Over 1.2 million people come to study in the UK each year, with English courses amongst the most popular of all. Because of this there are a lot of courses on offer to meet the demand.

As-well as English you can find classes in every language from Italian to Urdu, thanks to the UK’s huge network of universities, colleges and private language schools. You can also find a great many self-study courses in textbook and CD-ROM form at bookshops and local libraries.

Learning English in the UK - ESOL

ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) is an organisational body that provides courses that are recognised by employers and universities. As well as focussing on the languages, these courses also teach you about British culture and society.

ESOL courses run from the basic ‘Entry Level’ to ‘Level Three’. You can study at home in a ‘self-study’ course, or at a local college. Many language schools run classes during the day and evening, to suit you.

It may be that your level of English is already so good that you can enter this at level 3 or that you need to do a higher level course. You should contact the colleges or learning centres in your area, and ask them for their advice on your specific needs.

It may be that they advise you to do the First Certificate of English (FCE - a Cambridge ESOL qualification), or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam. These are for people who are already able to use English in everyday situations, both written and spoken, but want to take this to a more advanced level and gain a recognised qualification. These certificates will be helpful if you are planning to go to university or wish to develop your professional career in the UK.

Visit our “Find a…” section for more information.

Learning other languages

If you want to learn a completely new language you will find a comprehensive list of foreign language courses in your area by contacting your Local Authority and asking for a college prospectus.

Most courses charge a fee, but you might find that in some cases you are entitled to a discount.

Other places to learn

If you want to improve your English while you travel or if you are planning to stay in a more rural part of the country and are worried about finding a course near you, try one of the many advertised language courses. Many of these advertise on the television or in magazines, you can just go to your local bookshop, where you will find all sorts of courses which include books, CD-ROMs and DVDs, which means that you can study whilst your are on the move.

Thanks to the internet, there are also many free resources. If you want to improve your English, you could visit the British Council website – this has some helpful articles for learning a higher standard of English for academics and professionals. Or if you want to learn a new language, you could try BBC’s online pages. They have an amazing amount of reading, writing and listening activities in various languages that you might be interested in, all free of charge.

By Matt Taylor

 

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USEFUL WORDS

full / part-time
evening classes
examination course
intensive programme = usually studying full-time for at least 6 hours per day
total immersion = an intensive study programme in the country of the language you are learning plus perhaps accommodation with a local family
placement test = a test you take before you start your course to find out your current level of ability in the language
registration / enrolment fee = a charge which some schools make the first time you join a course
course fees
group course
1-1 / private / individual tuition
course / textbook

Language Skills

speaking                    vocabulary
reading                       pronunciation
writing                         spelling
listening                      punctuation
grammar

GRAMMAR SPOT

Future Perfect Simple

Use this form to talk about something being over at a time in the future:

will have + past participle

We'll have finished this coursebook soon.  We're nearly at the end
June is too early to take the exam.  I won't have studied enough of the language to pass
How long will you have been in London at the end of the course?
 
Future Perfect Continuous

Use this form to imagine yourself looking back from a time in the future:

will have been + -ing

In November I'll have been learning Spanish for 2 years
How long will you have been living in England by Christmas?
I don't think I'll get a pay rise this year  I'll only have been working here for 2 months when I have my review

Future Perfect Simple or Continuous?

Future Perfect Simple focuses on the result of the action:

I'll have written the essay by tonight so I'll hand it in tomorrow

Future Perfect Continuous focuses on the action going on:

This essay is taking ages.  I'll have been writing it for a week by the time I finish!