ENGLISH COURSES

English for Study and Travel

• Practical English you can use at school, in social situations, and while traveling.

• Grammar, Vocabulary, Pronunciation, and the four skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing

• A good preparation for university exams such as the IELTS exam, the TOEFL exam, and the Cambridge B2 First and C1 Advanced exams.

• Taught using modern communicative methods informed by the evidence-based natural approach.

• Face to face lessons in small groups of 6 to 8 students, for €375 per person.

BEGINNER LEVEL / A1→A2

For beginners and false beginners who need simple, usable English for school, travel and daily life.

Speaking and listening skills focus on practical tasks like checking in, buying a coffee, buying clothes, asking the way, ordering a meal, and getting to the airport.

Vocabulary includes numbers, countries, classroom language, jobs, family, daily routine, weather, food and drink, places, holidays, books, and films.

Grammar builds from be, pronouns, possessives, imperatives, and present simple to present continuous, can / can’t, past simple, there is / there are, countable / uncountable nouns, comparatives, be going to, adverbs, and present perfect.

PRE-INTERMEDIATE LEVEL / A2→B1

For learners moving from basic English to more confident everyday communication.

Speaking and listening skills stay practical through tasks like calling reception, eating out, taking something back to a shop, going to a pharmacy, asking for directions, and speaking on the phone.

Vocabulary covers relationships, clothes, holidays, airports, restaurants, housework, shopping, health, work, school, sport, biographies, animals, directions, and unusual jobs.

Grammar develops through question forms, present and past narration, future plans, present perfect, something / anything / nothing, comparatives and superlatives, quantifiers, infinitives and gerunds, have to / must / should, first and second conditionals, passive forms, used to, might, past perfect, and reported speech.

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL / B1→B2

For independent learners who want to speak more naturally and fluently in social, work, travel, and study contexts.

Speaking and listening skills centre on practical interaction such as reacting to what people say, giving opinions, making suggestions, asking permission, and using indirect questions.

Vocabulary includes food, money, transport, family, phone language, sport, relationships, cinema, education, housing, work, shopping, technology, and crime.

Grammar covers present and future forms, present perfect simple and continuous, articles, modals of obligation and ability, past tenses, passives, modals of deduction, first/second/third conditionals, gerunds and infinitives, reported speech, quantifiers, relative clauses, and question tags.

UPPER-INTERMEDIATE LEVEL / B2→C1

For upper-level learners who need more confident, flexible English for discussion, opinion-sharing, and real-world communication.

Speaking and listening skills remain strongly practical through Colloquial English lessons and listening on topics like medical emergencies, exciting trips, bungee jumping, regrets, arguments, crime, cities, and science

Vocabulary expands into job interviews, personality, health, fashion, air travel, the environment, feelings, sleep, music, crime, media, business, cities, and science.

Grammar includes question formation, present perfect simple and continuous, adjective order, narrative tenses, future perfect and future continuous, conditionals, wish, used to / be used to / get used to, gerunds and infinitives, past modals, passives, reporting verbs, clauses of contrast and purpose, quantifiers, and articles.

ADVANCED LEVEL / C1→C2

For advanced learners who want precise, nuanced English for professional, academic, and high-level social communication.

Speaking and listening skills use sophisticated but practical themes through Colloquial English and listening on topics such as earliest memories, memorable dates, stress, addiction, installation art, difficult journeys, vegetarianism.

Vocabulary covers personality, work, memory, conflict, books and films, sound, time, money, technology, art, health, travel, animals, food, and words that are often confused.

Grammar includes lexical vs grammatical have, discourse markers, past habits vs specific incidents, inversion, speculation and deduction, unreal past uses, verb + object + infinitive / gerund, conditionals, permission / obligation / necessity, advanced gerunds and infinitives, ellipsis, relative clauses, and cleft sentences.

BEGINNER LEVEL / A1→A2

For beginner and false-beginner learners who need simple, practical English for everyday workplace situations.

Speaking and listening skills focus on useful professional tasks such as introducing yourself and others, saying hello and goodbye, making phone calls, ordering by phone, asking for and offering help, leaving phone messages, arranging meetings, comparing options, giving opinions, ordering food, and planning schedules.

Vocabulary includes countries, nationalities, jobs, company types and activities, company locations and buildings, technology and functions, documents and correspondence, social media and networking, departments and responsibilities, employment, competition, teamwork, business travel, hotels, calendars, and schedules.

