Erasmus+ professional development for higher education staff
Refreshing your English
Speak English again – with confidence.
A friendly, practical English week for all university staff who want to brush up their everyday English and simply feel comfortable speaking again.
Who is this week for?
Who is this Staff Week for?
Many colleagues learned English at school, but rarely use it at work. This week is for everyone who wants to change that: lecturers and researchers as well as administrative, technical and library staff. No academic English, no grammar lectures – just lots of speaking practice in a small, supportive group. You train the situations that really matter: small talk, travelling, phone calls, short emails and welcoming international guests and students at your own institution. In the afternoons, Oxford becomes your classroom with small real-life “missions”.
- Lecturers and researchers
- Administrative staff in central services and faculties
- Examination offices and student services
- Library, IT and technical staff
- Anyone who learned English at school and wants to refresh it
- Colleagues at level A2 to B1 who want to speak more confidently
Why join?
Small talk
Start, keep up and end everyday conversations – and know what to say when you don’t understand.
Everyday situations
Café, hotel, directions, tickets and solving small problems politely.
English at work
Phone and video calls, short emails and welcoming international guests and students.
Five days · approx. 20 teaching hours
The programme
Each course week comprises approx. 20 teaching hours (Monday to Friday), including the professional programme on the London Day.
We do not require a formal certificate such as TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge; your own assessment of your level is sufficient.
Day 1 · Monday
Getting started
- Arrival & welcome
- Friendly level check & your personal goals
- Small talk that works, numbers and spelling
- Your Oxford mission cards
Day 2 · Tuesday
Everyday situations
- Café, restaurant and shopping
- Asking for and giving directions, buses and trains
- At the hotel and solving problems politely
Day 3 · Wednesday · London Day
London Day
- A shared day trip for the group with small language tasks
- Return travel between Oxford and London included
Day 4 · Thursday
English at work
- Phone and video calls
- Short emails and chat messages
- Welcoming international guests and students
Day 5 · Friday
Oxford Everyday English Trail
- Real-life language tasks in the city centre
- “My week in Oxford” – a short talk in a relaxed setting
- Individual feedback & certificate presentation
What you take home
By the end of the week, participants will have…
- More confidence to speak English – without fear of mistakes
- Useful phrases for small talk, travel and everyday work situations
- Practical experience from real conversations in Oxford and London
- Individual feedback and tips for continuing to learn at home
- An international network of colleagues from other universities
Dates 2027
4 weeks to choose from
| Week | Programme days (Mon–Fri) | London day |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 3–7 May 2027 | Wednesday, 5 May |
| Week 2 | 5–9 July 2027 | Wednesday, 7 July |
| Week 3 | 18–22 October 2027 | Wednesday, 20 October |
| Week 4 | 22–26 November 2027 | Wednesday, 24 November |
Programme fee per participant
Not included: accommodation in Oxford, travel to and from Oxford (e.g. flights, airport transfers), other meals.
Registration & Erasmus+ funding
Designed for Erasmus+ Staff Mobility
All programmes are designed to fit Erasmus+ staff mobility for training. Please check eligibility and funding with your institution's International Office.
Approx. 20 teaching hours
Every course week comprises approx. 20 teaching hours from Monday to Friday.
English level
Level B2 (CEFR) for most programmes; “Confident Presenting in Higher Education” starts at level B1+ and “Refreshing your English” is designed for levels A2 to B1. No certificate such as TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge is needed; your own assessment is sufficient.
Invitation letter
For your funding application, we are happy to send you an official confirmation or invitation letter well in advance, on request.
Non-binding registration
Register online at any time. A registration is not a booking and creates no costs.
Pay only after confirmation
You receive an invoice only once we have confirmed that your course week takes place.
Our venue
Where we teach
The Staff Mobility Institute Oxford has no campus of its own, and that is deliberate. We teach in hired seminar rooms in the historic heart of Oxford, in or close to the colleges of the University. For every course week we choose the room to suit the size of the group and the content of the course, and we pick places that let you feel what makes Oxford special: centuries of scholarship, college quads and the atmosphere of a living university city.
A course week might, for example, take place on St Giles, the broad avenue beside St John’s College, a few steps from the Eagle and Child, the pub where J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis met with their literary circle, the Inklings, and where Tolkien read early chapters of The Lord of the Rings to his friends.
Central location
Our venues are within walking distance of Gloucester Green bus station, the railway station and the hotels we recommend.
Chosen for your course
The room fits the group size and the way the course works: group tables, a projector and a flipchart, so that you work together rather than just listen.
Beyond the classroom
Part of every programme takes place outside: a walking seminar through Oxford and a full day in London.
The exact venue depends on the course week, the group and room availability, so we cannot promise a particular building in advance. We confirm the address and directions with your joining information before you travel.
Getting there
How to get to Oxford
The most convenient way to arrive from abroad is via London Heathrow or London Gatwick airport, then directly into central Oxford on the Oxford Bus Company coach (“The Airline”).
✈ London Heathrow → Oxford
Coaches run directly from all Heathrow terminals and stop centrally at Gloucester Green bus station in Oxford, from where most accommodation is within walking distance.
✈ London Gatwick → Oxford
Also operated by Oxford Bus Company’s “The Airline”, also arriving at Gloucester Green bus station in the heart of Oxford.
Most visitors who do not need a visa, including citizens of EU and EEA countries and Switzerland, need an ETA to enter the UK. You apply online or in the official “UK ETA” app; it currently costs £20 and is valid for two years for any number of trips (or until your passport expires). A decision usually arrives within three working days, so please apply in good time. Irish citizens do not need an ETA. If you need a visa instead, we are happy to provide an invitation letter. Please check the current rules at gov.uk/eta before you travel.
Practical tips
Accommodation in Oxford
Recommendations for every budget
Accommodation is not included in the programme fee. Here are a few reliable recommendations across different price ranges, all well connected to the venue in central Oxford.
Royal Oxford Hotel
Central, right by the station — short walk to the venue and Gloucester Green.
Holiday Inn Oxford
Reliable standard, a little outside the centre, well connected.
Courtyard by Marriott Oxford City Centre
Right on the Thames, walking distance to the city centre.
Malmaison Oxford
Housed in a former prison — an unusual atmosphere, central location.
The Randolph Hotel (Graduate by Hilton)
Oxford’s most storied grand hotel, right in the historic centre.
Old Bank Hotel
Boutique hotel overlooking the Radcliffe Camera.
Please check prices and availability directly with the hotels or via standard booking platforms, as these vary by season and demand.
Registration
Register – without obligation
Your registration is not a booking. It reserves a place for you and creates no costs. We confirm a course week as soon as enough participants have registered.
- RegisterSend us your non-binding registration with the form below.
- Confirmation of the course weekOnce the minimum number of participants is reached – at the latest 8 weeks before the start – we confirm that the week takes place.
- Invoice & bookingOnly then do you receive your invoice and your place becomes binding. If a week does not take place, you pay nothing and we offer you an alternative date.
Please note: book flights and accommodation only after we have confirmed your course week.
Thank you – we have received your registration
We will reply by email within a few working days. Once the minimum number of participants is reached, we confirm the course week and send you the invoice. Until then your registration is non-binding and free of charge.
Almost done – please send the email
Your email program should have opened with your registration. Please send that email. If nothing opened, copy the text below and send it to info@staffmobilityinstituteoxford.co.uk.
Contact
Questions?
Write to us – for example about funding, delegations or a tailored week for your institution.
info@staffmobilityinstituteoxford.co.ukOn request, we are happy to send you a confirmation letter for your Erasmus+ funding application.