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“I had a really fantastic time at Oxford School of English - those were the
happiest days of my life! I had lots of experiences and met many lovely people.
I’m sure that nobody will be disappointed with OSE!”
Taehyo Kim, South Korea
More than
25,000 students,
over 15 years!
Since January 2000, more than 25,000 students have
followed courses in Oxford School of English.
Many of these have joined our junior schools, but
every year around 1,250 students (between 10 and
60 new students per week) enrol in our adult school,
featured on these pages.
Why? Because we are a small school, because we
are so friendly and welcoming, because of our
wonderful team of teachers, because of our city
centre location, because of so many things (see
pages 5 and 6) – but mostly because we always do
our best to make sure you enjoy your time here
and get the most from your opportunity!
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Who studies in
Oxford School of English?
What do they study?
“Lessons in OSE don’t
only improve your English
- there is an amazing mix
of nationalities - you learn
the customs of different
countries and make friends
with people from all over
the world!”
Simon Farsky, Germany
Student intake in a typical year
Students from around 60
different countries study in
our school annually – some on
courses for a year or more, some
on courses of a few months,
some for only a few weeks, and
some even for just a few days.
Our students are:
• Mostly 19 – 24, but can be
16 – 60 (or more!)
• Undergraduates at university in their
home country
• Recent graduates
• Improving their English for work
• Au pairs
• And many more!
In our school you will meet students your
age from all over the world, some (perhaps
many) studying for the same reasons as
you, and some for another purpose.
Different cultures, different lifestyles,
different backgrounds – all working
together in the same school and in the
same classes, aiming for the same thing. It’s
a wonderful atmosphere!
Our courses include:
• General and Intensive English
• Cambridge examinations
(PET, FCE, CAE & CPE)
• IELTS
• TOEFL
• Business English
• One-to-one tutorials
• English for Professionals
• Bespoke English courses
Detailed information about our courses
can be found on page 14 of this brochure.
“I can’t believe I got such a high
score in my IELTS exam! Thank
you so much to my teachers!”
Eunah Choi, South Korea
“I love my teachers so much!
They are very professional and
make learning English fun -
so we learn a lot, very quickly!”
Maria Merino, Mexico
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“Oxford is the most beautiful city I have ever seen! I could never have
imagined it was so lovely. I miss the city and our school soooo much!”
Tomomi Hachiya, Japan
Oxford is…
...the home of Oxford university
Our famous university is the oldest
in the world (they say!), and many
of its 38 amazing colleges are open
for you to visit.
...a beautiful city
With 500-year-old buildings, historic
streets, large green parks and
sparkling rivers, Oxford is one of the
most beautiful cities in the world.
…modern and exciting
Oxford is also modern and exciting, with 5
cinemas, 6 theatres, 5 museums, 100’s of shops,
bars, pubs, nightclubs, cafes and restaurants –
perfect for the thousands of students who
live here!
...clean, safe and easy
Oxford is not a big city and is safe*, clean and
easy to find your way around.
…close to London
Buses leave Oxford for London every 12 minutes
every day (less often at night) – they are cheap
and they run 24 hours a day!
…and close to Heathrow Airport
Oxford is only 45 minutes by car from Heathrow
Airport, so after your flight it’s a short journey
to your accommodation in Oxford.
*Oxford was the 18th safest university out of 126 in the UK, in
the Complete University Guide annual crime survey 2013-14.
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“I’m profoundly impressed by the teachers! They are
truly positive people, always ready to help, and you can
improve your skills in a very short time!”
Bolor Amgalan, Mongolia
Why Oxford School of English?
“I miss the UK.
I miss the lovely architecture.
I miss the pubs.
I miss the bus (which
doesn’t come on time!).
I miss Oxford School of English.
I miss my teachers.
I miss everything!”
Yuki Shirakawa, Japan
First-rate academic quality
Our monthly tutorial system, our bi-weekly progress
tests and our strong academic focus help us to achieve
top academic quality and exam results.
Wonderful teachers
Our fantastic team of teachers is experienced, friendly,
helpful and very professional. Most have worked in our
school for six years or more, and some for more than
10 years.
