English Proficiency (C1 → C2)

Level:

Do you want your English to be at native speaker level? Are you looking to learn and use a rich and complex range of English in your working or academic life? This fast-paced course will bring you to the very highest level of English proficiency (C2).

520,-

Starting from 8 January 2025

+ 4 more dates

General
Learning goals
Method
Time investment
Practical
Schedule

About the course

This course is for students who are at level C1. This means that you can already work effectively in English, and perhaps have even studied for a degree taught in English. You aren’t afraid of speaking or writing in English for general purposes. What you sometimes miss is how to use English more persuasively and creatively, or to write and speak in more formal settings. Perhaps you also simply love the language and want to enhance your vocabulary for your own pleasure!

In this course, our teachers will help you to take your English to level C2. You will look at areas like inversion, British and American English idioms, less common and formal vocabulary items, emphasis, and complex sentences, as well as some grammar.

You can start with this course if you have completed our English Advanced course or if you have attained C1 level via another route. Would you like to know your current language level? Try our free language level test!

Learning goals

This course takes you towards level C2.

By the end of this course, you will have developed high level language skills equivalent to those of a native speaker. You will be able to dazzle others with your English knowledge, and will be able to use the language playfully and creatively to communicate persuasively and humorously, if that is your goal.
This course will also give you the language you need to succeed in the Cambridge English C2 Proficiency exam, if your goal is to get a certificate proving you are at level C2. You may need this for immigration purposes in some countries, or to prove you have the native-speaker level English required for certain jobs.

Method

All Babel’s courses are taught by highly-qualified, professional teachers and are interactive, fun, and focused on students’ needs.

This means we:

are flexible to what a group needs.
ask for your feedback on how the lessons are going, and respond to what you tell us.
use high-quality materials.
do a lot of speaking activities, in small groups and as a whole group.
teach grammar and vocabulary in a way that connects them to real life use.
encourage students to learn outside the classroom too.

Time investment

This course consists of 18 classes of 1hr45 minutes. Alongside this, you will need to do some homework and preparation for your lessons. You should expect to spend at least 3 hours a week on this, and more if you submit all the optional writing assignments for this course.
The more time you give to learning, the more you will benefit. There are lots of exercises to practise at home available to you. There are also many websites where you can read more C2 level English texts, and many ways to listen to more English online.

Practical

The language of instruction is English.
You will be working with a book. You can order this book on our special book page. Please ensure you have your book ready for the first session.
If you are learning online, you can order the e-book version of the student book. You can do this here.
You will receive a certificate of participation if you follow at least 80% of the classes.
If you work or study at Utrecht University you will receive a 15% discount. Please register with your UU email address. Your registration will then be processed automatically.

Schedule

Please note: There are two course options; intensive (2x/week lessons) and regular (1x/week lessons).

Starting date: 8 January 2025 (Virtual Classroom)

Day	Date	Start	End
Wednesday	8 January 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	15 January 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	22 January 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	29 January 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	5 February 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	12 February 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	19 February 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	26 February 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	5 March 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	19 March 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	26 March 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	2 April 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	9 April 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	16 April 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	23 April 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	30 April 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	7 May 2025	20:00	21:45
Wednesday	14 May 2025	20:00	21:45

Starting date: 3 February 2025 (Virtual Classroom)

Day	Date	Start	End
Monday	3 February 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	10 February 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	17 February 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	24 February 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	3 March 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	10 March 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	17 March 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	24 March 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	31 March 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	30 June 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	14 April 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	16 June 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	28 April 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	23 June 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	12 May 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	19 May 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	26 May 2025	18:00	19:45
Monday	2 June 2025	18:00	19:45

Starting date: 14 March 2025 (Virtual Classroom)

Day	Date	Start	End
Friday	14 March 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	21 March 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	28 March 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	4 April 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	11 April 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	18 April 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	25 April 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	2 May 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	9 May 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	23 May 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	30 May 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	6 June 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	13 June 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	20 June 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	27 June 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	4 July 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	11 July 2025	15:15	17:00
Friday	18 July 2025	15:15	17:00

Starting date: 15 April 2025 (Virtual Classroom)

Day	Date	Start	End
Tuesday	15 April 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	22 April 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	29 April 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	6 May 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	13 May 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	20 May 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	27 May 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	3 June 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	10 June 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	24 June 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	1 July 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	8 July 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	15 July 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	22 July 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	29 July 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	5 August 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	12 August 2025	20:00	21:45
Tuesday	19 August 2025	20:00	21:45

Starting date: 22 May 2025 (Virtual Classroom)

Day	Date	Start	End
Thursday	22 May 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	5 June 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	12 June 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	19 June 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	26 June 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	3 July 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	10 July 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	17 July 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	24 July 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	7 August 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	14 August 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	21 August 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	28 August 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	4 September 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	11 September 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	18 September 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	25 September 2025	18:00	19:45
Thursday	2 October 2025	18:00	19:45