Mission

Our objective is to stimulate and improve use of everyday language and the most common used expressions, with indepth knowledge of the language in the field of interest indicated by the participant. The novelties for those who choose our courses consiste in finding yourself abroad even though you are still in your own country, avoiding airports, uncomfortable hotels or horrible families, excessive costs and the surprises of the effectiveness of the courses



1. What are our main characteristics?
2. Approach
3. Method
4. Coordination of the course and rating of skills
5. Todi Universal Language Proficiency Assessment (TULPA)
6. Todi Language Test (TLT) organised around functions and levels
7. Functional Syllabus
8. Personalisation of contents
9. Teaching material and material provided to the student
10. End of course report

1) What are our main characteristics?
The principle of student centrality: - courses with made to measure programmes
An indepth analysis of demands: - based on real student necessities
A functional exam programme: - discussed and defined with the student
Communication methodology: - priorities to the functions / grammar whenever necessary
Authentic teaching material: - functional to work and not strictly based on text books
A flexible programme: - replying to an analysis of demands
Five standard types of course: - from Weekend Intensive to Maximum Intensity
Total coordination of the courses: - through coordination reports
Rating through itineraries: - detailled ascertainment and rating of progress
TULPA: A final rating system combined with linguistic knowledge and skills
An indepth analysis of the aspects to be improved (RWA): - on the last day of the course
An ad hoc study programme after the course (FSP): - based on the RWA
A detailled report at the end of the course: progress achieved, level reached, rating of skills, TULPA, FSP

2) Approach
The Full Immersion courses by THE LANGUAGE CENTER are based on
a Notion-Functional approach (Wilkins, Council of Europe), applying the strategy of eclecticism (Council of Europe Language Projects - Modern Language Training Methods).
The objective of the programme is to achieve functional linguistic skills, following an analysis of the demands carried out beforehand, at the beginning and during the courses.
The courses are not founded on ratings of conventional grammar or of an academic nature. Furthermore, the objective is to identify what the student is capable of doing in order to carry out his duties. For example, preparing a presentation, knowing how to behave during a meeting, holding a conversation, discussing with a client, writing notes, selling his own products, preparing reports, or simply answering e-mail messages.

3) Method
The students are asked to carry out the functions contained in the syllabus (according to an analysis of their demands). Once the errors have been identified the teacher will attempt to eliminate them through the use of a linguistic recovery exercise to improve the students communication skills. The entity and type of recovery exercise (for example grammatical, lexicon, phraseology, pronunciation) depend on the students level at the beginning of the course and his ability to carry out the functions requested. At a much lower starting level more recovery work will be required. At an elementary level it is not possible to carry out all of the functions as much more time would be required for the base structures. In this case it would be best to carry out a supplementary course, following a further study programme.

4) Coordination of the courses and rating of skills
Teacher coordination (normally two, maximum three) is efficient thanks to a coordination report, which registers the work carried out and provides the teacher with advice on how to continue with the course. The report also includes a skill rating form, which allows for our mother tongue teachers to observe and measure the students linguistic skills during the course, with regards to the ENC (the skill of a mother tongue with a standard school education). Students progress is assessed and registered by each teacher; such constant ratings create the presuppositions for the report issued at the end of the course, therefore allowing the student to measure his own skills with the commonly accepted standards.

5) Todi Universal Language Proficiency Assessment (TULPA)
The relative certificate can be found in the yellow file given to the student.
The TULPA is a combined rating of knowledge and skills:
• Knowledge
The Todi Language Test provides points according to objectives.
It is a multifunctional test which is divided up into levels, developed specifically by The Language Center.
The test can monitor the following aspects of the language:
• - idiomatic expressions and phraseology
• - pronunciation
• - lexicon
• - grammatical structures
• Skills
The rating refers to the following

• Oral Production
• - General communication skills
• - Grammatical precision
• - Pronunciation
• - Lexical patrimony
• - Language properties
• Understanding in Reading
• Understanding in Listening
• Written production
The rating of skills, registered in a specific form (Skills Rating Sheet) and included in the report issued at the end of the course, is the result of careful and constant controls carried out by mother tongue teachers within a period of time of the course that may be up to 66 hours, and therefore is much more reliable compared with many other conventionally proposed exams which were often reductive and not so detailled. TULPA offers the possibility of accurately measuring the progress achieved by students who subsequently take part in other courses.

6) The Todi Language Test (TLT)
Two pages of explanations and the reply form can be found in the yellow file given to the student.
This test requires 75 minutes at the very most and covers all levels, from Elementary right through to Advanced. It is carried out: a. At the beginning of the course, to check the students starting level
b. At the end of the course, as a co-indicator of the progress achieved by the student during the course, as well as an indepth analysis of the aspects to be improved (RWA). This analysis, developed together with the teacher, also acts as a base for thefuture study programme (FSP).

