Search results
-
BGU awarded British Council Funding to strengthen China Partnership
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) is delighted to announce that, following a highly competitive application process, it has been awarded £30,000 through the British Council’s ‘Generation UK’ initiative. This initiative aims to help 80,000 students from the UK boost their employability, enhance their long-term job prospects, and develop a global mind-set through study and work experience opportunities in China. BGU’s project will provide opportunities for students and staff to engage in partnership visits to Hengyang Normal University (HYNU). Delegations from BGU first travelled out to HYNU in July 2017 and in September 2017 colleagues from HYNU visited BGU to collaborate and formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding. Securing this funding represents an important next step forwards in the development of the partnership. BGU’s project is led by Dr Steven Puttick, Head of Programmes: Secondary, FE & Research Education, who spoke of his excitement on the potential of the project: “I am delighted that BGU have been awarded these funds which represent a significant investment that recognises the growing international reputation of the institution. We are really looking forward to developing our collaboration with colleagues at HYNU, and are excited about the opportunities this will help us to create.” The project is one part of the broader Lincolnshire – Hunan twinning partnership, and will also enable BGU to significantly build on these relationships. Following the award Dr Nick Gee, Head of the School of Teacher Development at BGU & a Visiting Professor at Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, praised BGU’s growing international profile: “This funding recognises our flourishing international reputation within South East Asia, where we now have multiple partners offering fantastic learning opportunities for our highly successful TESOL provision.” BGU International manager Wayne Dyble added: “This funding will provide us with the opportunity to develop a sustainable relationship with HYNU and importantly gives students an excellent opportunity to enhance their cultural awareness and knowledge of China as a country and provide added value as they develop graduate attributes which will be invaluable to their careers in a global marketplace.” BGU have a global outlook on education, and our courses offer unprecedented opportunities to Teach & Travel. You can find more information about all of these, including our BA in English Language and Teaching and MA Course in TESOL on our website, or by contacting our Enquiries Team. For further information on all the international activities taking place at BGU visit our news page or contact our International Department to find out what exciting opportunities are available to you. -
Students reflect on “inspirational” Thailand trip
Students and staff from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) visited the University’s partner institute in Thailand to undertake some teaching and learn about Thai language and culture. -
New Experiences and Unforgettable Memories: Life as an International Student
Iman Khan travelled over 3000 miles to join the student community at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU). Now reaching the end of her MA in Education with TESOL course, Iman has been reflecting on her experiences as an international student, and how BGU became a home she will never forget: -
How my time on the English Language and Teaching course has helped me grow my skills and confidence
By Melanie Oakes - 2nd Year BA English Language and Teaching (formerly TESOL & Linguistics Student) After having my son this course is the best thing I’ve done, it’s made me feel a lot better about who I am. I never really had a huge interest in education while I was at school, I missed almost a year due to illness, and even after I returned I struggled to engage with my subjects due to a real lack of confidence. The end result was that I left school with only 3 O Levels. Despite my family attempting to support me by claiming I was artistic rather than academic I ended up feeling like the one member of my family who wasn’t clever with both my sisters gaining 10 O Levels and going on to careers in Law and Healthcare. I carried this stigma for years until my son started Primary School and I noticed he was struggling with similar issues to my own. When he was later diagnosed as dyslexic it spurred me on to find out if that could be affecting me too. With the aid of the Nottingham Dyslexia Association I was able to finally obtain some evidence of both my dyslexia and, for the first time, my own intelligence. With their encouragement I began to explore the possibilities of a future at university. I already had an interest in languages and could speak basic Swedish so I decided to look into TEFL short courses. While undertaking a learning session for one in Lincoln I met a BGU student who praised the university and offered to put me in touch with the course lecturers. The next thing I knew I was being offered a place on the undergraduate course. I came to an open day for mature students and had a brilliant time, all the