English Language Teachers' Summer Seminar

Programme details

A Welcome from Dr Charles Boyle, Seminar Director

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to study at the University of Oxford? Our long-established Summer Seminar for English language teachers is a wonderful opportunity for you to engage with international counterparts, to share teaching experiences and to explore new ideas in a positive and supportive learning environment. Under the guidance of some of the ELT world's leading trainers, we aim to offer you a highly practical, engaging and rewarding learning experience.

During your two-week course, you take four workshops; two in Week 1 and two in Week 2. Your day begins with a stimulating and informative plenary lecture followed by your morning workshop. After lunch you take your afternoon workshop on a completely different topic. Each year, we offer a choice of ten lively workshops giving you the chance to enhance your skills in areas such as teaching pronunciation or to explore areas that are perhaps new to you such as teaching with mobile technology. This unique structure enables you to experience a different dynamic in each workshop and the chance to work with ELT professionals from a variety of teaching backgrounds from across the globe.

You'll also quickly discover that this is a summer school unlike most others as it offers you the rare opportunity to to study and live in an Oxford college. From the opening reception in the Fellows' Garden to the farewell gala dinner in the splendid surroundings of Exeter College dining hall, the memories of the Summer Seminar will, I am sure, remain with you for many years to come. We look forward to seeing you in Oxford very soon.

Summer Seminar Workshops

Week 1: July 23 - 27

• Exploring Grammar: Words, clauses, sentences and beyond
• Imaginative Teaching in the Creative Classroom
• Motivating the Unmotivated
• New Approaches to Integrating Pronunciation into your Teaching
• Using Mobile Devices in your Lessons - What Really Works

Week 2: July 30 - August 3

• Aspects of Contemporary English: Teaching a changing language
• Developing Effective Listening Skills and Strategies
• Task-based Learning (TBL) for English at University Level
• Teaching Teenagers: Not child's play
• Skilful Coaching in ELT

Academic Team

Oxford University has carefully selected an outstanding academic team by bringing together some of the top trainers and tutors in the field of ELT today. Principal Tutor for the Summer Seminar is author, trainer and international ELT consultant Adrian Underhill, a leading figure in the field of teacher education.

Our tutors for 2018 are:

• Adrian Underhill
• Edmund Dudley
• Jon Hird
• Hanna Kryszewska
• Sinéad Laffan
• Shaun Wilden

ELT Guest Lectures

Each morning begins with a plenary lecture delivered by a prominent figure or by authors working in ELT. Some lectures will be directly relevant to classroom practice, whilst others are intended to be more theoretical and thought-provoking.

The speakers and topics for 2018 are:

• Adrian Underhill - The Story of your Development: Sowing the seeds of an international learning community and Taking the experience back home: Group discussion, poster presentations and final plenary meeting
• Edmund Dudley – What the Dickens? Using literature in the English classroom
• Shaun Wilden - Your exits are here, here, and here
• Hanna Kryszewska - Visual Literacy in the ELT Class
• Jon Hird - Reaching Every Student in the Classroom: Dyslexia and learning English
• Tim Herdon - Are lexical sets history? Insights from vocabulary research

Schedule

Monday - Friday

09.15 - 10.45  Lecture (Except Wednesdays)
10.45 - 11.15  Tea break
11.15  - 12.45  Workshop
12.45 - 13.45  Lunch
13.00 - 15.30  Workshop

For a detailed outline of the course structure please view this example schedule.

The programme provides 42 hours of tuition, comprising:

• 12 hours of lectures (8 sessions lasting approximately 1.5 hours each)
• 30 hours of workshop meetings (7.5 per course)

Please note that as the workshop sessions incorporate a large amount of interaction and participation with colleagues, all teachers are invited to contribute proactively to group discussions.

Social Programme

Social activities will be organised for the late afternoons and/or evenings, Monday to Friday. These are likely to include: a walking tour of Oxford, a cultural exchange evening, a treasure hunt, a Shakespeare play, guest lectures, an evening of Scottish country dancing (where you do the dancing!), and much more.

Meals

For participants resident at Exeter College, all meals are provided with the exception of weekend lunches.  For non-resident participants only lunch is included in the course fees.  We invite all participants to join us for an opening dinner on Sunday 22 July and for our formal farewell gala dinner on Friday 3 August.

Breakfast: Self-service in the dining hall - each morning you will have a choice of fresh fruit, yogurt, cereals, bread, pastries.

Lunch: Self-service buffet in the dining hall – a choice of two hot meals (one of which will be vegetarian) or a choice of cold meats and fish, quiches, salads, fresh fruit, yogurt; Or a choice of hot soup, freshly made paninis and baguettes, cakes and crisps served in the Undercroft Bar.

Dinner: Self-service in the dining hall each evening. On the final evening a formal three-course farewell dinner will be served.

