The OPIc IH Strategy Guide is a 30-page, teacher-made PDF packed with frameworks, vocabulary cards, sentence frames, a mock test, and a 7-day study plan — everything your students need to break through the Intermediate Mid plateau and score Intermediate High.
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20+ Years of ESL Teaching Experience
Designed for OPIc IH Level • Covers All 6 Task Sections • Immediate Digital Download
Does This Sound Familiar?
Your students sit down for the OPIc and freeze.
They know English. They study English. But when that recording starts — when the test asks them to describe a scene, compare two options, or role-play an unexpected situation — their minds go blank.
The problem isn’t their English.
The problem is they don’t have a strategy.
Here’s what most OPIc test-takers experience:
❌ They stop after 3 sentences and don’t know how to add the detail IH actually requires
❌ They say “and… and… and…” instead of “moreover,” “however,” and “as a result”
❌ They freeze on role-play and problem-solving scenarios because they don’t have a structure
❌ They’ve watched YouTube videos, read forums, and still can’t pinpoint what separates IM from IH
That gap between “Intermediate Mid” and “Intermediate High” is exactly where this guide lives.
Introducing: The OPIc IH Strategy Guide
A 30-page, no-fluff PDF guide that takes your students from the frustrating plateau of Intermediate Mid through every skill, strategy, and sentence frame they need to break into Intermediate High — with practice prompts, a mock test, and a 7-day study plan built right in.
This is not another vocabulary list.
It’s a complete speaking performance system — frameworks, vocabulary, transitions, sentence frames, a mock test, and a 7-day study plan — built from 20+ years of watching real students learn to communicate.
30 Pages. 12 Sections. Everything Your Students Need.
Each section builds on the last — from understanding the test, through vocabulary and frameworks, to a full mock exam and 7-day prep plan.
1. How to Use This Guide
Setup and orientation for teachers and self-studying students — with a clear explanation of how every section builds on the last. Includes a Teacher Tip for classroom deployment.
2. Understanding OPIc & the IH Level
A full breakdown of the OPIc rating scale, what IH looks like in practice (vs. IM), the four scoring criteria, and a self-assessment quiz students score out of 15. Includes a side-by-side IM vs. IH response comparison.
3. IH Speaking Strategies
Three core frameworks: the EXPAND Framework (a 6-point pre-response checklist), the 3-Part Response Structure (Answer → Explain → Connect), and a Time Management guide for the 60–90 second test format. Plus: intonation and emphasis techniques.
4. Vocabulary for the IH Level
Six vocabulary card sets covering: Opinion & Perspective, Comparison & Contrast, Giving Examples, Cause & Effect, Narration & Sequencing, and Uncertainty & Nuance. With upgrade exercises and a vocabulary matching challenge.
5. Transition Phrases That Score IH
A master table of IH-level connectors organized by function — adding info, contrasting, conceding, emphasizing, summarizing, and more — plus three full sample dialogues showing the transitions in real context.
6. Conversation & Narration Skills
The IH Narration Formula (Set the Scene → What Happened → How You Felt → What You Learned), with a full worked example and three practice prompts. Plus: techniques for keeping the conversation going when ideas run out.
7. Problem-Solving Response Framework
The SOLVE Framework — a step-by-step structure for OPIc role-play scenarios (State → Offer Empathy → List Solutions → Verify → End Positively) — with a full example and three practice scenarios to complete.
8. IH Sentence Frames Toolkit
Four ready-to-use frame categories: Opening Your Response, Adding Details & Examples, Opinions with Nuance, and Wrapping Up Strongly. Fill-in-the-blank practice included. The fastest shortcut to sounding like an IH speaker.
9. Mock OPIc Practice Test
Six full test questions across five difficulty levels (IM through IH+), with a background survey simulation, narration task, role-play scenario, and abstract opinion question. Includes a complete self-scoring rubric with a 15-point scale.
10. IH Mistakes to Avoid
Ten specific, named mistakes that stall students at IM — from stopping too early and overusing “and” to skipping the wrap-up and studying silently instead of out loud. With a personal mistake self-assessment and action plan worksheet.
11. 7-Day IH Study Plan
A day-by-day prep schedule for the week before the test: Foundation → Vocabulary → Transitions → Narration → Problem-Solving → Mock Test Day → Review & Rest. Each day has a checkbox and recording assignment.