A family atmosphere
The school’s one-floor design means all students,
teachers and school staff mix together at all times.
We all know each other, and it really is just like a
big family.
Friends from all over the world
Every year we have students from around 60 different
countries, and most classes have students from 8 to 12
countries – it’s a great mix of cultures and style!
City-centre (but quiet!) location
In the very centre of our city, on the top floor of the
main shopping mall, our school is surrounded by shops
and sandwich bars – and has fantastic views of Oxford
from the classroom windows!
Easy to get to
The city centre bus stops are all very close, and
the bus station (with coaches to London) is
4 minutes’ walk.
Great facilities
Students have free use of our computer suite and selfstudy
centre, small library, and student social room
(with piano, newspapers and chessboards).
“It’s great that there is
a piano in the student
room - I can play
any time!”
Frederic Stamm,
Switzerland
Oxford’s TOEFL testing centre
Our school is the TOEFL iBT testing centre for Oxford,
so TOEFL students take the exam in our computer suite.
The IELTS testing centre is 100m from the school.
Small class sizes
Classes have an average of 8-12 students
(the maximum is 15).
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Your free time...
Don’t do this!
Day trips
Every Saturday and Sunday we have day trips by
coach to London, Brighton, Bath and Stonehenge,
Cambridge, Warwick, Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight,
Windsor and more. Choose from many of these
destinations every weekend!
Weekend excursions
Every Friday night coaches leave Oxford for a weekend
in Paris, or Amsterdam, Ireland, Germany, Belgium,
sometimes even Switzerland. We also have 2-day trips
to Liverpool and Manchester.
Theatre visits and football matches
There are often trips to London theatres, to see plays
and musicals like Les Miserables or The Phantom of
the Opera, and trips to watch football teams like
Manchester United and Chelsea.
Pub Night
Every Thursday night we meet in an Oxford pub.
50 – 60 of our students and teachers are usually
there (although our record is 130) – it’s a wonderful
opportunity to practise your English, to chat to your
friends and to make new ones, and it’s great fun!
Active
Oxford has so many active things to do – ice skating,
bowling, punting on the river, football (we play
football most Fridays), swimming, and so many sports
clubs, for everything from archery to athletics.
Shopping
Oxford has great shopping – department stores,
shops for clothes, books, sports, gifts – and the huge
world-famous Bicester Village designer outlet is only
20 minutes by bus!
Sightseeing
With 38 university colleges, the famous Radcliffe
Camera, the Bodleian Library, the Ashmolean
Museum, the Botanic Gardens, the Pitt Rivers
Museum, the Natural History Museum, Christ Church
cathedral, Hertford Bridge and many many more –
Oxford is an amazing city to explore
and photograph.
London trips
There are buses to and from London every 12
minutes, so it’s easy (and cheap!) to visit the UK’s
capital whenever you want. These buses run at night
too, every 30 minutes.
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“The accommodation was amazing - the best
atmosphere in a family I’ve ever experienced.”
Evgeny Gubarev, Russia
Where can you stay?
Homestay
Most of our students choose our homestay option.
Living with Oxford residents is a great way to learn
more about the UK and British culture, and helps you
to practise your English in a typical British home.
In a homestay your breakfast and evening meal are
provided (lunch at weekends, too); your laundry is
done for you (although you can usually do it yourself,
if you prefer); and you have a warm, safe home to
come back to after an exhausting day in school!
We have around 300 homestay families, and we
will always try to place students in the family that is
best for them. And if you have any problems or any
questions, we will act immediately to help.
Student residence
We have rooms available from September to June
in Wavy Gate, a new and truly fantastic selfcatering
residence in a popular student area, close
to the city centre.
The residence has:
• huge single rooms with very large beds
• en-suite bathrooms
• large shared kitchen
(shared by 6 students)
• a studio room with kitchenette
• super-fast Wi-Fi
• elevator
• laundry room
• bicycle store
• 24-hour security
Wavy Gate is 40m from shops and restaurants, and
only 5 minutes by bus to the city centre.
In July and August we have rooms in a different
student residence, belonging to Oxford Brookes
University.
