If you are a 'gap year' student waiting to go to university, a 'pre-masters' student preparing for futher study, or you just want to develop your English skills - this is the best choice for you.
We offer this course during- the academic year - September-December; January-May
- as a compact short 5 week course May-June - find out more about this course
The English Language component
You follow a rigorous, intellectually-engaging programme in preparation for an externally-validated English examination:- CAE - Certificate in Advanced English
- CPE - Certificate of Proficiency in English
- IELTS - International English Language Testing System
See below for more detailed information.
The Academic Subject component
You select three subjects, each for two or three lessons per week, to suit your interests and needs for the future. See below for more detailed information about the subjects we offer.Study skills practice
You develop listening and note-taking skills by attending the St. Clare's Seminar Series at Blackfriars Hall, part of the University of Oxford, during the Autumn and Spring semesters (past themes include Creation & Inspiration and Diversity & Culture).Careers guidance
You plan your future with the help of our Careers & Higher Education Adviser.Entry requirements
You need to be age 17+You need to have a level of English equivalent to Upper Intermediate (IELTS 5.5, FCE or CEF B2).
Before you are admitted to the course, the Director of Studies will check your level of English with a written test and a short telephone interview.
The English Language component
This programme consists of 10 lessons per week in small groups (maximum 12). Classes explore contemporary topics such as Youth Cuture, Travel & Tourism, City Life or Country Living, Fairtrade & Charities, Crime & Punishment through the medium of English. Teachers use a variety of teaching methods and stimuli (television documentaries study visits, newspaper articles, internet searches as appropriate) and focus on the more advanced skills of register, collocation and idiomatic usage. Every opportunity is taken to develop the academic study skills you require for study at university. You are assessed internally and externally:- external examinations (CAE / CPE / IELTS) provide a focus for the end of the course.
- internal assessments include formal and informal writing activities, an extended essay based on your own research and an oral presentation;
The Academic Subjects component
These subjects are taught at university level together with English native-speakers, usually students from the USA on study abroad programmes. Tuition is provided by subject specialists who bring the benefits of the latest research in their own areas of expertise. Students select six subjects, numbered in order of preference 1-6; we make every effort to give students their first three choices when possible. In addition, private tuition in Italian, Spanish, French, German and other languages can be arranged for students at all levels for a supplementary fee.Subject area | Course |
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Art History | Art in England Survey 1066-1600 |
Business / Economics | International Business in the News |
English Literature | Oxford and Fantasy Literature |
European Crime Writing | |
Languages | Chinese (Beginners) |
Russian (Beginners) | |
Mathematics | College Algebra |
Philosophy and Religion | Introduction to Philosophy |
Comparative Religion | |
Ethics | |
Social Sciences | Introduction to British History |
Introduction to Politics | |
International Relations | |
Introduction to Psychology | |
Introduction to Sociology | |
Studio Art | Fundamentals of Drawing |
Painting | |
Photography | |
Communications | Cross Cultural Communication |
Sample timetable | ||
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Lesson 1 | Language development Video 'The true costs of cheap food' |
English teacher |
Lesson 2 | Discussion and debate | |
Lunch | Take lunch and meet with friends in the college dining room |
|
Lesson 3 | Academic subject choice Philosophy 'The Scientific Method' |
Subject teacher |
Self-study | Consolidation activities | |
Activities | Join in the programme of regular events |