Cross-Course Teaching Themes

As a small community, we promote integration across course and across college, whenever possible. Central to this objective is the harmonisation of teaching themes across college. There’s a genuine unity of purpose that creates significant benefits:

  • learners function at their current level and yet take part in shared, cross-college activities and events
  • Study Visits within Oxford and the Activity Programme encourage 'learning beyond the classroom': examples include 're-cycling campaigns, 'a celebration of Carnival across cultures' or a specialist speaker on 'the psychology of selling'
  • the focus on language outcomes serves both to increase motivation amongst 'long-stay' students and allows easy integration of those on shorter courses.

The sample programme (from the English Language Courses) provides a flavour of life at the International College of Further Education, St. Clare’s, Oxford.

Learning and discovery:
Technology and innovations
  • Technology in the workplace and education
  • Social media: Facebook and Twitter
  • Cloud computing, 3D printing,
  • nanotechnology, vertical farming
Excursion: Oxford Science Museum Exhibition - ‘The origins of broadcasting’ - from Morse Code, to Marconi radio and the early development of our inter-connected, internet world!
Facebook competition: A photo to symbolise 'What St. Clare’s means to me!' - students post their entry and other students ‘like’ their favourite photo. Prize: dinner for two at an Oxford restaurant.
Differences and similarities:
Multicultural Oxford
  • Study Visit to Cowley Road
  • Places of worship (cathedral / mosque)
  • Video clips: multicultural Oxford / UK
Excursion: Walking tour of Oxford
Evening event: Dinner at Le Kesh - enjoy the delights of North African cuisine.
Bardwell Film Club: Bend It Like Beckham - a comedy-drama which explores multicultural relations and gender roles in modern Britain.
Society and responsibility:
Dealing with waste
  • Food waste and recycling at St Clare’s
  • Heating, electricity and paper use
  • Protecting our environment
    Study Visit: Redbridge Recycling Centre - go behind the scenes and see how waste is recycled across the city.
    Language outcome: note-taking and reporting exercise.
College campaign - St Clare’s Cares - practical recycling and waste reduction activities on site, with the support of members of the college.