12. Progress Tracker
A weekly speaking log, a skill confidence meter (rate Vocabulary, Transitions, Narration, Problem-Solving, and Response Length), and a goal-setting page with space for test date and target score.
This Guide Is For You If…
✓ You teach ESL to Korean students or corporate professionals preparing for OPIc
✓ Your students are stuck at Intermediate Mid and you’re not sure what’s holding them back
✓ You’re a self-studying test-taker who wants a proven structure — not scattered YouTube tips
✓ You need a ready-to-use classroom resource you can assign, discuss, and practice from today
✓ You want your students to have sample answers, sentence frames, and frameworks — not just explanations
✓ You need a mock test and structured study plan you can hand students the week before their exam
This guide was built for:
ESL Teachers • Hagwon Instructors • Corporate English Trainers • Self-Study Learners • University EFL Students
Who Made This?
Hi, I’m Jim.
I’ve been teaching English for over 20 years across settings most teachers never encounter: university classrooms, corporate boardrooms, Korean language schools, prison education programs, and workforce training for restaurant workers in Arizona.
I hold an Alternative Teaching Certification in Arizona and have spoken at TESOL events. But the credential that matters most? Two decades of watching real students — from all backgrounds, all levels — learn to actually speak.
The OPIc IH Strategy Guide comes from the same place all good teaching materials come from: watching what doesn’t work, figuring out what does, and writing it down clearly enough that it helps someone else.
— Jim Stepnowski, teachingenglishisfun.com
SECTION 8 — SUMMARY / WHAT YOU GET (VALUE STACK)
Here’s Everything You’re Getting
✓ 30-page OPIc IH Strategy Guide PDF (12 sections)
✓ EXPAND Framework + 3-Part Response Structure
✓ 6 Vocabulary Card Sets with upgrade exercises
✓ Master Transition Phrases table with sample dialogues
✓ IH Narration Formula + SOLVE Problem-Solving Framework
✓ Sentence Frames Toolkit — 4 categories, ready to use
✓ Full Mock OPIc Practice Test + Self-Scoring Rubric
✓ 10 Mistakes to Avoid + personal self-assessment
✓ 7-Day IH Study Plan with daily recording assignments
✓ Progress Tracker, skill confidence meter, and goal-setting page
✓ Instant PDF download — use in class today
All of this for $6.50 on TPT or $5.50 on Gumroad.
SECTION 9 — FAQ
Common Questions
Is this for teachers or for students studying on their own?
Both — and it’s designed to serve both at the same time. Every section includes a “Teacher Tip” callout and a “Student Strategy” callout so the same guide functions as classroom material or independent study. The 7-Day Study Plan makes it especially powerful for self-directed test prep.
How long is the guide and what format is it?
It’s a 30-page, print-ready PDF with 12 sections. You get an instant download link after purchase — no special software needed. Open it in any PDF viewer, print copies for your class, or use it on a tablet or phone.
My students are already at Intermediate Mid. Will this actually move them up?
That’s exactly who this was designed for. The guide targets the specific gap between IM and IH — including the EXPAND Framework for building longer responses, transition phrases that signal a higher level, and the Mistakes to Avoid section, which names the 10 patterns most likely to keep students stuck at IM.
Does this cover every type of OPIc question?
Yes. The guide covers personal background, description, narration, comparison, opinion, and role-play/problem-solving scenarios — plus the self-scoring mock test includes six full questions at increasing difficulty levels from IM through IH+.
What if I teach general ESL — is this still useful?
Very much so. The frameworks in this guide — the EXPAND checklist, 3-Part Response Structure, IH Narration Formula, SOLVE Problem-Solving Framework, and Sentence Frames Toolkit — are foundational spoken communication skills. Even outside OPIc prep, they work as everyday speaking lesson materials.
Is there a refund policy?
TPT has its own seller policies for digital downloads. For Gumroad purchases, reach out directly at jim.stepnowski@gmail.com — I stand behind this material and will work with you if it isn’t what you expected.
SECTION 10 — FINAL CTA (BOTTOM OF PAGE)
Ready to Get Your Students to IH?
Stop hoping they find the strategy on their own. Give them the guide.
→ Get on Teachers Pay Teachers — $6.50
→ Get on Gumroad — $5.50
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