Grammar builds from present simple, possessives, there is / there are, some / any, adverbs of frequency, questions, and past simple to prepositions of place and movement, present continuous, comparatives and superlatives, going to, infinitives of purpose, and present perfect.

PRE-INTERMEDIATE LEVEL / A2→B1

For learners moving from basic workplace English to more confident professional communication.

Speaking and listening skills stay practical through tasks such as making introductions, making and receiving phone calls, giving a short research report, welcoming visitors, making and dealing with complaints, describing job interview experience, arranging to meet, making requests, controlling discussion in meetings, giving a formal presentation, inviting and offering, describing trends, forecasting, negotiating conditions, and giving feedback.

Vocabulary covers company facts, jobs and contacts, products and services, company structure, customer service, employment, air travel, orders and deliveries, advertising, environmental protection, corporate hospitality, performance, global issues, time management, and personal development and training.

Grammar develops through present simple and present continuous, past simple, question forms, comparisons, present perfect, future forms, passive forms, modal verbs for obligation, necessity and permission, first and second conditionals, countable and uncountable nouns, and present perfect with for and since.

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL / B1→B2

For independent users who want to speak more naturally and effectively in meetings, calls, presentations, and everyday professional interaction.

Speaking and listening skills centre on workplace communication such as networking, exchanging contact details, updating and delegating tasks, explaining features and benefits, making and changing arrangements, welcoming visitors, taking part in teleconferences, presenting visual information, placing and handling orders, making suggestions and recommendations, negotiating agreements, presenting new ideas, solving problems, dealing with questions, and taking part in performance reviews.

Vocabulary includes working life, work–life balance, projects, services and systems, customer service, business travel, online security, finance and money, logistics and supply chains, workplace facilities, decision-making, innovation, breakdowns and faults, processes, and personal qualities.

Grammar covers present simple and continuous, to + infinitive and -ing forms, present perfect and past simple, comparative forms and modifiers, present tenses for future reference, articles, obligation / prohibition / permission, future forms with will, direct and indirect questions, quantifiers, first and second conditionals, superlatives, relative pronouns, passive forms, and past continuous and past perfect.

UPPER-INTERMEDIATE LEVEL / B2→C1

For upper-level learners who need flexible, confident English for meetings, presentations, negotiation, problem-solving, and international professional contexts.

Speaking and listening skills remain strongly practical through tasks such as arranging meetings, encouraging and ending conversations politely, running update meetings, questioning decisions, presenting products or services, responding to invitations, participating in decision-making meetings, presenting factual information, asking questions after presentations, negotiating with colleagues, maintaining contacts, resolving problems on the phone, giving balanced arguments, describing trends, reporting information, narrating events, raising difficult issues, and putting forward a case.

Vocabulary expands into first impressions, motivation at work, project management, ideas and innovation, ethical business, personality and decision-making, outsourcing, employers and employees, start-ups, communications technology, change, data, culture, staff appraisals, and career breaks.

Grammar and language work includes present simple and continuous, question forms, present perfect and past simple, ability in the past / present / future, future forms, countability and quantity expressions, passive forms, if clauses, present perfect simple and continuous, phrasal verb word order, future probability, reporting, narrative tenses, third and mixed conditionals, perfect modals, and -ing forms vs infinitives.

ADVANCED LEVEL / C1→C2

For advanced learners who want precise, nuanced English for high-level professional communication, leadership, negotiation, presentations, and complex workplace discussions.

Speaking and listening skills focus on sophisticated professional tasks such as reporting back on research, managing discussions and sharing ideas, giving formal presentations, taking part in teleconferences, facilitating conversation, dealing with conflict, responding to feedback, brainstorming ideas, communicating effectively by phone, expressing dissatisfaction, giving impromptu presentations, handling difficult questions, avoiding misunderstandings, giving briefings, reaching agreement, raising difficult points, selling ideas, and responding to compliments.

Vocabulary covers cross-cultural experiences, career paths, working practices, corporate crises, team relationships, factors for success, training and learning, employer–employee expectations, corporate social responsibility, leadership styles, values, persuasion, and influence.

