The long summer holiday is almost here and we’ve got some top tips on how you can keep up your English over the summer months. Whether you’re thinking of attending a course to meet like-minded English language learners at our centre in the heart of the city or looking for ways to practise your English on the beach or while travelling, we’ve got lots of great ideas for you here!

Face-To-Face Opportunities

While many other language schools close for the month of August, at Oxford House we know how important it is to keep in touch with the language all year round. That’s why we are running a number of courses throughout July, August and September.

Intensive Summer Courses

Our English Summer Intensive Course runs Monday to Thursday with three hours of lessons each day and you can sign up for a minimum of two weeks or as long as you like. Or, if you feel three hours a day isn’t enough, join one of our English Super Intensive Summer courses for five hours of English a day, five days a week.

All our summer courses are available for levels from A2 (elementary) to C2 (proficiency), with a maximum of eight students in the class. The classes have a focus on communication and if you work hard, you could jump from one level to the next in a month. With classes in the morning, afternoon or evening, there’s no excuse not to!

And there’s something for all the family with our kids and teens summer programmes too – check out our website for more information.

Exam Preparation Courses

If a General English course isn’t enough of a challenge for you, sign up for one of our exam preparation courses and set yourself the goal of getting your official qualification this year. We’re running courses for Cambridge and IELTS preparation throughout the summer for students at B2 level and above. Both courses are designed to teach you the skills you need to do well in the exam.

With a maximum of eight students per group, you’ll have plenty of chance to practise during the lesson, plus you’ll take a free mock exam to get a feel for the real thing and evaluate how ready you are to take the official exam.

English With Teachers In Training

Perhaps an intensive course feels too much like hard work for the summer, and you’d like to practise your English in a more relaxed environment? As a teacher training centre, Oxford House train teachers all year round and those teachers need to practise their skills in the classroom. These inexpensive Economic English courses are available from A2 (elementary) to B2 (upper-intermediate) and although there is a focus on communication in the classroom, you’ll also practise reading, writing and listening as well as improving your knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and phonology.

Places on these low-priced courses are limited, so get in quick if you’d like to join one.

English Outside The Classroom

OH Connect

Don’t forget you can use OH Connect to keep in touch with your classmates over the summer or make new friends as we have more than 6,000 members! There’s lots to keep you busy in the English resources section, from links to British and American newspapers to sites where you can do online exercises.

YouTube

There’s something for everyone on YouTube and you’re sure to find something you enjoy watching from the incredible number of videos available. If you fancy to taking up a new hobby this summer, you can find videos on cake decorating, upcycling or beginner guitar lessons. To get the most out of the site, check out this article with our top tips for using YouTube to improve your English.

Learn English With An App

Back at the start of the year, we posted an article which included three of our favourite apps to help you improve your English: Duolinguo, Busuu and Beelinguapp. With these apps, you can practise your English anywhere: on the beach, on the terrace of your local bar or even on the plane when you’re jetting off on holiday. Downloading an app is a great way to practise your English each day and with most you can set yourself a reminder to log in.

A Good Book For The Beach

Summer is a great time to enjoy a good book, especially if you are heading to the beach! If you think reading a novel in English might be a bit of a challenge, there are plenty of other options such as graded readers or comics. Check out this article for our advice on getting the most out of reading in English, with links to dictionary tools and some great, free reading material.

Don’t forget you can also borrow a magazine or graded reader from the school library. Just ask at reception to find out more.

We hope to see you on one of our summer courses if you’re staying in the city and if you’re going away, have a safe trip!

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Keep up (pv): maintain.

Like-minded (adj): with similar interests.

Keep in touch (vp): continue having contact.

Sign up (pv): enrol, join a course.

Challenge (n): something which is difficult to do.

Mock exam (n): a practice exam.

Get a feel for (vp): experience what something is like.

Take up (pv): start.

Upcycling (n): making new objects from old furniture and other materials.

Jet off (pv): travel by plane, often to an exotic location.

Go away (pv): go to another place for a holiday.

Key

pv = phrasal verb

adj = adjective

vp = verb phrase

n = noun

v = verb

Study English at Oxford House Barcelona

Interested in taking an English course at Oxford House Barcelona? Check all the different English classes we can offer you this summer or contact us for more information.