Local guest houses and hotels
We can also arrange accommodation in hotels and
guest houses (we have worked with several Oxford
guest houses for many years, and know them well).
Please ask us for details if interested.
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Academic courses
The minimum age for students is 16
(our junior summer schools accept
students aged 12 – 18). Students
can usually start their course on
any Monday, and can finish on any
Friday. Specific start and finish
dates apply for the Cambridge
exam courses.
General English 15 and 20
Our General English courses focus on the four main
language skills – reading, writing, listening and
speaking – with additional work on vocabulary,
grammar and pronunciation. The courses aim to
improve the student’s level of English in
all areas.
We use up-to-date textbooks and teaching methods,
as part of a syllabus that is regularly reviewed to
keep our lessons as fresh and modern as possible.
There are progress tests for all students every two
weeks, enabling our teachers to see which parts of
the students’ English need extra help; and monthly
tutorials for all long-stay students.
The General English 15 courses are in the morning
or in the afternoon (students choose: the afternoon
course is the same as the morning course, often with
the same textbooks and teachers, but is cheaper).
Our General English 20 is a morning course.
Intensive English 30
This course is designed for students who need to make
rapid progress in English, over a short period of time.
Like the General English courses, the Intensive English
course concentrates on the four main language
skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking)
with additional work on vocabulary, grammar and
pronunciation, and on conversation.
Students take lessons in both the morning and the
afternoon. Intensive English 30 is ideal for students
who can study in Oxford for only a few weeks.
Cambridge examinations
(PET, FCE, CAE & CPE)
This course prepares students for the Cambridge
exams at four levels: PET (equivalent to intermediate:
B1), FCE (upper intermediate: B2), CAE (advanced: C1)
and CPE (proficiency: C2).
The Cambridge exams are an internationally
recognised qualification, and are a very useful
indication of your ability in English for your employer.
If you pass the CPE, you have the highest English
language accreditation available, proof that you have
mastered the English language.
Courses for all these Cambridge exams are usually held
in the mornings (a choice of 15 or 20 hours per week),
and often in the afternoons too. The exams are held
three times per year (March, June and December),
although new dates for some exams have recently
been added. Please check with us first, for details of
exam and course dates, and exam fees.
IELTS
Our IELTS courses are popular and run throughout the
year, always in the mornings and sometimes also in the
afternoons. They focus on the IELTS exam, familiarise
students with the different papers, and include work
on academic reading, listening, writing and speaking.
Practice tests are taken frequently. We also help
students to book the exam. The testing centre is 100m
from our school.
TOEFL
Oxford School of English is the TOEFL testing centre for
Oxford, so our students take the exams in the computer
suites and classroom areas they know already.
Our TOEFL courses are designed for small numbers of
students and are a combination of the General English
15 course plus 5 hours per week with a TOEFL tutor
(often 1:1) and 10 hours per week TOEFL-specific project
work, set and marked by the TOEFL tutor.
Business English
Our Business English courses are also designed
for small numbers of students and, like the TOEFL
courses, are a combination of a General English
course, 5 hours per week with a Business English
tutor and 10 hours per week project work.
One-to-one
One-to-one lessons can usually be arranged to suit
the needs of the student (but of course depend
upon the availability of classrooms and of teaching
staff). These can be an excellent way of boosting a
student’s understanding in short, intensive bursts,
but can also be structured to give wider support
over a longer period to students with specialist
requirements.
Professional English
Medicine, nursing, law, engineering, the travel
industry and more – over the years we have
supplied English language courses for people from
all walks of life. Here in Oxford we can draw on a
huge supply of top-class teachers with skills in every
area, and we can match the English needs of almost
any student, whatever their profession!
Bespoke courses
Diplomats, government officials, teachers, retirees,
news presenters, musicians – all have followed
bespoke courses in our school. In Oxford, we can
provide almost any course our students want – all
you need to do is ask!
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4F Clarendon House
Shoe Lane, Oxford OX1 2DP, UK
+44 (0) 1865 20 20 61
info@oxfordschoolofenglish.com
www.oxfordschoolofenglish.com