lecturers were great and really easy to connect with. They clearly understood that everyone had their own unique motivations for joining higher education and they wanted to help support them. I felt like a fraud at first due to my age and previous academic struggles, but as I’ve gone through the course my belief and confidence in myself has grown immeasurably. It’s taken a lot of hard work and meant I’ve had to learn a whole new set of skills, including how to use PowerPoint, but I’ve loved studying historical linguistics and the spread of English globally, they’ve been fascinating subjects that have answered a number of lifelong questions. In fact, I’ve found the whole subject so stimulating, except for referencing! Even with my Dyslexia, ADD and Fibromyalgia I’ve been able to succeed at BGU and I’m now beginning to explore the potential of a master’s degree. It’s all been a lot to balance at points, particularly being a single mother, but what I’ve gained from the course both mentally and in terms of my self-esteem has been so worth it. I would totally encourage anyone who was thinking of going on this course to do it. You won’t regret it. It’s highly interesting, you learn and experience things you never thought you would and it ultimately opens up so many doors to you; for example, I’m now doing 1:1 teaching with a lady from Hong Kong to help improve her English. You should never think you’re too old to go for something, it can be hard to get to grips with new technology but there are lots of avenues for support including CELT and Student Advice along with many opportunities to broaden your mind. Give it a go. If you’re interested in following in Melanie’s footsteps you can find more information on our BA English Language and Teaching course by visiting our website, talking to our Enquiries Team or joining us on one of our Open Days. -
Clap for carers: How two BGU students are helping the most vulnerable during Covid-19
As the United Kingdom continues to grapple with ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic care providers across the country have been adapting their procedures to ensure that vulnerable people receive the support they need. EarlyBird Lifestyle Support is one of these hard-working groups and they’ve been sharing how the pandemic has impacted their work. Created and run by Bishop Grosseteste University students Damian Taylor (MA Health & Social Care) and Neil Martin (MA Education with TESOL) Earlybird prides itself on being a friendly well-being service supporting people throughout the city of Lincoln and surrounding areas with tasks such as cooking, cleaning, collecting prescriptions and medication, food shopping, trips out, escorting individuals to appointments and more. Damian discusses the changes the pandemic, and associated lockdown, has brought and how the team at Earlybird have adapted to it: “We work with many of groups left most vulnerable to COVID-19, primarily our older clients but also younger individuals suffering from mental health or other disability related problems. We wore a lot of protection anyway, but we’ve had to increase our use of PPE. It’s been so difficult to find supplies for reasonable prices though. We are also finding that many of our clients find the staff wearing the full PPE quite intimidating and try our best not to scare them off. Ultimately our team works to promote independence for vulnerable people, allowing them to lead their choice of lifestyle. That choice can be so easily lost at times like this and I’m proud to think we’re helping people to keep some level of freedom. I’d like to thank all our staff for their hard work during this time. Their enthusiasm and professionalism haven’t dropped once. They’re truly the backbone to the business, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without them.” Support from EarlyBird is available to anyone in Lincolnshire and the surrounding area, to find out how they can help you visit their website, or get in contact via email at info@ebls.co.uk or on 01522424161. Damian and Neil are the one of the many success stories to emerge from the BG Futures Business and Enterprise Centre at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU). If you have got a vision for your own business but aren’t sure where to begin then the BG Futures team are the perfect place to start. With facilities and expert support available in their incubation centre, they’ll be able to get you on the road to success. Visit our website or contact them today to see how you can start your own adventure. -
Golden Ticket Award sees Enactus BGU Lincoln succeed at Regional Finals
