- Online
- $385
This practical and intensive course helps you develop strategies to improve how you communicate in real time at work, especially when you need to think on your feet.
Learn strategies for recalling vocabulary quickly, expressing ideas flexibly, paraphrasing when words don’t come easily, and maintaining clear communication under pressure. Through guided speaking activities and interactive practice, strengthen your ability to respond spontaneously, organize your thoughts in real time, and keep conversations moving naturally and effectively.
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Recall vocabulary more quickly in speaking situations
- Paraphrase and express ideas flexibly when exact words are unavailable
- Use common professional word groupings and phrases more automatically
- Improve fluency, pacing and flow in spontaneous speaking
- Reduce hesitation and manage communication breakdowns more effectively
- Speak more clearly and confidently in professional discussions, presentations and real-time interactions
Course outline
- Week 1: Finding the right word: lexical retrieval strategies for speaking
- Week 2: Paraphrasing and expressing ideas flexibly
- Week 3: Building retrieval speed, phrase patterns and articulation clarity
- Week 4: Speaking fluently under pressure
- Week 5: Repair strategies, articulation and managing breakdowns
- Week 6: Integration, spontaneous speaking and professional performance
How am I assessed?
This is a non-credit course without letter or numerical grades. You receive verbal feedback on your English communication skills from your instructor during class. Short homework assignments are typically reviewed and discussed in class. Some lesson modules may include quizzes.
Record of completion
Students who have successfully completed a course can access completion documents two weeks after the course ends. Course completion means 80% attendance and/or 80% completion of mandatory assignments.
Course format
This course is offered in both in-person and 100% online formats.
Materials will be available in Canvas for three weeks after the course ends, after which time you will no longer be able to access the course.
About online learning
Our online English communication courses offer you a real-time virtual classroom experience where you can see and interact with your teacher and classmates. Each week, you log in at a set time to your class using our intuitive learning management platform, Canvas. Through Canvas, you access Zoom, a web conferencing app, for your live class. Just like in a classroom, you do individual, pair and group work, ask questions and receive verbal feedback from your instructor.
Outside of class time, you can access handouts and other materials online at your own pace and rhythm. You might be doing readings or watching videos to prepare for your next class, or practising with the material you have learned in your previous class. You do get out what you put in.
In order for a virtual classroom to be successful, we want to see your faces! Please be prepared to participate with your video turned on. We provide virtual drop-in sessions for you to test out the Zoom app before your first day of class. We will also send you instructions on accessing Canvas before your course begins.
Learn more about online learning at UBC Extended Learning.