ELT Publishers' Book Display

During the Seminar, representatives from Oxford University Press and Macmillan will be present to showcase current and forthcoming ELT publications. All teachers will be offered a discount of 20% on ELT publications purchased during the seminar.

Certification

On successful completion of the Summer Seminar, all participants will receive a University of Oxford Certificate of Attendance.

The attendance certificate will state the course title and location, the course dates, and hours of tuition involved. It will be signed by the programme director and the principal tutor.

Please note that this course does not offer any form of official credit to participants.

Accommodation

Resident in College

Participants who choose to be resident on the programme will have a single study bedroom in Exeter College and will take meals in the college dining hall. All meals during the programme will be provided for college residents, except for lunch at weekends.

Bedrooms are located up the four to nine floors of a staircase. Bath and/or shower and toilet facilities on each staircase are shared between 4 to 5 bedrooms.

A very limited number of rooms have private bathroom facilities (shower room and toilet) and these are available for an additional fee. These rooms are allocated on a first-come first-served basis, so early application is essential.

Participants cannot be accommodated at Exeter College either prior to or beyond their programme dates. Family members and/or friends who are not enrolled on this programme cannot be accommodated in college.

Non-Resident

Participants who choose to be non-resident on the summer school are responsible for finding their own accommodation. Information on accommodation in Oxford can be found on the internet at:

• Conference Oxford
• Oxford Rooms
• Visit Oxfordshire

(Please be aware that demand for accommodation in Oxford during the summer months is high).

Exeter College has rooms which can be taken on a self-catering basis roughly one mile away from the main college site. For further information please contact the Accommodation Manager by email: accommodation@exeter.ox.ac.uk

Disabled Participants (including those with mobility difficulties)

The aim of Oxford University's Department for Continuing Education (OUDCE) is to treat all participants equally and welcomes applications from people with disabilities. Individuals` needs are taken into account as far as possible, providing reasonable adaptations and assistance within the resources available. We ask that people let us know of any disability or special need (confidentially if required) so that we can help them participate as fully as possible.

When applying for OUDCE`s college-based summer programmes, prospective participants with mobility difficulties or visual or hearing impairments may want to make preliminary enquiries to the Programme Administrator, as the age and layout of these colleges often makes them user-unfriendly (although adaptations are often possible). Oxford, as an ancient city, tends to be difficult to navigate for people with disabilities. The number of very old buildings, designed in an age less sensitive to issues of disability, makes access to much of the city centre difficult. However, OUDCE will do as much as it can to make study with us possible.

Participants should contact us if they will have problems gaining access to a bedroom or a teaching room that is located on upper or basement floors, or to the college dining hall (which is reached via a flight of stairs).

Fees

Non-Residential Fee: £1380.00
Residential Fee: Ensuite: £2542.00
Residential Fee: Standard: £2360.00

Funding

We are, unfortunately, unable to offer any scholarships or reduction in fees for the English Language Teachers' Summer Seminar at present.

Payment

Residential: Standard (shared bathroom facilities) - £2360

Fees include:

• tuition; access to IT facilities; social activities;
• accommodation in a standard single room with shared bathroom facilities for the nights of Sunday 22 July to Friday 3 August 2018 inclusive;
• meals in hall from dinner on Sunday 22 July to breakfast on Saturday 4 August 2018 (except lunch on Saturdays and Sundays and meals during optional weekend excursions).

Residential: En suite* (private shower and toilet) - £2542

Fees include:

• tuition; access to IT facilities; social activities;
• accommodation in a single en suite room with private shower and toilet for the nights of Sunday 22 July to Friday 3 August 2018 inclusive;
• meals in hall from dinner on Sunday 22 July to breakfast on Saturday 4 August 2018 (except lunch on Saturdays and Sundays and meals during optional weekend excursions).

*Currently fully booked - any further applications will be added to a waiting list upon request.

Non-residential (no accommodation) - £1380

Fees include:

• tuition; access to IT facilities; social activities;
• lunch Monday to Friday, and the programme's opening and formal closing dinners on Sunday 22 July and Friday 3 August 2018, respectively.

Cancellations

Please note that refunds are only offered in exceptional circumstances. Please consult our terms and conditions for more details.

Applicants are strongly recommended to take out vacation cancellation insurance, and should consult their travel agent and/or insurer for information and advice. Please note that OUDCE does not offer any insurance cover.

Alteration or Cancellation of a Course by OUDCE

OUDCE reserves the right to alter details of any course should illness or any other emergency prevent a tutor from teaching, and to cancel a course or seminar if exceptionally low enrolment would make it educationally unviable.

The status of the course will be reviewed on 1 May 2018. If it is likely that the course may be cancelled, all participants enrolled on the course will be notified in writing within seven days, and possible options clearly explained.

If participants have not heard from OUDCE by 9 May 2018, they should assume that the course will be running; there is no need to contact us to confirm. Participants may wish to delay finalising their travel arrangements until after this date.

