2018 England Summer Study Tour

On 19 July 2018, a group of 21 students and teachers departed for England for a 17-day study tour.  The primary objective was to help students improve their English and sharpen their communication skills in an English authentic speaking environment.  In addition, the tour provided an excellent opportunity to experience British culture.

We were given a warm reception on arrival.  The Cambridge-based program offered language classes during the morning on weekdays, followed by social and recreational activities.  Educational visits enriched students’ learning beyond the campus: an art gallery, Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Aerospace Bristol, places of historical significance (Bury St. Edmund Abbey, Roman Baths, Shakespeare’s birthplace), and prestigious universities (Oxford, Cambridge).

With the latest royal wedding fresh in our minds, the excursion to Windsor Castle captured the hearts of many students.  Our contingent indulged in a boat trip along picturesque River Thames, before trying the traditional fish-n-chips.  How readily we were mesmerized by punting at idyllic Cambridge?  We found ourselves in a reflective mood at King’s College Chapel, from where Christmas Carols have been broadcast around the world.

From our students’ feedback, the tour was a thoroughly enjoyable one.  We were particularly impressed by their efforts to break the language barrier.  Buoyed by their linguistic advancement, they were able to thrive on British soil.  They evinced high levels of commitment, whilst making friends of different nationalities.  They were brimming with confidence!

Our tour also included a visit to Blenheim Palace, a World Heritage Site and birthplace of Winston Churchill.  We were in awe of this architectural masterpiece and its priceless art collections.  For our students, however, it was the former Prime Minister’s saying of “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts” that they treasured most.  They made us proud.