Grammar and language work includes tense review, expressing attitudes to the past, speculating about future changes, referencing with pronouns, adding emphasis, using adverbs to qualify attitudes, vague language, the future in the past, question forms, conditionals, passive forms, participle clauses, inversion for emphasis and formality, and discourse markers.

English for Work (Business English)

• For those who want to focus on English used at work, especially conversation and speaking fluency. Sometimes known as 'Business English'.

• Build fluency and confidence in common business communication tasks, such as participating in meetings, leading meetings, arranging meetings, speaking to clients on the telephone, networking, collaborating with colleagues, welcoming visitors, and applying for jobs.

• Social English used in the office such as chatting about weekend plans, talking about news and gossip, exchanging contact details, apologising, and giving and receiving complements.

• Vocabulary related to work topics such as projects, finance, logistics, decision-making, innovation, customer service, and business ethics.

• Also available on location at your office for private groups and one-on-one; please see details for private courses below.

• Face to face lessons in small groups of 6 to 8 students, for €375 per person.

Private / exam prep courses

• All the Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking skills that you need for the exam.

• A detailed look at exam question types with tips and strategies for each type of question.

• Key grammar topics at the B1 level.

• Vocabulary at the B1 level related to the most common IELTS themes.

• All the Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking skills that you need for the exam.

• A detailed look at exam question types with tips and strategies for each type of question.

• Key grammar topics at the B2 level.

• Vocabulary at the B2 level related to the most common IELTS themes.

• For private groups (up to 10) and individuals (one-on-one).

• These courses can be personalised, are available at different lengths, and can also be delivered on location.

• All of the English for Study and Travel and English for Work courses listed above are available on a private basis - or create your own custom course for your specific goals.

• In addition, the following exam preparation courses are available for private groups or one-on-one.

• For a 26-hour course, prices start from €1950 for one-on-one lessons and €2450 for groups. For courses delivered on location, additional travel costs of €0,75 per kilometer apply.

IELTS EXAM PREP 5.5–6.0 / B1→B2

For learners at the B1 level aiming for a 5.5–6.0 IELTS score.

IELTS EXAM PREP 6.5–7.0 / B2→C1

For learners at the B2 level aiming for a 6.5–7.0 IELTS score.

CAMBRIDGE C1 ADVANCED EXAM PREP / B2→C1

For learners at the B2 level who need a score of 180+ (Grade C or Grade B) on the C1 Advanced exam

• All the Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking skills that you need for the Cambridge B2 First exam.

• A detailed look at exam question types with tips and strategies for each type of question.

• Key grammar topics most commonly tested by the exam

• Vocabulary related to the most common exam themes.

CAMBRIDGE B2 FIRST EXAM PREP / B1→B2

For learners at the B1 level who need a score of 160+ (Grade C or Grade B) on the B2 First exam

• All the Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking skills that you need for the Cambridge C1 Advanced exam.

• A detailed look at exam question types with tips and strategies for each type of question.

• Key grammar topics most commonly tested by the exam

• Vocabulary related to the most common exam themes.

TOEFL EXAM PREP 4.0–4.5 / B1→B2

For learners at the B1 level aiming to achieve a 4.0--4.5 TOEFL score.

• All the Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking skills that you need for the TOEFL exam.

• A detailed look at exam question types with tips and strategies for each type of question.

• Key grammar topics most commonly tested by the exam

• Vocabulary related to the most common TOEFL themes.

TOEFL EXAM PREP 5.0–5.5 / B2→C1

For learners at the B2 level aiming to achieve a 5.0–5.5 TOEFL score.

• All the Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking skills that you need for the TOEFL exam.

• A detailed look at exam question types with tips and strategies for each type of question.

• Key grammar topics most commonly tested by the exam

• Vocabulary related to the most common TOEFL themes.

When does the next course start?

New courses start all the time on a 'rolling' basis. When you register, we'll ask you which days/times you are available. As soon as we collect at least six people for a given time slot, we can start the new lesson group. We will then contact you to confirm the starting date.

Are the lessons taught in Dutch or in English?

Lessons are taught 100% in English (slightly above the level where the you can understand everything), even at the Beginner (A1) level. Thus they are equally accessible to everyone, even if you don't speak Dutch.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How are the courses scheduled?

We meet for two hours (with a small break in the middle) at a regular time once a week, for a total of 26 hours (13 weeks). The courses follow the school vacation calendar for the Middle Region.

