English and Culture

Course description

Students will be allocated to specifically tailored classes based on the results of the pre-programme level testing. During classes as well as the sports, cultural and social activities, students will be encouraged to always speak English, allowing them to develop their English language skills and confidence.

Small class sizes, ranging from 8 to 15 students per group, will give everyone the opportunity to speak and receive personalised feedback from their teachers. English classes take an integrated skills approach: instead of being taught separately, the four macro skills – listening, reading, speaking and writing – are taught simultaneously in a way that better motivates students with a wider range of activities and better reflects authentic language use in the real world outside the classroom.

During the three-week programme, students will have integrated classes, as well as Project work sessions focused 21st century skills, such as Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking.

Based around the cultural programme, students will participate in group projects that involve fact-finding and presentation giving. They will take trips to local attractions, such as Birmingham’s Botanical Gardens and Think Tank, which are a few minutes’ walk from our campuses, and to places like London, Bath, and York. On these trips, they will be given targets for finding out information which involve using English they have learnt in class. After the trips, they’ll have time to work on their projects in groups and to prepare presentations for the classmates and teachers on what they have learnt and experienced.