ESL (English as a Second Language)

Oxford has shaped the English language for centuries. It is home to the Oxford English Dictionary and the Bodleian Library, and has been a meeting place for writers, poets, scholars, and political thinkers, from Percy Shelley to generations of future statesmen and public speakers. Students in this seminar track take ESL as both their major and their minor, strengthening their English language skills through 3–5 hours of instruction each day, six days a week, building confidence in speaking, listening, reading, and writing at a level appropriate to their experience. They explore how English is used to tell stories, make arguments, express ideas, and persuade an audience, with Oxford’s literary and debating traditions providing a living context for their studies. Outside the classroom, students put their skills into practice through afternoon and evening activities with other seminar groups in the Oxford Academia community, alongside native English speakers from the United States, Europe, and around the world. Through conversation, debate, and daily life in Oxford, students gain the confidence to use English in academic, social, and professional settings.