  ...  hopeless  ...  brilliant , etc at something. Astonished  ...  amazed  ...  surprised  ...  shocked etc. at  ...  by something. Similar  ...  married  ...  engaged to. Interested in  ...  keen on  ...  dependent on  ...  independent of  ...  crowded with  ...  famous for  ...  responsible for  ...  different from (or to).

       Other collocations:
Show sympathy  ...  tolerance  ...  patience  ...  kindness; Jump for joy; liquid assets; vital assistance; exert absolute authority; the proper authorities; a firm attitude; Come from a deprived background; a delicate balance; a hard bargain; Break down cultural barriers; Get back to basics; outstanding bill; great bitterness; Absolve from blame; a  strong bond; a total breakdown; Tax your brain; Assume a heavy burden; Get down to business; Drum up new business; Derive considerable benefit; an economic boom; a deep-rooted belief in  ...  bias against; a thought-provoking book; deep affection  ...  aversion  ...  animosity; an unfair advantage; a binding agreement: out of control; a feasible alternative; a formal application; a heated argument; a hostile atmosphere; fruitful association

       Describing people:
broad ... narrow-minded; blunt; witty; moody; bright; dumb; dim; (un)selfish; modest; easy-going; vain: nosy; wise; nasty; cheeky; clumsy; pushy; childish; spiteful; catty; thoughtful; arrogant; outgoing; mean; down-to-earth; bitchy; cocky; brainy; daft; (un)trustworthy; mousy; edgy; dreamy; ill-mannered;(un)reliable; naughty; spoilt; sheepish; ratty; well ... badly behaved; a gossip; a big-head; a couch potato; a laugh; a coward; a snob; a liar; etc.

       Describing feelings:
ashamed; horrified; stunned; bitter; delighted; thrilled; ecstatic; heartbroken; fed up; lonely; in a rage; cross; furious; livid; stressed-out; confused; puzzled; mixed-up, etc.

       Describing clothes:
baggy; close-fitting; chic; with-it; scruffy; shabby


       Describing jobs:
badly ... well-paid; challenging; monotonous; responsible; satisfying; Stressful

       Work:
Form a company; Go into business; Join a company; Run a business; Set up a company; colleague; a temporary job; Be one’s own boss; Be self-employed; Take time off

       Weather:
fine ... heavy ... torrential rain; light ... scattered snow ... rain ... showers; overcast; stormy sky; rough ... calm ... choppy sea; strong ... gale-force ... light wind; thick ... storm ... angry-looking clouds; warm ... glorious ... brilliant ... weak sunshine

       Stock phrases:
That’s a difficult question to answer.  ...  Come to think of it.  ...  Up to a certain extent.  ...  I see what you mean

       Proverbs:
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; Don’t count your chickens (before they hatch); No use crying over spilt milk; Let sleeping dogs lie, etc.

       Similes and metaphors:
as thick as two planks; as thin as a rake, as quiet as a mouse, as cool as a cucumber; as quick as a flash; as red as a beetroot; as good as gold; as mad as a hatter; as deaf as a post etc.; skeleton in the cupboard; pour cold water on something; in a nutshell; as regular as clockwork

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