Class 1: Advanced English Advice – Introduction To The Course

We begin our Advanced English course with an introductory chat. Rokeby Lynch gives his advice on the right attitude when approaching advanced English, pointing out that some students who can already speak the language have lost their passion to learn.

Audio 1 from our podcast series ‘Advanced English’

PDF and Transcript of Podcast, featuring Rokeby’s advice

Hi, welcome to Vocatic advanced – a unique program that combines language, culture and professional development. My name’s Rokeby Lynch and your name is Rookie. I understand that you have another name but until you prove your commitment to the program and the school you will remain Rookie.

This attitude of ours, Rookie, is necessary because many advanced students come to Vocatic with the wrong attitude.

Now, please, don’t misunderstand me,

I love advanced students: the fact they can speak the language means you can have interesting conversations with them. However, this is also what makes them difficult to teach. Because they can already speak competently they have an air of self-satisfaction, they’re too relaxed and worst of all… they’re not hungry to succeed like the other students in our school. This often makes them incompatible with Vocatic.

You see… rule number 1 of our advanced course is: it’s not enough to be competent; it’s not even enough to be good, if you are going to compete in today’s global labour market you must be excellent at speaking English. And we need advanced students who aspire to this excellence and dedicate themselves to the course with as much passion and dedication as a student who is new to the language.

So please… if you’re one of those advanced students who just wants to maintain your level and pick up a few extra words… this is not the course for you. If you are one of those advanced students who wants to increase their level but are not prepared to work for that, then this is not the course for you. Vocatic advanced is a structured program with clear, quantifiable objectives. Our advanced curriculum requires students to learn 1000 new words and twenty-two advanced language points, as well as social English, pronunciation, general knowledge and professional development.

This advanced course is, therefore, for serious students, who are willing to fight for what motivates all true Vocatic students: excellence.

Good luck, and I’ll see you in the first vocabulary class.