English Language Programme
Students are not required to purchase a set textbook. The teacher uses a wide range of materials while designing the curriculum, including assignments she developed from various sources and made available on the online platforms Quizlet, Kahoot, Flipgrid and Padlet.
To see the course materials used during the semester, please click on this link.
Regular Level 3
Course objective: During this course, participants gain a deeper grasp of the present, past and future tenses and a wide range of vocabulary relating to everyday life and the work environment. Participants have the chance to enhance their written, oral and reading skills through information-rich discussion topics and texts. By the end of the course, students should be at the CEF A2/B1 level.
Grammar: Present simple and continuous, narrative tenses, the present perfect, modal verbs – have to, should and must, verb patterns, future tenses, conditionals I and II, the passive voice, articles and determiners
Functions: Making conversation, giving directions, telephoning, using social expressions in small talk, exchanging information, giving advice, complaining, discussing jobs, writing formal and informal correspondence, writing a review, discussing the work of the United Nations, giving a presentation on a global issue
Regular Level 5
Course Description: Participants in this intermediate English Level 5 course have many opportunities to work on listening, reading, writing and conversation skills in English. We review the past, present and future tenses in English and build vocabulary and communication skills through role-plays and the discussion of UN-related topics.
By the end of the course, the level of participants should be at CEF B1.
Grammar: Present simple and continuous, narrative tenses, the present perfect simple and continuous, modal verbs – have to, modal verbs, verb patterns, future tenses, conditionals I and II, the passive voice, reported speech, past perfect
Functions: Making conversation, giving directions, telephoning, using social expressions in small talk, exchanging information, giving advice, complaining, discussing jobs, writing formal and informal correspondence, writing a review, giving a presentation on a UN-related topic, listening and reporting
English 8 - Advanced Grammar and Conversation
This course allows participants to expand their knowledge of advanced grammar and vocabulary while developing their writing, listening, and speaking skills. We use class time to discuss grammar and phrases in the context of business, the role of the United Nations and current events. The aim of this course is to increase lexical skills and to examine the language needed to take part in discussions and to draft sophisticated texts and correspondence. Challenging activities will be employed to develop language skills in the formal and informal context.
By the end of this course, your level should be at CEF C1/C2.
This workshop is suitable for students who have completed regular level 7 or the proficiency exam.
The final syllabus will be designed according to the individual needs of the class
participants.
Topics at this level may include:
Analysis of tenses
Relative clauses
Cleft sentences and inverted structure
Verb patterns; gerunds and infinitives
Idioms and phrasal verbs
Business phrases
Advanced modal verbs
Presentation skills
Diplomatic language
Writing skills for a variety of purposes
U.N. vocabulary
Discussion of news events
Listening skills
English 9 - Advanced Grammar and Conversation
This course allows participants to expand their knowledge of complicated grammar structures, idiomatic language and vocabulary while developing their writing, listening and speaking skills. We will use class time to discuss grammar and phrases in the context of business, the United Nations and current events. The aim of this course is to increase lexical skills and to examine the language needed to take part in discussions and to draft sophisticated texts and correspondence. Challenging activities will be employed to develop language skills in the formal and informal environment.
By the end of this course, your level should be at CEF C2+.
This workshop is suitable for students who have completed regular level 8 or the proficiency exam.
The final syllabus will be designed according to the individual needs of the class
participants.
Topics at this level may include:
Collocations
Public speaking skills and practice
Complicated verb patterns
Idioms and phrasal verbs
Diplomatic language in speaking and writing
Writing skills for a variety of purposes
U.N. vocabulary
Discussion of news events
Listening skills and note-taking
In addition to our regular level courses, we offer various specialized workshops for written and oral communication. Most of these courses are designed for advanced or expert learners of English who need to use English as a working language.
English Communication Skills
This course covers all aspects of spoken communication, from everyday conversation to formal presentations. Participants will examine the essential language, skills and techniques needed to take part in everyday conversation, meetings and discussions. Challenging role-plays will be used to develop language skills in the formal and informal environment.
This workshop is suitable for levels 6 and up.
Miranda Kragulj was first inspired to become a teacher after joining a mentor program for international students in her native Berkeley, California. Her qualifications include a BA in International Relations, a Diploma in English Language Studies, and the Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults (CTEFLA). She has been teaching English in the private and public sectors for over 20 years. Between 1995 and 2000 she taught Business English and English for Specialized Purposes for the private language school Linguarama in Vienna, and in 2000, while employed at the Austro-American Institute of Education, she landed a position teaching public servants at the Austrian Parliament. She first developed a love for working in Vienna’s international community while teaching English at the International Atomic Energy Agency from 2001 to 2012 and has been a dedicated teacher at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime since 2018.
Miranda loves working in the international environment because it allows her students to learn so much more than “just” English. She currently teaches intermediate to advanced level courses and various specialized workshops at the UNODC Language Programme and has designed and instructed online courses for UNODC staff members in the field offices. She recognizes potential in all her students and is committed to developing lessons that engage her students individually and as a group.
Email: miranda.kragulj@un.org
To register, please log into your Learning Management System (LMS) on Inspira or proceed to register by creating a profile via the sign-up elearning.un.org
