Lake School of English Oxford

The Lake School of English in Oxford has achieved a reputation for excellence in English language teaching, academic management, as well as homestay placement and student services. The school is well known for its dynamic teachers, friendly atmosphere and successful students and is accredited by the British Council. The Lake School is a member of \"Quality English\", a group of leading, independently managed English language schools with a reputation for excellence in English language teaching and customer care. The school offers an exciting range of short courses and long-stay programmes on flexible start dates all year round. Courses available include Intensive and Semi Intensive General English, Pre-University Programmes, Teacher Refresher Courses, Summer Vacation, Family Programmes, Preparation for IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge and TOEIC exams. General English courses can be combined with Business Studies, British Culture Studies and IT at colleges in Oxford. The minimum age is 16 for General English and Exam Preparation courses, 21 for Teacher Refresher Courses and 11 for juniors on Family Programmes. All students benefit from a free University Placement Service. Since 1998, the Lake School of English has worked in partnership with British University Placements who counsel and advise students who are planning to study at a UK university after completing their English language studies. Many Lake School students have successfully entered undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at leading UK universities.

Our modern well-equipped school is situated in the heart of the historic city of Oxford, close to restaurants, theatres, bus and train stations, as well as the famous Oxford University colleges. The city is situated in the central south region of England, and is about 90 kilometres from London. It is quite a small city with a population of approximately 85,000. There are two universities in Oxford: the biggest and most famous is Oxford University. The other university is Oxford Brookes, Britain\'s \"top new university 2004\". So there are about 30,000 students, from all parts of Britain and abroad, who live in Oxford too. Oxford is a historical city and offers a lively social life: there is always plenty to see and do. Walking around the city is a good way to admire the wonderful architecture of the famous university college buildings, to visit the many museums, and to enjoy the many beautiful parks and gardens near the River Thames. In the evening you may like to go to a theatre, cinema or have a meal or a drink at one of the many restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs. For night owls, there are clubs and music venues for all tastes. There are special events and celebrations throughout the year too: Oxford University boat races, Artweek, May morning, St Giles\' fair, fireworks, music festivals and many more. Getting around is easy. Local buses are frequent and convenient. Many Oxford students cycle everywhere and it is cheap to hire a bicycle. Near Oxford London, Stratford upon Avon, Stonehenge, Bath, Brighton and the Cotswold countryside are all less than 2 hours away. You can join our weekend excursions or plan your own itinerary: there are regular bus and train services from Oxford to London and other parts of Britain.

Course content: Interactive and focused classroom activities will give you the opportunity to practise grammatical structures and new vocabulary in authentic situations. You will receive personal attention and your teachers adapt the content of the course to suit the particular needs and interests of your group. Different teachers have different styles of teaching, but the Lake School \'style of teaching\' is dynamic and communicative. In class you will often work in pairs or small groups so you have the chance to speak as much English as possible. Teachers and students take their studies seriously and work very hard, but you will also have a lot of fun in class. You will receive all the materials you need to use in class; but please bring a notebook with you. You will have homework every night and a revision test at the end of each week, which will help you monitor your own progress. Achieving your goals: You will improve your understanding of written and spoken English. You will improve your pronunication and gain confidence in speaking, listening reading and writing. You will also develop a greater awareness of grammar structure, so you can communicate more fluently and effectively in English. You will learn a lot about British culture and make friends from all over the world: our students are of all ages and nationalities.

The cost of a half board (all meals at weekend) homestay in a single study bedroom, is 112 GBP per week. Living with a homestay is the perfect way to help you practise your English outside the classroom and understand British culture. Most students ask us to find homestay accommodation for them. In our last British Council inspection the organistion of our homestays was rated as excellent. Homestays offer independence and welcoming, clean and comfortable accommodation. In addition, you will meet a friendly English family to talk to and exchange cultures with. We choose your homestay carefully, so when you register, we will ask you what kind of homestay you would like to stay with. Some homestays have accommodation with private bathroom, (£160 per week). All of our homestays: >are carefully-selected for their friendliness and are regularly revisited >are in Oxford within walking distance or a short bus ride away from the school >provide bed, breakfast and evening meals Monday to Friday, with all meals at the weekend >give you a single room >promise never to have 2 students of the same first language unless requested >are experienced in looking after students of all ages and nationalities. Before you arrive in England you receive a profile of the homestay you are going to stay with. We also give the homestay some information about you.