The 21st century has seen rapid changes in the way we live, work and connect with others. More than ever, students need to be equipped with the tools to navigate our evolving and, at times, unpredictable world with confidence. That’s why our courses go beyond the syllabus, addressing the fundamentals like grammar and vocabulary, while building a whole body of skills that will set young people up for success.
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Here are five of the real-world skills our Secondary courses aim to nurture.
Leadership
What are leadership skills? Authority? Taking command of a group? The ability to make quick decisions? How about clear communication, collaboration, problem solving and positive influencing? Through a mixture of teamwork and independent tasks, our experienced teachers encourage all students to find their voice, be themselves and build on their natural ability to lead.
Resilience
To succeed in anything difficult, we all need resilience. From school exams to starting university and applying for jobs, being able to withstand challenges and setbacks is essential. We support our students to embrace the struggle of learning, encouraging them to take pride in and responsibility for their own journey. Becoming an independent learner is what will sustain long-term academic performance and all-round success.
Critical thinking
One of the core skills that will set students apart in any competitive environment is critical thinking. Transference of knowledge is not enough to unlock a young person’s full potential – we want to see young learners approach their studies with intellectual curiosity, inquisitiveness, originality and analysis. Through techniques such as deep reading, we push students to question texts and express themselves with compelling, evidence-based arguments.
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Creativity
Creativity has often been overlooked as a vital skill for academic and workplace success, but universities and employers are increasingly seeking this quality in the most exceptional candidates. Thinking creatively means engaging the whole brain, looking for smart solutions that others may not identify, and approaching challenges with an innovative mindset. Our focus on creativity also helps students to engage more closely with their work, and have fun along the way.
Global mindset
Our Secondary courses place a strong emphasis on helping students build a global mindset. Learning English to a high level will put young learners on the path to a brilliant future. By also fostering intercultural confidence and awareness, as well as an expanded understanding of our world, we hope to see our students grow into assertive, independent global citizens with uncapped aspirations.
Learn more on English courses for Secondary
About our Secondary courses
The British Council aims to support teens to thrive academically and outside the classroom. Our highly qualified and passionate teachers approach this by focusing on 21st century life skills, in tandem with key exam techniques. Stimulating up-to-date topics are linked to timely world issues, incentivising students to grow their knowledge by seeing the immediate relevance of what they are learning.
Find out more about our English enrichment class for Secondary on our course page. Elsewhere on our blog, learn about choosing the right Secondary school English tuition for the real world.