Earlier this month Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) Enactus team headed to the head offices of Arla Foods in Leeds to compete in the regional Enactus finals. Enactus aims to support young people to engage in youth social action, and youth social enterprise. Their mission in the UK is to be recognised as a leader in developing a national network of socially minded young leaders of the future who transform communities and society through real life social action and environmentally responsible enterprise. At the regional finals team members Jessica Vernon and Courtney Simmons presented a TESOL focussed project centred around providing opportunities for English speaking practice to people that have English as a second language in disadvantaged communities while second year Geographers Mark Wright and Ellie Cordon presented a project focussed around disaster risk reduction in Fiji. The team’s passion, ideas, knowledge and project plan received high praise from the judges and the BGU team were highly commended by representatives from Asda, Arla and Enactus. The team were awarded a golden ticket on the day and will now progress to the Rookie League in April to showcase their projects to universities and organisations from across the UK. Enactus BGU Lincoln is supported by BG Futures, the careers, employability and enterprise team at BGU, and university advisers Nikki Smith and Becky Goodman, who is also the Programme Leader for Business and Enterprise, both of whom were incredibly proud of Enactus BGU’s success. Speaking following the finals Nikki said: “We are extremely proud of what the team have achieved in such a short space of time and look forward to supporting the team at the rookie League that will be held virtually in April. The team have worked exceptionally hard and that did not go unnoticed by the judges at the regionals.” Becky shared Nikki’s praise and expressed her excitement at the potential for the team: “It was great to see the team showcase a selection of their projects at the regionals, and it would be amazing to see more students from across the university getting involved with Enactus BGU Lincoln as they take the next step on this journey.” To find out more about joining Enactus email enactus@bishopg.ac.uk for more information. -
BGU Master's Students Plan Expansion for Social Care Business
As the world continues to grapple with the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it is reassuring to note that despite so much uncertainty and bad news some businesses are not only surviving, but thriving.EarlyBird Lifestyle Support (EBLS), an award winning, friendly well-being service, has found the pandemic presented the opportunity to expand their workforce and move into a larger office space within BG Futures Business and Enterprise Centre at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU). Originally based in a smaller unit within the Centre, EBLS, created and run by BGU students Damian Taylor (MA Health and Social Care Leadership) and Neil Martin (MA Education with TESOL) prides itself on striving to empower the most vulnerable in society to lead the life of their choosing.Damian expands:“We support people throughout the city of Lincoln and surrounding areas with tasks such as cooking, cleaning, collecting prescriptions and medication, food shopping, trips out, escorting individuals to appointments and more.We work with many groups left most vulnerable due to COVID-19, primarily our older clients but also younger individuals suffering from mental health or other disability related problems.Ultimately our team works to promote independence for vulnerable people, allowing them to lead their choice of lifestyle. That choice can be so easily lost at times like this and I’m proud to think we’re helping them to keep some level of freedom.”Damian explains that the success of EBLS is owed to his dedicated team of support professionals:“I’d like to thank all our staff for their hard work during this time. Their enthusiasm and professionalism haven’t dropped once. They’re truly the backbone to the business, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without them.We are also delighted to announce the appointment of Alex Aslan, who has also completed the MA Health and Social Care Leadership, as our new Care and Services Manager who has a wealth of knowledge in this field. This means our service can grow even bigger and reach a larger demographic of people within Lincolnshire and also supports us to now enter the world of running regulated services.”On moving into a bigger office space, Damian hints at EBLS’s next venture: “A larger office will allow us to expand our workforce, provide more support in the community and presents the opportunity to increase revenue and to create stronger connections in the network. The larger space provides practical solutions to social distancing guidance, so we are able to hold inductions and training sessions in a safe environment to ensure our service runs safely.We are almost at the end of the registration period for the Care Quality Commission which means we will be able to include other vital services to our remit. We are currently recruiting for a new apprentice administrator and applications are still open for support worker roles.”Support from EarlyBird is available to anyone in Lincolnshire and the surrounding area, to find out how they can help you can visit their website, or get in contact via email or phone on 01522 424161.Damian added:“The team at the BG Futures Business & Enterprise Centre have been such a vital service & support network for us. They really did go above and beyond to help us in our start-up journey and the most exciting thing is that we have been able to support the centres vision by incorporating our business to widen the support to students. We have supported the BA Health and Social Care with work experience placements