CONNECT-1

Why Study CONNECT-1 at Elevation English Academy?

Developing More Complex Conversations

You will learn to discuss experiences, personal goals, relationships, and lifestyle choices in greater detail, moving toward longer, more sustained conversations.

Strengthening Intermediate Grammar Control

You will build accuracy with present perfect vs. simple past, gerunds and infinitives, modals for advice and necessity, and indirect questions, enabling clearer and more precise communication.

Expressing Opinions and Giving Reasons

You will practice language for stating opinions, agreeing and disagreeing politely, giving explanations, and supporting ideas with examples, preparing you for academic-style discussion.

Expanding Thematic Vocabulary

Each unit develops vocabulary related to health, technology, communication, personality, and everyday problem-solving, helping you communicate more naturally across contexts.

Improving Fluency, Listening, and Pronunciation

Through extended speaking tasks and focused listening practice, you will work on sentence stress, reductions, and conversational strategies, increasing confidence and natural flow.

Teacher: Tyler Pollard

Tyler is a certified teacher in Ontario with a Masters in Education with over 20 years of ESL experience in higher education (i.e., college and university) both overseas and in Canada. Tyler also has a Masters in Teaching English to Other Languages (TESOL) degree and a TESL Canada Professional Certificate Standard Three.

Elevation English CEO

Course Overview

01.

Unit 1: Good memories

pp. 2-7
Titles/Topics: People; childhood; memories
Speaking: Introducing yourself; talking about yourself; exchanging personal information; remembering your childhood; asking about someone's childhood
Grammar: Past tense; used to for habitual actions
Pronunciation/Listening: Reduced form of used to; Listening to people talk about their past
Writing/Reading: Writing a paragraph about your childhood "A Life in Paintings: The Frida Kahlo Story": Reading about the life of a Mexican painter

1 chapter

5.5h self-study

2 classes

2h online

02.

Unit 2: Life in the city

pp. 8-13
Titles/Topics: Transportation; transportation problems; city services
Speaking: Talking about transportation and transportation problems; evaluating city services; asking for and giving information
Grammar: Expression of quantity with count and noncount nouns: too many, too much, fewer, less, more, not enough; indirect questions from Wh-questions
Pronunciation/Listening: Syllable stress; Listening to descriptions of a transportation system
Writing/Reading: Writing an online post on a community message board about a local issue "The World's Happiest Cities": Reading about the happiest cities in the world
Progress Check 1&2
Quiz 1&2

1 chapter

5.5h self-study

2 classes

2h online

03.

Unit 3: Making changes

pp. 22-27
Titles/Topics: Houses and apartments; lifestyle changes; wishes
Speaking: Describing positive and negative features; making comparisons; talking about lifestyle changes; expressing wishes
Grammar: Evaluation and comparisons with adjectives: not...enough, too, (not) as...as; evaluations and comparisons with nouns: not enough..., too much/many..., (not) as much/many...as; wish
Pronunciation/Listening: Unpronounced vowels; Listening to people talk about capsule hotels
Writing/Reading: Writing an email comparing two living spaces "The Man with No Money": Reading about living without money

1 chapter

5.5h self-study

2 classes

2h online

04.

Unit 4: Have you ever tried it?

pp. 22-27
Titles/Topics: Food; recipes; cooking instructions; cooking methods
Speaking: Talking about food; expressing likes and dislikes; describing a favourite snack; giving step-by-step instructions
Grammar: Simple past vs. present perfect; sequence adverbs: first, then, next, after that, finally
Pronunciation/Listening: Consonant clusters; Listening to descriptions of foods
Writing/Reading: Writing a recipe "Pizza: The World's Favourite Food?": Reading about the history of pizza
Progress Check 3&4
Quiz 3&4

1 chapter

5.5h self-study

2 classes

2h online

05.

Unit 5: Hit the road!

Titles/Topics: Travel; vacations; plans
Speaking: Describing vacation plans; giving travel advice; planning a vacation
Grammar: Future with be going to and will; modals for necessity and suggestion: must, need to, (don't) have to, ought to, -'d better, should (not)
Pronunciation/Listening: Linked sounds with /w/ and /y/; Listening to travel advice
Writing/Reading: Writing an email with travel suggestions "Adventure Vacations": Reading about unusual vacations

1 chapter

5.5h self-study

2 classes

2h online

06.

Unit 6: Sure! I'll do it.

Titles/Topics: Complaints; household chores; requests; excuses; apologies
Speaking: Making requests; agreeing to and refusing requests; complaining; apologizing; giving excuses
Grammar: Adverbs of frequency: always, almost, always, usually, often, sometimes, hardly ever, almost never and never; questions: how often, how long, how well, and how good; short answers
Pronunciation/Listening: Stress in two-part verbs; Listening to the results of a survey about family life
Writing/Reading: Writing a message making a request "Hotel Madness: The Crazy Things People Say!": Reading about unusual hotel requests
Progress Check 5&6
Quiz 5&6

1 chapter

5.5h self-study

2 classes

2h online

07.

Unit 7: What do you use this for?

pp. 44-49
Titles/Topics: Technology; instructions
Speaking: Describing technology; giving instructions; giving suggestions
Grammar: Infinitives and gerunds for uses and purposes; imperatives and infinitives for giving suggestions
Pronunciation/Listening: Syllable stress; Listening to a radio program; listening to people give suggestions for using technology
Writing/Reading: Writing a message asking for specific favours "The Sharing Economy - Good for Everybody?": Reading about the sharing economy

1 chapter

5.5h self-study

2 classes

2h online

08.

Unit 8: Time to celebrate!

pp. 50-55
Titles/Topics: Holiday; festivals; customs; celebrations
Speaking: Describing holiday, festivals, customs, and special events
Grammar: Relative clauses of time; adverbial clauses of time; when, after, before
Pronunciation/Listening: Stress and rhythm; Listening to a description of Carnival in Brazil
Writing/Reading: Writing an entry on a travel website about a cultural custom "Out of the Old, In with the New": Reading about interesting New Year's customs
Progress Check 7&8
Quiz 7&8
Review for Midterm (Units 1-8)
Midterm Test (Units 1-8)

1 chapter

5.5h self-study

2 classes

2h online

How to Enroll in START-1

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Frequently asked questions

Do I have to complete the course within 8 Weeks?

Yes, this course has been carefully scheduled to facilitate the course content delivery, interaction, and engagement over 8 weeks. It is expected that you attend all online classes and complete all assigned homework.

What if I have any questions?

If you have any questions about the content of this course, please feel free to contact tyler@elevationenglishacademy.com

Do I need to complete all the assigned homework?

Yes, to pass this course you need to achieve an overall average of 70% on all the homework assignments, quizzes, plus the final exam. When you pass this course, you will be awarded a certificate from Elevation English which will allow you continue to the next level or course.

How long do I have to wait for feedback for my homework?

Elevation English has a 48-hour policy to grade any submitted homework.