7) The functional Syllabus
The functionanl Syllabus, indicated further on, is valid for all intensive course levels for professional purposes. Additional or alternative functions may be discussed at the beginning of the course (see point 8).
Not all of the functions may be covered at all levels. At an Elementary level the functions may vary according to the amount of time required for recovery work (grammar, lexicon, phraseology, pronunciation etc.). The functions not covered at any level may be proposed at an immediately superior level.

8) Personalisation of the Contents of the Course


At the beginning of the course, normally in the morning, the student is shown the Coordination Course Report, and the functions contained therein as indicated below. The teacher will ask the student which functions are necessary, and in which context. This also applies to as indepth analysis of demands, as well as an initial verification of the capacity of oral expressions and reading. The functions necessary will be selected as a priority scale (1-3). The important functions not yet included will be issued on a white form called DEFINED SYLLABUS. The latter will therefore be integrated in the contents of the course: this guarantees that the syllabus syllabus complies perfectly with student demands. The Coordination Report follows the student throughout the course and is useful to guide and coordinate the teachers themselves.
Each teacher fills out his own coordination form which includes the control over progress, ratings for the TULPA, taking into account the functions and the programme carried out, as well as suggestions for the teacher.
Finally, it is useful for preparation of the End of Course Report.
An example of a functional syllabus adopted for English for professional purposes follows.

FUNCTIONAL SYLLABUS
ENGLISH FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES
Ice breaking - getting to know each other - establishing rapport - general social conversation - likes and dislikes - places visited, hobbies, sports - playing host - general small talk
Describe your company structure and answer questions
Describe your main tasks and responsibilities and answer questions
Describe your daily routine and working conditions and answer questions
Describe your company history / your past career up to this point and answer questions
Give a presentation of your Company and deal with questions
Discuss recent trends and developments: company /economy / politics / society / technology
Describe systems, procedures and institutions in your company / in your country
Ask about institutions, systems and procedures in another country (e.g. UK, USA, Germany or Australia), comment, discuss and make comparisons
Describe your present projects at work, make comparisons and answer questions
Give a presentation of a current, previous or future project and deal with questions
Describe your plans / your company's plans for the future and answer questions
Take part in / chair a meeting (formal / informal) - simulation, role-play exercise
Speculate on / discuss the future of the company / economy / family / career, etc.
Make telephone calls - making an appointment, travel arrangements etc.
Listen and discuss - improve your listening and fluency (using relevant listening material)
Read and discuss: opinions, agree, disagree, interrupt, emphasize, etc.
Justify arguments and past actions, convince your partner, hypothesize
Write a memo /an e-mail / a summary of previous discussion
The Todi Language Test. What progress have you made? Where do you still have weaknesses? Compile a program for further study. How do you intend to keep up and improve your English language skills?

9) Teaching material
• According to functional contents:
Documentation, company authentication (e-mail, brochure, presentations of laptops, reports, minutes of meetings, audio and and video material, material from the web, articles from newspapers and magazines, radio or television registrations etc.)
• For linguistic recovery activities:
Exercises provided by the teachers
• As reference text and to subsequently continue with studies:
        Inglese
- Raymond Murphy, English Grammar in Use (ISBN 0 521 43680 - with answers)
- Peter Strutt, Market Leader Business Grammar and Usage (ISBN 0 582   36575 9)
- Peter Collin: Business Italian Glossary (Eng./Italian) ISBN 0 948 549 55 - 6
- Peter Collin: Dictionary of Business (Eng./Eng.) ISBN 0 948 549 13
- Peter Collin website: www.Petercollin.com (also with on-line dictionaries)
        Italian
- Katerin Katerinov, M.C.B. Katerinov, Bravissimo! (ISBN 88-424-8044-4)
- P. Catizone, C. Humphris, L. Micarelli, Volare (ISBN 88-7223-033-04)
- personalised file complete with notepad, pen and forms for the course

Students must bring:
- their own laptop to elaborate and prepare presentations
- any type of authentic company material of interest (in Italian or in a foreign language
- a single language and/or bilingual dictionary

10) End of course report
The Final Course Report includes the following information:
• Name of student – Course dates – Name of trainers
• The level achieved
• The Todi Universal Language Proficiency Assessment (TULPA)
• Skills ratings
• Recommendations for further study including a customised further study program
• Student Learning Profile (Attendance, Participation, Motivation, Self-Study Application, Progress)
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THE LANGUAGE CENTER of Todi runs regular teacher training workshops to ensure the uniform application of the above course concept and to assure constant improvement of the quality of the courses.