Teaching in higher education through the medium of English

Date: 23 September, 2013 - 27 September, 2013
Location: University of Southampton
Event type: Five day course

Location map

This is a five-day course designed for academics in universities across the world whose first language is not English and who are delivering degree programmes and presenting research through the medium of English. 

Key areas to be covered during the course are :

  • Using English in the lecture theatre and the seminar room
  • Supporting the language needs of your international students
  • Giving papers and presentations at conferences
  • Raising your profile through English
  • Building your confidence to deliver through English

The course will consist of a dynamic mix of presentations, discussion, group work and individual support.  It will include an initial analysis of participants' needs so that course activities can be tailored, as far as possible, to individual requirements. 

In this spirit of personalisation and in order to maximise the benefits of the course in Southampton, there will be pre-course activities beginning shortly prior to the start of the course. These will consist of:

  • A detailed needs analysis, which will be sent to all members of the group in order to establish a skills profile for each participant and thus determine their precise language level and needs; these need to be received before the start of the course
  • A pre-course writing task which participants will be asked to email to the course leader in Southampton for evaluation and feedback and as a basis for classroom activity
  • Preparation of a short (5 minute) presentation to be given in the first week of the course in Southampton
  • Gathering of sample classroom materials; participants will be asked to bring with them examples of published or self-created materials for comment and adaptation during the course
     

Various strands will run through the course and will include: 

  • Classroom management skills, with emphasis on the meta-language of the classroom and checking comprehension
  • Presentation skills, with emphasis on sign-posting language and delivering with confidence
  • Discussion skills, with emphasis on effective communication and exchange of opinion
  • Pronunciation, developing the voice and managing delivery
  • Lectures and discussions on current issues in the teaching and learning of the different language skills
  • Workshops in the different language skills, for the development of the participants’ own abilities in these areas, and also for exposure to a wide range of techniques and approaches for teaching these skills
  • The use of technology to enhance teaching and learning
  • Lectures on cultural and linguistic themes

In addition, there will be:

  • Opportunities at the end of each day for private study and 1:1 tutorials
  • Computer access provided for each participant
  • A VLE (Blackboard) to support the course in order to enable independent learning

Minimum entry requirements: good intermediate level of English (eg CEFR B2 or equivalent)

English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) at the University of Southampton 

The University of Southampton has been creating and delivering bespoke courses for academics in English as a medium of instruction since 2007 and have taught a range of groups from all over the world.  

Here is a selection of the excellent feedback that these courses have received :

"I am happy because I've learnt a lot"

“Very good course! Very good atmosphere!”

"The staff members are very nice, very friendly and committed.  it has been an enjoyable experience"

"Very comfortable atmosphere with very friendly teachers"

Research and teaching in English language is a very strong part of Modern Languages at Southampton and we have well-established postgraduate and undergraduate language programmes. Our English-language research activity is diverse and we host both the Centre for Applied Language Research (http://www.southampton.ac.uk/calr/) and the Centre for Global Englishes (http://www.southampton.ac.uk/cge/).

The University of Southampton is one of the top 15 research universities in the UK and one of the top 100 universities in the world, with a global reputation for excellent research, teaching and learning.  Located on the south coast of England, Southampton is just over one hour from central London and has excellent connections to the rest of the UK and Europe by road, rail and air.

Teaching staff

The course will be delivered by experienced members of the University's English Language Team working in the field of English as a medium of instruction. The expertise of the team is wide-ranging across the fields of English language teaching and Applied linguistics. The team delivering the EMI course is composed of highly skilled academics with wide and varied experience of teaching English and teacher training, and is led by Mary Page who developed the EMI course and has delivered it for several years. 

Mary Page joined the University of Southampton in 2002 after a long career teaching English as a Foreign Language, specialising in Teacher Training, English for Academic Purposes and English for Specific Purposes. She was a Cambridge Suite examiner for many years, and also Administrator of the University IELTS Test Centre. She directs, designs and delivers bespoke courses for international academics in English Medium Instruction (EMI). In addition, she teaches advanced students of English Language (Stages 6 and 7), “Teaching English as a Foreign Language” (2nd year undergraduate module), and “Language Teaching Theory and Practice” (3rd year undergraduate module). Her other responsibilities include the Continuing Professional Development programme in English Language (CPDe). She is a founder member of the Centre for Global Englishes (CGE) and her research interests lie within the field of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and English Medium Instruction (EMI) in Higher Education.

 View Mary's University profile

Accommodation

You may wish to book overnight accommodation at one of the following hotels. When booking your room, quote the references below to benefit from a preferential rate.

Please note that this is a very busy time in Southampton due to the Boat Show. We advise that you book your accommodation well in advance. 

Travelling to the venue, maps and other information

The course will be held at the University of Southampton, Avenue Campus. Please click on the links for maps below and other helpful information for you to enjoy your stay at the University of Southampton and surrounding area.

Safety advice whilst travelling around Southampton

Sightseeing in Southampton and the area

Funding

Costs of participation in this training event may be supported with Comenius In-Service Training for Teachers and other Educational Staff grants, with Grundtvig In-Service Training for Adult Education Staff grants (for training courses) and Grundtvig Visits & Exchanges for Adult Education Staff grants (for seminars and conferences), for which interested people should apply to their respective National Agencies. Please refer to the website of your National Agency for further information.

To register your interest for this course, please email llas@soton.ac.uk.

Fees

Course fee: £795

This fee includes pre/post-course activities, a minimum of 25 hours class time, the opportunity at the end of each day for private study and 1:1 tutorials and wi-fi access for each participant.

Cancellation charges will apply:

  • 90% refund of registration fee where cancellation is received in writing two weeks or more before the commencement of the course.
  • 50% refund of registration fee where cancellation received in writing by Thursday 19 September 2013
  • No refund will be given if cancellation is given from Friday 20 September 2013 onwards 

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