Upper Intermediate Season 1
This pathway is for students on the cusp of advanced, but want a bit more grammar review.
Upper Intermediate

Curriculum

Upper Intermediate Season 1

Title Topic Function Grammar Vocabulary Cultural Insight
#1 The English Interview phone interview Answering questions in a formal setting Irregular adjectives in comparison politics
to graduate
intimately
legislative
Senators
Representatives
previous
dedicated

Interviewing for a job
#2 English Internships for All! future plans Discussing Future Plans Future Continuous with "going to be _____ing " afterwards
internship
committee
coincidence
congressperson
Capitol Hill
townhouse
roommate
Georgetown
to crash
Summer internships, starting a career in Washington, D.C.
#3 The Hunt for A Good American Apartment apartment hunting weighing pros and cons and making a decision Using constructions like "On the plus side", "On the other hand" to discuss the pros and cons while making a decision upscale
price range
affordable
run-down
The Metro
to cut down
lead
bed-bug
paranoid
Hunting for an apartment and getting a roommate.
#4 Greeting Your American Boss first day at an internship getting to know someone in a professional setting Formal titles to report
cubicle
to settle in
sir
ma'am
by the way
first-name basis
to drop

Formality (or lack there of) in the American workplace
#5 Getting Mugged in the US mugging talking to law enforcement Using past continuous and simple to talk about past occurrences incident
to grab
to identify
line-up
to mug
to get mugged
muscular
to ditch
card
aware
Crime in America, safety at night
#6 Are you Directionally Challenged in the US? coffee run giving and receiving directions indoors Direction words used to give directions indoors restroom
buck
hallway
escalator
vending machine
to pick up
black
dozen

Coffee runs (made by interns)
#7 Are you a Slave to American Coffee? habit of drinking coffee making small talk in a formal setting Using nothing vs. anything influence
absolutely
dependency
caffeine
to accomplish
zombie
to get hooked
to operate

Coffee culture as an essential part of work in DC
#8 The White House is Meeting with the Capitol to Talk about Wall Street staying busy talking using metonyms Negative and Positive Conditional Structures to ask out
hearing
to sneak in
the Library of Congress
Congressional Research Service
annoying
to whine
K-Street
Wall Street
the White House
Lobbying in Washington, D.C.
#9 Happy Hours for Happy Days in the United States happy hour after work gossiping, talking about politics Using noun clauses as objects "He says anything voters want to hear" happy hour
frat-boy
the State of the Union
to be re-elected
flip-flopper
pro-choice
spineless
poll
Republic
Gossiping about politics and the Happy Hour culture of Washington, D.C.
#10 English Pickup Lines asking someone out Using polite language to ask someone out that you don't know well Adverb Clauses to express conditions (with conditional tense) to aid
bruise
inappropriate
irregular
adorable
to wonder
Eastern Market
to head over

Asking someone out on a date.
#11 Are you Running Late in the United States? mistake at work constructing sentences while apologizing, making excuses Using consecutive statements to indicate reason without the use of connectors like "because" or "since" memo
to prepare
briefcase
distracted
vigilant
to err
idiot
excuse

-how to express your guilt and apologize in America while explaining what caused your mistake.
#12 How a Bill Becomes a Law in the US, Part 1 new bill talking about politics, learning about legislative process in the US Using Passive voice to emphasize the object of action in speech. bill
bipartisan
earmark
chairman
to amend
ranking member
gridlock
to veto
extension
pay-roll tax cut
Political gridlock and earmarks.
#13 Making Tough Choices in the US gun control reporting speech Using the active voice ball
strike
bases
outfield/infield
-attending the national pastime of the US
#14 American Date Night going on a date talking about your hopes and dreams Use of "wish" versus use of "hope" dolled up
to ask out
World Bank
brief
dud
to kid
successful
-getting dressed up and ready for dates, what American women look for in guys
#15 American Date Night, Part 2 going on a date Conversation to use on a first date. Perfect tenses review: Past perfect continuous, Past perfect, present perfect continuous, present perfect creepy
apologize
to misjudge
witness
originally
alumnus
the school of hard knocks
cop
academy
-first date conversation, asking about people's geographical and professional/educational background
#16 Do American Media Pundits Rub you the Wrong Way? views on the media talking about the media, using negative prefixes to change adjective meanings Negative prefixes for adjectives talking head
debate
unproductive
uninformative
Beltway
jargon
to foster
legitimate
unappealling
commentator
irresponsible
immature
impartial
even
-cable news chanels
-debate in the media
#17 How a Bill Becomes a Law in the US, Part 2 new bill learning about legislative process more "Intensifying" adjectives utter
override
cynic
complete
pipedream
absolute
pipe drea
-what happens to laws when they are vetoed
#18 Take a Tour of Washington, D.C. sightseeing planning a trip to show someone around a city Using "to have" as a modal verb tour guide
Smithsonian
superb
presidential
monument
memorial
the Pentagon
the Navy
D.C. Tourist culture
#19 Hitting the Dusty American Campaign Trail campaign managing delivering exciting news to a friend Future Real Conditional with "If" and "When" district
conservative
moderate
to unseat
incumbent
campaign manager
unemployed
opportunity
resume
-electoral politics, campaign manager
#20 At the Heartbreak Motel in the US breaking up learning how to break up / be broken up with in English Inversion (Irregular verb placement) sight
matter
miserable
argument
over
hug
-breaking up
#21 Do You Need to Escape from your American House? hanging out talking about future plans Phrasal verbs (concentrating on "get") club
to break up
low-key
get out
get over
get in
get off
to be packed
-making plans for the evening
#22 An Unexpected English Call leaving a message expressing regret, talking about hangovers Using modals in the past tense- "You shouldn't have drank so much" hangover
splitting
Tylenol
rough
to pass out
to snore
tendency
-helping a sick friend
#23 American Politics as Usual new bill delivering exciting news to a friend Future Real Conditional with "If" and "When" district
conservative
moderate
to unseat
incumbent
campaign manager
unemployed
opportunity
resume
-electoral politics, campaign manager
#24 A Long-awaited American Reunion election results predicting the future, talking about expected results Similes and metaphors to express strong feelings pins and needles
rush
election
to be at stake
nerd
good shape
nationally
bellwether
majority
toss up
-teasing as an indication of friendship
-attending an election night party
#25 English Congratulations are in Order! celebrating expressing joy, using multiple adjectives Order of adjectives to call
race
relieved
pumped

how to celebrate a big victory