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The Centre for Foreign Language Study
Sunset in Tuscany, Italy

Conversational Classes: CEFR B1/B2 Level


Duration: 9 weeks | One 2-hour class per week.
Delivery mode: in person
Fees: £175 (internal rate for Durham University students and staff members) | £195 (external rate)

This course is designed to strengthen learners’ ability to communicate effectively and confidently in everyday situations. It focuses on developing spoken interaction and intercultural communicative awareness, enabling learners to participate in meaningful conversations for travel, work, and social contexts.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

  • Initiate and sustain conversations on familiar topics using appropriate turn-taking strategies.
  • Express opinions, feelings, and experiences with clarity and flexibility.
  • Understand spoken language in common social and professional contexts.
  • Use informal expressions and idiomatic phrases appropriately.
  • Apply strategies to clarify meaning and manage communication breakdowns.
  • Demonstrate respect and openness in intercultural exchanges.

Intercultural Communicative Competence

Learners will explore cultural variation in communication and develop skills to:

  • Compare and discuss cultural practices and traditions.
  • Show curiosity and respect in cross-cultural interactions.
  • Mediate understanding by summarising or explaining unfamiliar concepts.

Teaching and Learning Methods

  • Interactive group discussions and role-plays.
  • Listening activities using authentic audio and video materials.
  • Fluency-building tasks, including speaking challenges.
  • Peer and tutor feedback on spoken performance.
  • Optional independent tasks to consolidate learning between sessions.

Assessment Approach

Formative feedback will be provided throughout the course. There is no formal summative assessment, but learners will receive guidance on strategies for continued language development beyond the course.

CEFR Alignment

  • Spoken Interaction: Maintain conversations on familiar topics; use repair strategies to clarify meaning; participate in intercultural exchanges.
  • Spoken Production: Describe experiences and opinions; narrate events and plans using connected discourse.
  • Listening Comprehension: Understand main points of clear standard speech; follow extended discussions when clearly articulated.
  • Mediation: Facilitate understanding between speakers from different backgrounds; explain unfamiliar concepts; demonstrate openness in dialogue.