AJL01002 Practical English II

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2026
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Vladislav Belev (seminar tutor)
PhDr. Simona Kalová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
David Edward Musk (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Lucie Seibertová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Simona Kalová, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
AJL01001 Practical English I
AJL01001 Practical English I
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 15 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The main aim of the course is to revise and consolidate what students have already learnt, and to develop and extend their knowledge further. Using a skills-based approach, the course will prepare students for success in general as well as academic English. The course will contain:
- thought-provoking material and engaging topics for discussions and communication activities that will help students to improve their command of spoken English
- video recordings with tasks to enhance students' understanding of the language and their listening skills, presenting up-to-date language in a real-world context
- basics of academic writing, providing students with model answers, useful planning techniques and writing tasks graded in terms of difficulty
- vocabulary development activities, with a strong focus on academic vocabulary, critical thinking and techniques designed to improve students´ academic performance
- presenting and practice of advanced grammatical structures
Students will be encouraged to improve their English both in contact classes and independently in the self-access online mode.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, a student will be able to:
- actively use vocabulary, idiomatic expressions and collocations of the set topics;
- master understanding of complex grammar structures and apply them in spoken and written discourse;
- apply acquired language systems and skills adequately in a given communicative context
Syllabus
  • SKILLFUL 4: Reading and Writing (RW: Units 6-10); Listening and Speaking (LS: Units 6-10)
  • WEEK 1 Introduction to the course: ice-breaking activities, classroom rules, presenting the course in Elf, syllabus, aims and requirements of the course, exam information. U6: Kitchen rehab (RW); Chess and memory (LS)
  • WEEK 2 UNIT 6 - BEHAVIOUR (RW):
  • Reading: Identifying in-text referencing, cause and effect; Vocabulary: using and practising consequence phrases; Grammar: using inverted conditionals and imagined past; Writing: using and practising anaphoric and cataphoric referencing.
  • WEEK 3 UNIT 6 - BEHAVIOUR (LS):
  • Listening: practising concurrent note-taking and listening, learning to follow abstract argumentation; Vocabulary: using phrases for navigating from one question to another; Grammar: improving indirect questions; Speaking: learning to follow abstract argumentation
  • WEEK 4 UNIT 7 - EXPANSE (RW):
  • Reading: identifying connections and persuasion techniques; Vocabulary: using and practising adjective and noun collocations; Grammar: using and practising nominal clauses; Writing: paraphrasing.
  • WEEK 5 UNIT 7 - EXPANSE (LS):
  • Listening: learning to identify patterns in lectures; Vocabulary: using phrases to describe visuals; Grammar: practising impersonal passive structures; Speaking: learning to use visual data in spoken contributions.
  • WEEK 6 REVISION: UNITS 6 AND 7; MID-TERM TEST
  • WEEK 7 UNIT 8 - CHANGE (RW):
  • Reading: identifying concepts and theories; Vocabulary: using and practising academic phrases; Grammar: using and practising participle clauses; Writing: report writing.
  • WEEK 8 UNIT 8 - CHANGE (LS):
  • Listening: listening to improve understanding of non-standard accents and rapid speech; Vocabulary: reviewing and expanding vocabulary for managing discussions; Grammar: practising past modals in conditionals; Speaking: reviewing and improving asking questions.
  • WEEK 9 UNIT 9 - FLOW (RW):
  • Reading: identifying commentary on evidence; Vocabulary: using and practising verb and noun collocations; Grammar: using and practising verb patterns; Writing: commenting on sources, a problem and solution essay.
  • WEEK 10 UNIT 9 - FLOW (LS):
  • Listening: listening to improve understanding of idioms, and making estimates or hypotheses; Vocabulary: reviewing and expanding vocabulary for describing conditions; Grammar: understanding of complex ordering of past events; Speaking: using transitions to make your presentations flow smoothly.
  • WEEK 11 UNIT 10 - CONFLICT (RW):
  • Reading: identifying the function of in-text references; Vocabulary: using and practising adverbs of stance; Grammar: using and practising subordinating conjunctions; Writing: writing a reference list, an argumentative essay.
  • WEEK 12 UNIT 10 - CONFLICT (LS):
  • Listening: learning to cope with different lecture styles; Vocabulary: reviewing and expanding vocabulary for describing behaviour; Grammar: practising a range of adverbs to modify statements; Speaking: learning the principles and structure of formal debates.
  • WEEK 13 REVISION: UNITS 8, 9 AND 10; FINAL TEST
Literature
    required literature
  • PATHARE, Emma and Gary PATHARE. Skillful 4. Second edition. London: Macmillan Education, 2018, 190 stran. ISBN 9781380010827. info
  • WARWICK, Lindsay and Louis ROGERS. Skillful 4. Second edition. London: Macmillan Education, 2018, 190 stran. ISBN 9781380010889. info
    recommended literature
  • HEWINGS, Martin. Advanced grammar in use with answers : a self-study reference and practice book for advanced learners of English. 1st pub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999, ix, 340. ISBN 0521498694. info
  • BROADHEAD, Annie. Advance your English : a short course for advanced learners. 1st publ. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000, 60 s. ISBN 0521597765. info
  • GRAVER, B. D. Advanced English practice. Third edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986, 320 stran. ISBN 0194321819. info
  • ASPINALL, Patricia and Annette CAPEL. Advanced masterclass CAE : student's book. Edited by Kathy Gude. New ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999, 206 s. ISBN 0194534278. info
  • GUDE, Kathy. Advanced listening and speaking CAE. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998, 152 s. ISBN 0194533476. info
  • VINCE, Michael. Advanced language practice. 1. ed. Oxford: Heinemann, 1994, viii, 295. ISBN 0-435-24124-9. info
    not specified
  • MURPHY, Raymond. Essential grammar in use : a self-study reference and practice book for intermediate students : with answers. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003, x, 350. ISBN 052143680X. info
Teaching methods
f-2-f seminars, e-learning support, self-study
Assessment methods
Assessment:
- 2 computer-based progress tests, 1 mid-term test and 1 final test, with the required average score of 70%. Passing these tests is a prerequisite for the final examination.
- final exam; consisting of two parts, oral and written (reading comprehension, grammar and lexis). The minimum required score in each of the two parts of the exam is 65%. (For more details, see below.)
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught every week.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses

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Teacher's information
http://elf.phil.muni.cz/elf/course/view.php?id=2452
Students are advised to study regularly.
The Final Examination: English proficiency examination (written and oral) 100 points 1 The written part of the proficiency examination 75 points a) Use of English b) Reading comprehension 2 The oral part of the proficiency examination 25 points The examination is taken by pairs of candidates. Format: 1. (3’) Two-way social interaction (A–B) 2. (4’) Individual long turns based on visual materials (A, B) 3. (2’) Individual focus on vocabulary (A, B) 4. (3’) Two-way collaborative task (A–B) 5. (4’) Three-way discussion (I–A, I–B, A–B)
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2026, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2026/AJL01002