First Summer School for Chinese students is a success

University students from China considering studying in the UK had the chance to sample university life and learning in English in Northampton.

Finishing last week, University of Northampton’s (UON) inaugural English Language Summer School is a collaboration between Global Engagement, Educational Linguistics and partner Universities in China.

The Summer School is a two-week course which that provides Chinese undergraduates (in the first or second years of their degrees back home) a taster of what it might be like to study at a UK university, should they choose to finish their degrees here, or take a ‘top up’ programme or postgraduate qualification here.

During their time at UON, the students had intensive English language classes, as well as trips and other cultural events. They visited Oxford, Cambridge, London and saw Shakespeare’s birthplace.

The students also participated in a ‘cook off’ where they developed their culinary and teamworking skills.

The students were tasked to produce a vlog in groups to present an aspect of their visit to the UK. They were judged on three aspects: technical, emotional and use of language. Awards were given to the best vlogs and you can see the winners here.

Head of Educational Linguistics Bob Fisher sums up UON’s first English Language Summer School: “Learning a language is possibly the most difficult thing we can do. Acquiring new skills like riding a bike or learning to swim happen relatively quickly, but learning a second language can take years. Our first Summer School students should feel proud of the progress they’ve made in only a fortnight.

“Studying an academic subject in a second language is an incredible challenge. It’s a brave decision and hopefully the experience with our Summer School will make that decision easier for our Chinese guests. Hopefully, we will see some of these students again at UON, but the team and I wish them all the best for their futures wherever that takes them.”

The Summer School has been so successful, it is hoped it will reopen each summer from next year.

For more information about Educational Linguistics, email Bob.Fisher@northampton.ac.uk