Courses are available six days a week from Monday to Saturday, at four different times a day (9:30--11:30, 12:30--14:30, 15:00--17:00, and 17:30--19:30).

What method of language teaching do you use? What are the lessons like?

All courses are practical and focused on building speaking fluency and confidence. They use modern communicative methods informed by the evidence-based natural approach. You learn English the same way you learned your native language - by using it intuitively (not by studying the grammar rules analytically). Language ability is a set of skills that need to trained, similar to learning a sport or a musical instrument -- not an academic subject to learned the same way as geography or chemistry.

What kind of professional experience do your teachers have?

Our teachers are native English speakers with decades of experience teaching English in The Netherlands and around the world. They are trained in modern, evidence-based, communicative teaching methods.

How do I register for a course?

Please fill out this registration form with your availability and preferences. You need to first take this diagnostic test to determine your current English level.

What types of courses do you offer?

Please see the course information page for details. There are two types of group courses you can join as an individual: English for Study and Travel and English for Work. We also offer exam preparation courses that are available for private groups or one-on-one.

Do you have courses for complete beginners? What about for advanced experts?

General English is available at all levels from A1 (Beginner) to C1 (Advanced). IELTS exam preparation is available at the B1 and B2 levels. Private/one-on-one courses are available at all levels.

How do I know my language level?

You can take this diagnostic test to determine your Reading and Listening levels according to the CEFR scale. Those interested in exam prep courses should instead take this longer test that also assesses your Speaking and Writing.

The CEFR scale is a standardised measure of language ability:

A1: Beginner
A2: Elementary
B1: Intermediate
B2: Upper-intermediate
C1: Advanced
C2: Proficient

For more detailed descriptions of the CEFR levels, click here.

Your courses last 13 weeks, but what if I want to work towards a long-term goal, such as reaching the next CEFR level?

That's possible; each CEFR level is divided into three 26-hour courses, so after you finish one course (for example, A2.1) you can continue to the next sub-level (A2.2), and indeed to the next sub-levels after that (A2.3, then B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B2.1, B2.2, B2.3, C1.1, etc.). We use the same textbook series for every level (Oxford University Press' English File series), so it's even possible to progress all the way from Beginner (A1) to Advanced (C1) level using the same unified curriculum.

REGISTER FOR A GROUP COURSE

In order to place you in a group with others of the same English level, it's important to take this online diagnostic test.

Those registering for an exam preparation course should instead take this longer test that also checks Speaking and Writing skills.

ABOUT US

Matt Rooks

Director / English Teacher

In addition to teaching many of the English courses himself, Matt organises and supervises all of the education at Arnhem English School. Matt is a native speaker who grew up in the small village of Saranac Lake, New York, in the northeastern United States. He's been teaching English since 2009, about seventeen years. Before moving to The Netherlands in 2016, Matt taught English to adults in Turkey, Bahrain, Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Besides English he speaks B2 (Upper-Intermediate) Dutch, A2 (Elementary) French, and A2 (Elementary) Turkish.

Kelley Jackson

English Teacher

Esther Ticheler

English and Dutch (NT2) Teacher

Esther teaches English and also the occasional private Dutch (NT2) group course. She grew up bilingual in Enschede, The Netherlands. Esther has been teaching English since 2012, about fourteen years. Before she moved back to The Netherlands with Matt in 2016, Esther taught English to adults in Turkey, Bahrain, Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Esther speaks both English and Dutch with native fluency.

Kelley teaches English and exam preparation courses. A native speaker from Vinalhaven, Maine, in the northeastern United States, Kelley met Matt and Esther back in 2011 when they worked together at the same language school in Istanbul. He's taught English since 2010, about sixteen years, in Turkey, Greece, Myanmar, Vietnam, and China. In addition to English Kelley also speaks A2 (Elementary) Turkish.

Pawel Kolodziejczyk

Marketing

Pawel handles the marketing, advertising, and web design for Arnhem English School. Originally from Kraków, Poland, Pawel moved to Istanbul's Kadıköy neighbourhood twenty years ago and never looked back. There he taught English at universities for many years before switching careers in 2016 to become the Marketing guru and Sales wizard that he is today. Besides native Polish Pawel speaks English at the C2 (native) level, Turkish at the B2 (Upper-Intermediate) level, and A2 (Elementary) French.

CONTACT

Questions? Get in touch.

info@ArnhemEnglishSchool.nl