Erasmus Plus: Financial Support for EU Teachers

Are you looking for additional financial assistance? Each year many English language teachers benefit from the financial support provided by the EU’s Erasmus Plus Programme (Key Action 1 – Learning Mobility of Individuals). If you are an ELT teacher from any EU or EFTA country your school or organisation may be able to apply for funding on your behalf.

To check your eligibility and for full details of the Erasmus Plus Programme, please visit the website of the European Commission here.

Getting started: Erasmus Plus Guidance for English Language Teachers
Our summer schools for English language teachers are extremely popular and fill up quickly. If you decide to apply for financial support from the Erasmus Plus Programme you should:

1. Complete your application form for the English Language Teachers' Summer Seminar and send this to us immediately. You should not wait until you receive the outcome of your Erasmus Plus application.
2. You must submit your Erasmus Plus application form through your school. All you need to do is to inform your school or institution that you would like to participate in the English Language Teachers' Summer Seminar 2017. If your school is not registered on the Participant Portal, an official representative will have to register. The school will then be issued with a PIC (Personal Identification Code) number. A step-by-step guide can be found at:

   https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/news/video-resource/how-to-register-on-ecas

3. You should then complete the Erasmus Plus application form which you can download from your National Agency’s website - http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/tools/national-agencies/index_en.htm

4. Please note that the deadline for completed Erasmus Plus applications is 11 a.m. on February 2, 2018.

Assessment methods

There is no assessment for this course.

Application

Please note that the Oxford English Language Teachers' Summer Seminar 2018 is currently fully booked, although we are still accepting applications on a waitlist basis.

There are still spaces available on the Oxford Teachers' Academy Masterclass from 08-21 July 2018.

 

Please download the application form.

All sections should be completed fully, clearly, and in BLOCK CAPITALS.

Applications should be emailed or posted to the Programme Administrator at the following address:

• Email: ipteachers@conted.ox.ac.uk - a scan of the form must be accompanied by a single passport photo in jpeg format

• Post: English Language Teachers' Summer Seminar, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA, UK - the form must be accompanied by five passport-sized photographs (i.e. 3cm x 3.5cm), with your full name printed on the back of each.

Application deadline

Subject to the availability of places, the closing date for applications is 21 May 2018.

Notification of the admission panel's decision

Applicants will normally be notified of the panel's decision by email within 14 days of their application being received.

Applicants who are offered a place on the summer school must respond within 14 days to accept or decline the offer. In accepting our offer of a place applicants are committing to paying their programme fees in full by the due date.

Enrolling, invoicing, and further course information

Successful applicants will be formally enrolled on the summer school once they have accepted our offer of a place. The enrolment process includes the issuing of invoices, which will be emailed to applicants together with full instructions for payment.

Applicants will be required to pay the full fee within 28 days of their invoice date. Late applicants may be required to pay the full fee within 7 days of their invoice date. Places will not be held for students whose fees are not paid in full by the due date. Under no circumstance will applicants be admitted to the summer school unless all fees have been paid in full.

Once fees have been paid in full, applicants will be sent a formal letter confirming their place on the course and receipt of their payment.

Detailed course information notes will be emailed to participants in Spring 2018. These notes will contain a wealth of practical information to assist students preparing to travel to Oxford.

Any Queries?

Please contact the Programme Administrator by email at ipteachers@conted.ox.ac.uk

Important information regarding visa requirements

If you require a visa to study abroad, then we strongly recommend that you apply for this course as early as possible in order to allow yourself sufficient time to make a successful visa application.

This may include a letter from the course administrator confirming your place on the course; this confirmation letter will not be issued until all course fees have been paid in full.

In the case of a visa application being unsuccessful the Department for Continuing Education will not offer a refund.

Please note that, for legal reasons, the Programme Administrator is not permitted to provide any visa advice to applicants. All such enquiries should be submitted to Oxford University’s student visa and immigration advisers via email at student.immigration@admin.ox.ac.uk

Level and demands

This summer school is aimed at English Language Teachers of secondary school and adult students with at least four years' teaching experience. All teachers should have a minimum level of CEFR C1 proficiency across all skills. Please note that the workshops require active participation at the individual, paired and group level.

 

We also offer a two-week residential summer school for English Language teachers of primary and secondary school pupils who have at least two years' teaching experience. The Oxford Teachers' Academy Masterclass is held at Worcester College from July 8 -20. Participants must have a minimum level of CEFR B2+ proficiency. The course is highly practical and requires active participation at the individual, paired and group level. It will be open for applications in early January 2018.

 

Selection criteria

Professional Experience

Applicants must have a minimum of four years' experience of teaching English as a foreign or second language to secondary school pupils, college or university students or adult learners.

English Language Proficiency

Applicants should have a minimum level of proficiency in English equivalent to CEFR C1.