English for Life
Build your confidence in English
Truly international classes
Learn inside and outside the classroom
Flexible start dates
Enhance your language skills for everyday life
This course is tailored to help international students develop their English grammar and vocabulary alongside their reading, writing, listening and speaking. Our language programmes maximise your learning potential with our experienced, supportive teachers.
Teaching is excellent and promotes successful learning – ISI PFE December 2022
English for Life
| Age: | 16+ |
| Level: | From pre-intermediate (CEF A2) to advanced (CEF C2) |
| Upcoming start dates: | 27 October 2024 / 5 & 26 January, 23 February, 16 March, 20 April & 11 May 2025 |
| Course length: | Full academic year, short courses (from 2 weeks) available |
| Class size (maximum): | 15 students |
| Lessons (hours): | 25 (23 hours) Monday to Friday |
| Lesson type: | 20 in a group and 5 teacher-guided self-study sessions |
| Tuition fees: | International College price list |
| Accommodation: | College residence or homestay |
| Sample timetable: | English for Life Sample Timetable |
| Term dates: | English Language courses term dates |
| Included: | Lunch Monday to Friday |
| Optional extras: | Breakfast and dinner everyday £115 per week |
| One-to-one English language classes – £60 per lesson | |
| Excursions/Activities – £5 – £30 | |
| Airport transfers depend on on pick-up from Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton or Stansted – From £198 | |
| Courier charge for visa support documents – approx £25 | |
| Calculate course: | Calculate the cost of your course |
| Terms and Conditions |
Develop your English language skills for life to match your professional, personal or your career goals
- Small international classrooms: Progress your English language skills in small groups with other non-native speakers
- Study Visits: Take your language learning outside the classroom to local places of interest in the beautiful city of Oxford
- Build your language confidence: Improve your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills to support your learning goals
- Flexible study programme: Study with us from 2 weeks up to a full academic year
- Personal tutor: Develop your language and exam skills with a teacher to guide you
- Wide-ranging activities and excursions: Discover new hobbies, explore new cultural experiences or visit somewhere new
- More than a study experience: Establish life-long friendships with international students from over 20 countries
- Accredited by the British Council (BC) and the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) for the teaching of English
- Teaching experience: Over 60 years experience in teaching English to non-native speakers in an international community
- Close to London: Oxford has a good geographic location and is only is an hour from London by train
- Weekly Themes: Learning is engaging and and includes study activities outside the classroom based on our topical themes
- Specialist membership: A member of Quality English and English UK.
Themes of the Week
Autumn Term 2024
Week 1 - Society: British social behaviour
- How different/similar is the UK from your country?
- Queueing, (over) politeness, punctuality, dress codes
- Avoiding embarrassment – questions not to ask
Week 2 - Society: Digital society – Big Brother is watching you!
- Sir Tim Berners-Lee – World Wide Web creator
- ‘Big Data’ from social media, mobile phones, cookies, etc
- Scams, spam, spoofing, hacking, malware – security risks
Week 3 - Society: Education in Oxford
- Widening access: privileged private vs. basic state education
- University timeline & number of colleges
- Famous alumni: Blair, Clinton, Tolkien, Hugh Grant, ‘Mr Bean’…
Week 4 - Society: It’s criminal
- Crime statistics vs. newspaper scare-mongering
- Gang ‘culture’, sink estates, blue vs. white collar crime
- British legal system and its idiosyncrasies
Week 5 - Values: Human Rights
- Racism, sexism, ageism, cultural imperialism, colonisation, etc
- The Internet & children’s/women’s/ethnic minorities’ rights
- The language of propaganda & persuasion
Week 6 - Values: Moral vs. business ethics
- Big banks & businesses and moral/environmental/health issues
- Pay-day loans, online gambling, tobacco products, etc
- Copyright issues, industrial espionage, sabotage, etc
Week 7 - Values: Personal values
- Happiness, pride & achievement
- Moral compass & ethics – knowing right from wrong
- Live and let live, tolerance of diversity
Week 8 - Customs: Multicultural Britain
- Ethnic diversity in the UK, a legacy of the Empire?
- Customs taken from other cultures – Notting Hill Carnival
Week 9 - Customs: Freedom from oppression
- Guy Fawkes & modern-day protest movements
- Types of authority: dictatorship, monarchy, oligarchy, etc
- Famous orators (Churchill, JFK, Obama, Mandela)
Week 10 - Customs: Remembrance
- Red/white poppies – 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month
- War art, literature & poetry
- War, conflict & reconciliation in 2020
Week 11 - Oxford literature & film/TV adaptations
- The Hobbit; Lord of the Rings; Chronicles of Narnia
- Alice in Wonderland; His Dark Materials
- Inspector Morse & Lewis
Week 12 - Traditions: Culture & language
- Colonialism & the birth of a world language
- US/UK cultural & economic imperialism today
- Endangered minority languages
Week 13 - Traditions: Christmas is coming
- Dickens, Prince Albert: the invention of Christmas
- Pre-Christmas customs elsewhere: Santa Lucia; Sinter Klaas
- Pagan celebrations & symbols: Saturnalia, Winter Solstice, Yule, Mumming, Wassailing, mistletoe, holly, ivy, wreaths, candles
Week 14 - Traditions: Seasonal food & drink
- Christmas cakes, puddings, gingerbread, stollen, panettone
- Turkey, stuffing, gravy, sprouts(!), redcurrant jelly – why?
- Mulled wine, eggnog, hot toddy, punch, hot buttered rum!
Hear from our students
English Language courses
We offer a range of language courses depending on your personal learning goals. We offer courses for career, life or an examination:
Enhance your language skills for everyday life
Build confidence and fluency in your speaking listening, reading and writing
English language course enquiry
Please fill in this form to submit an enquiry about our English for Life course.
You may also wish to get in touch to arrange a campus tour or find out what it is like to live and study in the city of Oxford.
Contact us:
+44 1865 517706
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