Octorial Programme
The course is designed to develop knowledge, skills and confidence through intensive programmes to ensure maximum progress and results.
The combination of language skills lessons and communication skills workshops in the Octorial Programme enables students to develop their confidence, skills and fluency.
What you achieve
- Fluency and listening skills to communicate with both native speakers and international colleagues.
- Accurate English when speaking and writing by enhancing grammar and vocabulary knowledge.
- Formal and informal language for a range of situations.
- Confidence in English which will help you succeed both personally and professionally.
Course Content
- 15 hours of language skills lessons
- 15 hours of communications skills workshops
Language skills lessons
Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric
These lessons build the core skills of grammar and sentence structure and the art of constructing an argument. Inspired by the trivium of a classical Liberal Arts education, these are the foundation stones of language knowledge.
Comprehension, Vocabulary and Précis
These lessons use a wide variety of authentic materials such as literary texts, news articles, research reports and current affairs audio and video to build new vocabulary and develop listening comprehension skills and speaking skills. There is an emphasis on intonation and pronunciation. The art of editing and summarising is practised in the précis exercises.
Composition and Text Analysis
These lessons focus on developing the student’s skills and flair for written English. Students work on practice exercises in a range of styles and registers including creative writing, short stories, improvisation, essay writing, reports on researched topics, reviews, commentaries and literary criticism. Reading comprehension and understanding of the written word is developed in the text analysis sessions.
Communication skills workshops
Spoken Performance Workshop
Students are set tasks which challenge them to develop their speaking and active expression in the language. There is also a focus on non- verbal communication such as body language
Team Project
Each week, students work in small teams to produce and deliver a project at the end of the week. Students also develop problem solving, collaboration, organisation and planning skills. Digital connections with sister schools allow students to collaborate with other teams from outside the school, to create real-life examples of authentic digital connections.
Mentored Dissertation
The Mentored Dissertation is a piece of work which is personal to the learner’s study objectives and which is completed over the duration of the course. It is tailored to the level of the student and can include: a piece of research, a video project, a collection of essays, a piece of creative writing, a personal statement and CV, written texts for a personal portfolio, exam practice texts and exam essay writing under timed conditions. At the beginning of each week, the Dissertation Tutor sets individual goals with each student and works with the student during the week to support them in the achievement of these weekly targets.
Sample Timetable
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 08.45 – 9.00 | Plenary Session |
| 09.00 – 10.00 | Spoken Performance Workshops |
| 10.00 – 10.15 | Break |
| 10.15 – 11.15 | Grammar, logic and rhetoric |
| 11.15 – 11.30 | Break |
| 11.30 – 12.30 | Comprehension, vocabulary and precis |
| 12.30 – 13.00 | Team Project |
| 13.00 – 14.00 | Lunch |
| 14.00 – 15.00 | Composition and text analysis |
| 15.00 – 15.15 | Break |
| 15.15 – 16.15 | Mentored Dissertation |
| 16.15 – 16.30 | Plenary Session: consolidation |