" I’ve really grown up during my time at Southwark College. It’s a different mentality coming to college rather than a school and I like it. Southwark College also encourages students to become more involved in everyday college life and this includes Student Union, Course Representative and Student Ambassador.”
| College News - A ONE STOP Shop |
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A ONE-STOP shop designed to help both learners and members of staff to go places has proved just the ticket at Southwark College. The In Touch Tourism Shop 'opened for business' in April and aims to offer the College community information about transport, popular attractions and accommodation in London - and across the rest of the UK. Learners on the ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Leisure and Tourism course manage the shop. The learners, who come from countries including China, Nigeria and France, use a variety of sources to deal with enquiries ranging from organising weekend breaks in London to holidays in the Lake District, York and the Outer Hebrides. They put together programmes helping people reach their destination, advice on where to stay and what places might be worth visiting. Travel and Tourism lecturer Alex Syrotiuk explained: "I teach learners the vocational part of the course. The aim is to improve their language and communication skills and develop their customer service. Basically I show them how to speak English in real-life situations. "The idea to open the shop came about last November and the learners put together surveys and distributed them around the College to find out what people would like. Since the shop has opened there have been lots of enquiries via email, in person and most recently by telephone," she said. "Learners use internet search engines, tourism websites, Transport for London, National Rail enquiries and a variety of local and national destination literature we have at the College to put together suggested transport, accommodation and activity plans." French learner Ismael Tomei, aged 20, started at Southwark College last September and admitted his English speaking had improved considerably in the intervening months. His knowledge of different places in England was also now much broader. He said: "The course has been very good because it has taught me about the importance of the customer, how to book travel tickets, accommodation and visitor attractions online and over the telephone." Fellow student Lihua Li left China for the UK just over two years ago and hopes to follow a career in the tourism industry. "I would love to become a travel agent or a tourist guide in the UK. I think the course at Southwark College will help me to find a better job in the future. "My English wasn't good when I came here but now my communication skills are a lot better. I have also boosted my knowledge on different places in this country and feel confident about suggesting destinations for friends and family to visit. I didn't know how to plan a holiday trip - now I do - and I would like to thank the College for teaching me so much about tourism." For more information about this or any other course at College, visit the website at www.southwark.ac.uk or telephone 020 7815 1500. |
