3 Reasons to Work With International Teenagers This Summer

Any job role with a leading Oxford summer school will likely see you meeting, working with and helping teenagers from around the world. Although many providers offer programmes for adult learners (and some have courses for even younger students, too), the bulk of the demand is in the teenage age range, as students of this age look for opportunities to experience university life and particular courses before they apply for real. In this week’s short read, we explore our top 3 reasons why you should seek an Oxford summer job working with teenagers from around the world, and how it might turn out to be as enriching an experience for you as it is for them!

Oxford’s appeal as a place to come and study in the summer is truly global.

Research by the British Educational Travel Association places Oxford third (behind London and Edinburgh) in the list of desired destinations for youth travellers who choose to visit the UK.

And, in the absence of an official Oxford University Summer School for international students, a number of private providers have been established to service the incredible demand for the chance to study at a college of the University of Oxford.

Because of the way these providers advertise and take enrolments – you can “apply” for most of them online with no or minimal academic requirements – they tend to be incredibly diverse international environments. Indeed, some report being joined by more than 150 different nationalities, which would put them in the same league as the University of Oxford itself in terms of the number of countries or territories represented (160 as at December 2020).

At Oxford Summer Jobs, we believe that the opportunity to work with teenagers, and specifically teenagers from around the world, is one that everyone should grasp with both hands. Below, we’ve highlighted our top 3 reasons why!

1. You’ll find the international dynamics fascinating

One of the main things the teenagers attending the leading Oxford summer schools gain by choosing to study there is the ability to make new friends from around the world.

Whether you’re looking to work as a teacher or in a pastoral role in Oxford in summer 2022, you’ll find the environment in which they are all brought together endlessly fascinating.

We are each a product of our upbringing – our opinions and perspectives on life are unique to each of us; however, within countries and nations there are more similarities than differences.

The great thing about international summer schools in general is that, when stepping out of the bubbles of their own countries, the students can’t help but be exposed to different points of view about important issues that underpin the societies in which we all live.

We have seen first-hand how teenagers, who are perhaps more open to new ideas than adults who are more entrenched in their beliefs, have challenged each others’ thinking in class, but also in informal discussions held over dinner, or during some downtime in their college quads.

As a teacher leading a class or seminar group – particularly in the social sciences, but also in business, the arts and sciences too – chairing these lively discussions and channeling opinions from all corners of the globe can be incredibly interesting, insightful and a huge amount of fun. And you should expect training in how to help the discussion flow productively and sensitively, which you’ll be able to employ in future roles and workplaces.

In a pastoral job with a leading Oxford summer school, one of your key roles will be ensuring all students are benefiting as much as possible from the international, social elements of the summer school. You can expect to receive training in how to bring students from different cultures together sensitively, and will also have the chance to learn from experienced Course Directors in how to manage conflict between students from different parts of the world. All of this will be hugely valuable experience for future roles.

2. You’ll be making a difference

Although they are travelling from many different countries to be at their Oxford summer school, the teenage students participating in the programme are generally united by one ambition – they want to get in to a top university or college.

Many will have ambitions to study at Oxford (hence choosing that as their summer study abroad destination); however, in our experience, just as many if not more will be looking to study at another Russell Group university, or a top university in their home country.

By attending their Oxford summer school, they’ll be looking to build knowledge, to get a feel for what undergraduate life in the UK is like, and to have something on their CV that illustrates their interest in, and passion for, their subject.

Whether working with them academically or pastorally as part of your Oxford summer job, you have the opportunity to make a huge impression on a student’s life at an extremely formative stage of their development. If you can deliver a positive experience that they will never forget, or help them to see something in themselves that they’ve not seen before, you could have a huge impact on where they apply, what they study, and what they ultimately go on to do for a career.

3. You learn lots yourself, too

As mentioned above, we highlighted how you’ll find the international dynamics between the students endlessly fascinating.

Through discussion with them – whether in class or informally – you’ll gain the benefit of their experiences of what it’s like to grow up as a teenager in countries as diverse as Slovakia, Saudi Arabia and St Kitts & Nevis.

As a result of this, you’ll gain an enhanced world view, and an increased appreciation of the different contexts in which different cultures perceive the key challenges and issues of our time.

We were recently listening to a fascinating interview with award-winning podcaster and best-selling author Emma Gannon, on the topic of how social media is stopping us from finding and being our true selves. One of the key take-aways from that interview was how, on Instagram and Twitter, we tend to follow those with the same opinions and perspectives as us, which serves to reinforce our own beliefs.

Gannon encouraged us to follow a range of different voices in order to challenge our established opinions. Although taking place in the physical world rather than the digital, we see a job working with international teenagers as the perfect opportunity to put this into practice.

The chance to see how so many other people and cultures see the world is immensely valuable. We believe you should grab that opportunity with both hands.

In summary

We feel there is so much to gain from working with teenagers from around the world as part of an Oxford summer job in 2022. From making a real difference to their lives, to helping them see new points of view, and to being introduced to new perspectives yourself, teaching and pastoral roles will be incredibly rewarding.

If you would like assistance with finding an Oxford summer job, the best place to start is to sign up for our email alerts below, and follow us on Instagram @oxfordsummerjobs.