Those who start in 2021 (or earlier) and have completed the PoppieS’ Foundation 1-2-3 can carry on with PoppieS’ Building Blocks
The Courses we offer are the following:
PoppieS’ Building Block I-Notional Competence
In this course, which roughly lasts one term (normally September-November or October-December) we cover 4 topics related to Notional Competence and work on 2-3 more.
While we are studying the topics we also work on the Language Exam (Práctico) so that we remember/understand/apply what we are studying in the topic. The course has 3 Units, each consisting of the two interrelated parts mentioned above, which makes up a total of 6:
- The first part of each unit covers one or two topics and their corresponding videos, workbooks, and contents.
- The second part includes one or two listenings, text analysis, language practice, and translations. Some of the activities included in this second part cover issues related to the topics. Unit 3 covers the exam from Madrid 2016, including one of the topics which came out then.
Picking up from the Quizzes on Rhetorical & Stylistic Devices in the Poppies Foundation Plus-Exam Part 1 (Included in this course for revision) each of the 3 main Units in this course also has one quiz where we revise and expand on our knowledge of rhetorical and stylistic devices. There are also other quizzes to help you remember, understand and apply concepts so that you can then analyse, evaluate and create the language or content you need for the exam.
As you can see, the course focuses on the first part of the exam (Topics & Práctico). Does it mean that we do not practise the Syllabus and Units? Quite the opposite:
- If you do this Building Block I as an E-learning Course entirely on your own, you can still have access to PoppieS’ Foundation 3- Syllabus & Unit Design, so that they can keep on revising and improving. (Here we assume that you have done the PoppieS’ Foundation 1-2-3 or its previous versions in full)
- If you have Zoom sessions with us, apart from having access to PoppieS’ Foundation-3, we combine the Course with oral presentations and improvement of your syllabus and units.
Once you’ve finished PoppieS’ Building Block I you can move on to
PoppieS’ Building Block II-The Verb Phrase +
This course may me done in 3-4 months and also consists of 2 Interrelated Parts: Exam Part 1B (topics) & Exam Part 1A (language practice). We also include some ideas to teach and design activities, lessons or units related to some of the topics covered here.
In this Building Block, however, the parts are not so closely intertwined, particularly with the 3 topics on The Verb Phrase which make up Unit 1. There are some questions on issues pertaining to the Verb Phrase in the Language Practice which makes up Units 2-6, but the focus of these 5 units is laid on the other two topics covered and on the language practice itself together with a couple of activities on Unit design and content.
POPPIES Building Block II includes the topic contents, workbooks, and videos plus Language Activities to practise listening, text analysis, language practice, and translations. Some of the activities cover issues related to the topics, others deal with phonetics, lexicography, semantics, text cohesion, stylistic features, etc. There are 7 units in total, 1 for the topics and 6 for the Practical Language Exam + Revision of Rhetorical & Stylistic devices practised in POPPIES Foundation+ & Building Block I.
The course is designed to be done entirely online or as a Blended Course, i.e., accessing the materials on the platform, working on them and clarifying doubts, or performing some of the activities in classes via Zoom, at least while we have to use face masks when meeting face-to-face.
If you finish this course and there’s still time before the exam for a new one you can move on to:
PoppieS’ Building Block III- The USA
This Block deals mainly, though not exclusively, with various aspects pertaining to the United States. The main focus is on the Language Part of the exam, but we also cover three topics and some ideas on Unit content, particularly related to literature, culture, society, etc.
We start with some revision of Rhetorical & Stylistic Devices from the previous Building Blocks and then you are provided with 2 topics (no workbook as they are on Culture and Literature). The topics are 60 & 61 of the current 1993 list. You are also given a “term” assignment.
In units 1 -5, we practise with various Language Issues (listenings, translations, text analysis, questions on text, rephrasing, collocations, etc.) and we connect some of them to current issues and, broadly, to Topic 64 on American Institutions. This is the topic we are working on through videos and summaries. We’ll be contrasting and comparing your production and our suggestions. The units include Mock exams from various Autonomous Regions. There are also activities to expand your vocabulary and knowledge of rhetorical and stylistic devices.
Please, note that some of the contents here may vary as we are revising and updating the course, incorporating some of the materials we did in PoppieS’ Building Block IV into this and the other courses.
For the time being at least, this course can only be done as part of the Zoom Sessions, although it will soon be available for those who prefer to work on their own.
Each of these courses cost €97 when you do them on your own.
But if you are also having Zoom classes with us for the whole academic year (i.e., September/October-June), we give you 2 or 3 for the prize of one. This means that you just pay €97 and you will access the courses as we move through the academic year.
For those combining the courses with Zoom classes: Same options and monthly prices as for the PoppieS’ Foundation 1-2-3
And, finally…for those few who have already completed the three Building Blocks we have, only combined with Zoom classes:
PoppieS’ Building Block IV-Miscellaneous
This Building Block IV is called “Miscellaneous” because it contains a mixed bag of texts, listenings and translations, etc.
Candidates on this course have already completed PoppieS’ Foundation 1-2-3 and PoppieS’ Building Blocks I-III.
Even though we may cover one or two topics —or three or four, depending on time and content-related texts— what we mainly do in this course is practise text analysis of various types, including a few oldish and mostly new texts, with a with variety of questions.
We are also doing exams from different Autonomous Regions such as Murcia, Valencia, Castilla León, …, (some from Secundarias exams, others from Escuelas). Plus a variety of questions to help you revise what we have done so far, and cover other possible questions you may be asked. We have, of course, taken into account the exams which took in June 2021 in various Autonomous Regions.
There will certainly be listenings and translations, too. Also rephrasing/structural conversion; collocations, and other language activities to help you be better prepared for the exam.
This course can only be done in combination with our Zoom classes and costs €77 to access the materials for those students who have been with us at least two academic years.
Please, note that the price for the Zoom classes is the same as for the PoppieS’ Foundation 1-2-3 and for the Building Blocks.
If you are doing a PoppieS’ Building Block with us it means that you have also done at least one or, most likely the 3 courses of PoppieS’ Foundation Plus. As both the courses and the platform have undergone changes, to access the courses you will need to add €17.
