Blogging at Lewis School

Students at the Lewis School of English in Southampton have the chance to blog about their experiences of learning English, living in the UK and discovering British culture. The student writes on a topic of their choice and the school publishes the finished article on its website.

For the student, this is an excellent opportunity to enhance their writing skills (they can also use video if preferred). They’re offered advice at the planning stage and, on submitting the first draft, get detailed feedback from a teacher on accuracy and style. For example, the teacher may offer suggestions on how to achieve a more informal and relatable tone. Student and teacher then collaborate to produce the final article. Having their work published can be very rewarding for students, with the process also enriching their grammar and vocabulary. Another benefit is that it helps prospective students to understand the kind of experience they will have at the school.

In the most recent entry, Emily from Germany writes about the Cultural Week programme she attended with her group – about seeing the King(!), her love of tea and her wonderful homestay experience.

“I really don’t know why but as soon as I came here it all felt like home,” she writes. “Maybe it was because of the fresh air but I think my lovely host family plays the biggest role... Janet and Paul, if you ever read this, I want to thank you for letting me live in your house, cooking food for me, providing for me, showing your culture to me and so much more!”

Earlier articles have covered such diverse topics as a mayor-making ceremony, trips to London and Oxford, and even students’ poetry! A common theme, however is the warmth and charm of the school itself.

Olivia from Taiwan writes, “It’s not only the lessons that are important. The environment is far beyond my imagination.”

In his ‘Diary of a funny Italian at Lewis School’, Giovanni writes, “Nobody can know how many wonderful people work and study in that school, if they have never attended it.”