and offer voluntary opportunities to all students who would like to get involved, we are also happy to offer mentoring to students seeking an insight into business and would strongly welcome any students of the University to come and get involved in what we do. For example: be it students from drama who would like to put on a show for our vulnerable service users or those in the field of social sciences wanting to further understand mental health, disability or aged care, we really do welcome and encourage collaborative working”Damian and Neil are the one of the many success stories to emerge from the BG Futures Business and Enterprise Centre at Bishop Grosseteste University. If joining our community of start-up businesses appeals to you find out more on our website or contact the BG Futures team. -
Remembering 2020 at BGU - March: BGU Student Projects Gain National Recognition
While 2020 has been a far from normal year at BGU, we’ve still been able to celebrate a wide range of successes and achievements from across our learning community. To mark the end of the year we’re picking out our favourite stories from each month to share with you. -
How to construct the meaning of Christmas: Winners announced for English Language and Teaching Essay Competition
'The Language of Christmas' by Hannah Loder has been announced as the winner of the 2020 English Language and Teaching (formerly TESOL) essay competition at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU). Designed to get people into the festive spirit, entrants were invited to submit short essays discussing how their favourite Christmas advert uses language and images to construct meanings and good feelings over the festive period. Hannah’s essay explored the John Lewis Christmas advert of 2020, titled ‘Give a Little Love’, which focused on the importance of kindness and community spirit during such a turbulent and unpredictable period of time. As winner she will receive £250 and you can read her essay here: -
New international partnership to offer language and teaching opportunities with Thailand
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has begun a new partnership with Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University (NRRU) in Thailand to provide language and teaching exchange for students. In response to the ongoing pandemic the academic team for the MA Education with TESOL course (MA EdTESOL) are using online learning and digital tools to extend and develop current provision for English language teaching practice for their students, further partnerships with international HE institutions, along with offering an opportunity for language and cultural exchange. The NRRU students are studying an English language module before being assessed on their use of spoken English for formal and special occasions. Our MA EdTESOL students will be working with the NRRU students to improve their English language presentations for their assessments with ongoing virtual meetings in which they will work on a 2-1 basis (2 NRRU students to 1 BGU student). This language support will be arranged between the students in their free time and take the 7-hour time difference into consideration. BGU students will then be assessed on a lesson they deliver to their Thai students to practice English language teaching methodology. Dr Kay Johnson, Programme Leader for MA EdTESOL at BGU, discussed the positive impact the partnership could offer: “The initiative to partner with colleagues in Thailand is indicative of our creative and proactive teaching teams' commitment to making the best of a difficult situation. Using online tools to deliver our MA students opportunities for authentic English language teaching practice is proving to be a successful and popular addition to the programme!” “This exchange and other intercultural events embedded in the MA aim to support our postgraduate students' growth as global citizens, in addition to developing their awareness of the complex role of English as a global language and the part they play in this as language education professionals. We are a keen to fulfil BGU's commitment to internationalise the curriculum, alongside strengthening our ties with high-calibre institutions at the forefront of education and teacher-training worldwide” Piyachat Dhephasadin Na Ayudhaya, Director of the Language Institute at NRRU, shared Kay’s excitement at the unique learning opportunities the project could create: “It’s a great opportunity for all the students to practice their English with native English speakers who are fluent. In their lives they don’t have a lot of chances to engage with foreigners in in-depth conversations, so this is a fantastic way for them to learn despite ongoing travel restrictions. It’s very exciting to be in partnership that is utilising these online resources so effectively to benefit of both sets of students” To find out how you can create your own successes in our collaborative learning community, visit our website, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days.
Explore BGU
Browse our wide range of degree courses and find the perfect one for you.
Open days are the best way to find out what BGU has to offer.
Download your copy of our prospectus to find out more about life at BGU.