Hi everyone! Today is Wednesday, May 15th, and our time in Birmingham has finally come to an end. It feels like just yesterday I hopped off the plane, sleep deprived and sweating, and now we are already going to London! However, before we made our way to London we made a stop at South & City College Birmingham, and it was very cool to be able to compare this to the Chamberlin school and schools we have back in the United States!
Our first stop after checking out of the hotel was the South and City College Birmingham. This was a college that mainly focuses on teaching English to students so that they can make it to university or go into the work force. In fact, this school had a really cool vocational program!
The first class we sat in was an English and plumbing class. This was for students doing the vocational program, but it also had a strong focus on the language, since you can’t do anything without getting the language down first. I really like this approach, as I’m sure it’s easier for the students to learn when they can make it more focused to what they are interested in, which in this case was plumbing. Another thing I noticed with this class and all the others was the age range of the students. There were a few students that seemed in their early 20s, but the majority were people that seemed to be in their 30s, 40s, and up. I thought this was fascinating, and I really respect the dedication these people have to pursue an education.
The second class we observed was an IT and English learning classes. This is similar to the first class where it blended the 2 subjects, which I really liked. I also thought it was very interesting that this class consisted of students from 3 different levels of English learning. However, the teacher separates the work for each student, so I think it would still be efficient. Speaking of the level systems I think it’s super cool how it works. The leveling system runs from pre-entry, entry, level 1, level 2, and level 3. After they’ve finished level 3, they are then ready to move on to GCSE’s and go to non English learning focused schools. I really like this approach, and I want to see what the US does for this. I know we don’t have the same amount of diversity, but all students should be able to get help learning the language they’re being taught in.
After that, we went to the final class before lunch, which was a full out English learning class. The other classes can make the learning more enjoyable, but I know a pure language class is necessary too. They were learning about a famous poet from Birmingham, and they were very excited to share what they learned about him!
After lunch, we got a tour of the other side of the campus where all the vocational classes are held. We went through so many vocational learning centers such as plumbing, automotive, brick laying, and more! I was surprised to see just how big each building was, and the amount of equipment they had was massive! Some of the people mentioned that this college was the only place in the country to offer them, so I can tell this college is definitely one of the country’s best! At least in the US, professions such as plumbers and electricians can make a lot of money, so this route of study seems super nice! I also like the hands-on approach to it all. Another thing the guy said they do was contact specific companies who have job vacancies and inquire about what they want their employees to be able to do. They can then teach and learn at the college, and afterwards the school can guarantee these students to get interviews with these companies! This is super cool because graduating is one thing, but finding jobs nowadays is a whole separate struggle. I really want to see this more in academia rather than just vocations. Lastly, we headed on the big coach bus to London! It’s so sad that this trip went so fast, but we still have fun things planned for London; specifically the alumni dinner