English Language and Communication, 2018
“Brookes is truly a university where students feel valued and looked after”
I had read that Oxford Brookes was one of the best universities at preparing you for TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and their English Language and Communication course stood out to me because it offered a balance between learning the mechanisms of English as a language and the communication aspects of how languages are used in society.
The nature of studying language always allows for a humanistic element – I have learned not just about the way people talk, but the way they communicate, how they think and process language, and how they act according to social and cultural context. Being exposed to this broader view of language and communication has inspired me to apply these skills to another passion of mine – motorsport.
I currently act as the Senior PR and Communications Manager for Oxford Brookes Racing, the university’s Formula Student team. I feel that the skills and expertise that the English Language and Communication course has given me have really prepared me for this role. I also really enjoy working alongside students from other courses, especially engineering. Working in PR and communications has also given me some “real-world” hands-on experience in the industry that I hope to enter when I graduate, and I have really enjoyed travelling around England with the team, presenting to younger audiences, and networking with industry professionals. Oxford is an inspiring place to be as a student-it’s a little taste of city life surrounded by rural beauty. The city is alive with a rich history and culture; it’s easy to navigate; it’s stunning, and it’s governed by a forward thinking council. As part of my studies I went on exchange for five months and studied at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. The time away gave me a boost, and when I returned to Oxford my grades for my returning semester were higher than they’d ever been! It was such an inspiring, exciting, and unbelievable experience and I would recommend it to anyone.
I would like to take this opportunity to whole-heartedly thank Brookes for all the support, guidance, and help I have received over the last 3 years. Brookes is truly a university where students feel valued and looked after. It’s been a long, weird, and wonderful journey, but I am now living my dream because of this university, and for that I am forever grateful!
I am currently in the process of applying for a graduate internship with Oxford Brookes. I would then like to go into Marketing, PR or Communications at a race track in the UK.