Northumbria host successful International English Language and Cultural summer school

The Language Department at Northumbria University, Newcastle has this summer, held a four week study course for a group of international students and staff.

The short course, which was attended by over 60 students and English teachers from Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing, focussed on culture, communication and the North East, enabling those involved in the programme to not only learn more about culture in England, but the city of Newcastle too.

Northumbria, which is one of the largest universities in the UK with more than 33,000 students from 135 countries, offers an exciting range of study programmes for international students. The University attracts a significant number of students from all around the world , creating a thriving multi-national community of staff and students.

Glynis Brydon, English Language Short Course and External Engagement Coordinator said: “This is the first time we have delivered this short course, which was tailored to meet the demands of international students perhaps thinking about coming to Northumbria to study in the future or simply wanting to experience a British University and learn more about our culture.

The student feedback was fantastic; they clearly enjoyed their 4 week stay here and learnt some valuable skills from the small team of dedicated staff. I look forward to marketing this course for 2016 and seeing it develop and grow”

Both students and staff who attended the course enjoyed the experience of learning at Northumbria.

Vivi, an Integrated English teacher said: “Northumbria University has provided us with great opportunities to study for both myself and my students to practise learning English. We all enjoyed the course very much and I would definitely come back next year with more students.”

Business and English student, Sean said: My favourite part of the course was the teachers. They were so friendly and do not put pressure on you. Instead, they have the attitude of, try your best to solve the problem first, and then they will help as much as they can. I also loved the experience of being in a classroom in the UK, getting involved in group discussions and being encouraged to express my own opinions.

Northumbria’s English Language department works with a range of cultural partners including New Writing North, Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums, and Shandy Hall, providing students with direct industry exposure and live project opportunities. Northumbria has been ranked in the UK top 20 for the quality of research outputs in Communication, Cultural and Media studies, with  70% of its research in this area rated as being either world leading or internationally excellent.

For more information on international study at Northumbria, visit: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/international/