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Have you ever thought about studying Cambridge? Or taking a Cambridge test? How about IELTS? Let’s look at the Cambridge and IELTS courses on offer at Greenwich, and how they differ from studying General English.

When international students come to study English in Australia at Greenwich, General English is the usual starting point. It’s a weekly-intake course, which means that students can start and finish in any given week. Also, because we offer 5 levels of General English, students can get promoted when they show their teacher that they are making progress and are ready for more difficult language.

There is a strong focus on grammar, vocabulary and communicative skills, which give students the language they need in order to survive in Australia – you know, so you can get a job, go shopping or hang out with your friends. In our Cambridge courses, you will study very similar grammar – it’s not magical, different language from General English, but there’s an exam focus. (You don’t have to take the official exam, but it’s an option!).

Learning and practising for the exam teaches students how to look at English in a different way, focusing on things like word order, and how words need to change their form depending on where they are used in a sentence – we call this word families. There is also less focus just on communication, and more of an equal focus on all the 4 macro skills in a Cambridge exam preparation course, which means an almost even split between reading, writing, listening and speaking.

There is a separate exam for each level in Cambridge (A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2), so there is also a corresponding course for each Cambridge level at Greenwich. Most of our Cambridge courses last for 12 weeks and are fixed, closed courses. You spend three months with the same teacher and classmates, and there is no movement of students, creating a stable environment in which to learn and practise.

Remember though, the language that you study in Cambridge is practical, everyday English. If you need or would like something more academic, then IELTS might be for you. In our IELTS preparation courses you will learn and practise the language and skills needed when taking an IELTS exam, which is one of the most common English language proficiency tests in Australia.

You will study more academic structures such as nominalization and the passive voice alongside valuable hints and tips for things to look out for when you take the test, to help you achieve a high IELTS score. In a similar way to General English, this course is weekly intake so you can study any number of weeks in IELTS (up to 12 weeks). If you’re interested in getting some more information about studying Cambridge at Greenwich, please register for and attend one of our upcoming Open Day sessions, where you will also have the opportunity to experience a mini lesson as a trial.