We offer
- Group Courses – classes for General English and also Exam Preparation
- Executive Courses – individual intensive one-to-one
- Combination Courses – mixture of both group and individual
- Special Programmes – planned group courses on specialist topics and on fixed dates
Executive, Combination and Special Programmes can include Business, Technical and a wide range of other specialist English.
Group Courses
These suit adult students of all ages studying General English or preparing for IELTS and Cambridge exams as group.
Group classes are small – on average there are 8 students – maximum 12 students. Classes are 21 hours per week. They allow students at the same skill level to learn together and help each other develop key skills.
Exeter Academy has developed a unique multi-level course system for all group courses.
Students have 3 lessons per day. Each lesson usually has a different teacher and often different classmates.
- We test all your skills when you arrive (grammar, reading, writing, vocabulary, speaking and listening).
- We place you in classes for each skill. If you are better in some skills than others, you can be placed in a higher-level group just in those skills. If you are weaker in certain skills, you can start in a lower level in those skills to help you improve them.
This means you are always at the correct level for each skill.
This helps you make good progress in all skills, which is very important. For example, students usually need to achieve good levels in all skills in the IELTS and Cambridge exams. Our multi-level course design helps make this possible.
It also means you are comfortable in all your classes and lessons are at the right level for you. You will also always be in classes with colleagues at the same level, so communicating with them will be easy and enjoyable.
And if you improve in certain skills, more quickly than other skills, you can move to a higher-level class just in those skills.
‘This was my third time at the Exeter Academy….The teachers are all well prepared and professional. They do their best in the class…The atmosphere is so relaxed and it’s easy to get to know the other students…It’s amazing what a mix of ages and nationalities there are.’
Mariam, ITALY
General English
The majority of students study General English with some adding or swapping in special topics or exam preparation classes. General English covers all the skill types you need to be confident in English language at your current and next skill level. The skill types are shown in the below timetable.
| 0930 – 1100 | Grammar and Structure |
| 1130 – 1300 | Reading, Writing and Vocabulary |
| 1400 – 1530 | Listening and Speaking (not Fridays) |
Classes are divided in skill level per subject group. The levels are:
A: Basic User
- A1 Beginner
- A2 Elementary
B: Independent User
- B1 Intermediate
- B2 Upper intermediate
C: Proficient User
- C1 Advanced
- C2 Mastery
During your enrolment, we will test your skill level and place you in the correct class for each subject group – so you will feel most comfortable and progress well with the rest of the class.
Exam Preparation
We have a lot of experience in preparing students for IELTS and Cambridge B2 First (previously FCE) and C1 Advanced (previously CAE) exams. Our teaching staff are dedicated to your exam success.
Exam Preparation is integrated with skills training in General English classes and extra exam techniques training is provided in additional sessions.
Exam students receive the benefits of our multi-level system. You can be placed in the appropriate level class to allow you to catch up on any skills needing more development.
You do not have to be at a fixed level in all skills to start exam preparation.
You can arrive at any point in your development and join exam preparation when you are ready.
If you have limited time and just want some intense pre-exam training, we can offer boost training lasting just 2 weeks if required.
IELTS and Academic Preparation
IELTS courses and exams are available at any time. Students who join early or pre-IELTS training courses at Exeter Academy are usually expected to be at the IELTS 3.5/4.0 level before starting. Students below this can reach the necessary level attending the General English programme.
The timetable is as follows:
| 0930–1100 | Monday to Friday | Grammar and Structure |
| 1130–1300 | Monday to Friday | IELTS & academic skills |
| 1400–1530 | Monday to Thursday | Listening and Speaking |
Cambridge B2 First and C1 Advanced Preparation
We cover the full exam syllabus during the 12 weeks before the exams in June and December and 9 weeks before the March and August exams. Students are encouraged to complete the full 9 or 12-week programme.
There are 3 hours per week of additional training for exam students; these focus on exam techniques and practice.
The timetable is as follows:
| 0930–1100 | Monday to Friday | Grammar and Structure |
| 1130–1300 | Monday to Friday | Reading, Writing and Vocabulary |
| 1400–1530 | Monday to Thursday | Listening and Speaking |
| 1545-1715 | Tuesday and Thursday | B2 First or C1 Advanced exam practice and techniques |
The syllabus for each exam is covered within the daily general skills classes at each suitable level (upper-intermediate for B2 First and advanced for C1 Advanced)
Students who cannot study for the whole exam course can still join exam courses but might not cover all the syllabus. Those who wish to can book extra one-to-one classes to help in areas that they missed.
We can help you book your exam. We will book these exams for you when you arrive.
Executive Courses
Executive Courses involve purely face-to-face one-to-one lessons and are focussed and intensive. You will have a course designed to your specific requirements and goals, designed for accelerated learning. Executive Courses are ideal for professionals wanting to develop the language you need for your work and for focussing on key skills such as pronunciation and presentation skills.
We have been privileged to teach diplomats, senior ranking military officers, CxO, pilots, surgeons, and the like. They love being in Devon — a retreat away from the busy crowds.
‘I was really surprised that I improved my English skills in only two weeks’
Florence, SWITZERLAND
Combination Courses
Combination Courses offer a mix of group and one-to-one lessons to allow students to develop specific skills more quickly or focus on specialist needs.
We will design your one-to-one lessons according to your specific needs and can advise on the best combination in advance.
Examples of the skills or specialist areas you can study in one-to-one lessons are:
- English for Business, Medical Care, Aviation, Hospitality, Media, Literature.
- Skills development – fluency, pronunciation, writing structure, listening skills, vocabulary
- Functional language – presenting, negotiating, discussion, socialising, making conversation
- Extra exam preparation
You can choose from a selection of Combination Course packages – with different combinations of group and one-to-one lessons.
Special Programmes
We often create Special Programmes. These are designed to focus on special topics or groups of students and last for a fixed period of time and set dates.
Be sure to register your interest in a specific topic and sign up to our newsletter for updates on the next special programme.
Popular topics include:
- Business
- Medicine
- Aviation
- Military
- Engineering
- Law
- Hospitality