English for Speakers of Other Languages
Would you like to improve your English fluency and pronunciation? Do you need to write emails at work or essays at university? Are you learning English for the first time? From beginner level to advanced, we can help you.
You can study on general ESOL courses and practise your speaking, listening, reading or writing. Or you can focus on specific areas such as grammar, conversation and communicating at work. From Entry 1 to Cambridge C2 Proficiency, our wide range of courses will ensure you have the English you need to make progress at work, participate in social life and express yourself fully.
You will learn through a variety of different techniques– drama, dialogue, watching films and singing, making podcasts, games, play and work-based tasks. On all our courses, you will practise the skills most demanded by employers: problem-solving, analysing, working together, decision-making, attending to detail and seeing the bigger picture.
Whether you prefer to study for a qualification or not, our creative and well-qualified tutors will help you become a fluent English speaker, listener, reader and writer.
Which course is right for me?
To make sure you book onto the righ course we'll ask you to do a pre-course assessment. You can:
Take a online assessment - Choose a course from the list below and on the next page, click on ‘Start Assessment’.
Book a face-to-face assessment - Contact us by email at universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk for an appointment.
Face-to-face assessments take place every Wednesday evening between 6pm and 8pm, and on the following dates:
Tues 15 Nov from 3-5pm
Thurs 24 Nov from 3-5pm
Thurs 1 Dec from 3-5pm
The courses are FREE to most learners if you earn less than £21,547.50 a year or are on Universal Credit, JSA or ESA (WRAG). They are either in the City Lit building or are live online interactive classes. For online courses, you will need a computer with a microphone, a camera and the internet.
Filters
- ESOL: Improve your fluency (level 1)Course start date: Tue 31 Jan 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Do you want to speak more easily and communicate in English without translating from your first language? Do you think too much about what to say or write? Would you like your English to be more automatic? This course will help you become more relaxed when you speak and write English so you can be confident you can express yourself in a way people understand and not be worried about making mistakes. You will develop your fluency in both speaking and writing but you will focus more on speaking.
Before this course, you need to do a pre-course assessment face-to-face or online. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name). Use Chrome if possible.
This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click hereFull fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £50.00 - ESOL: Develop your writing through grammar (advanced)Course start date: Wed 1 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
How will you develop your writing? One way is to think about how your writing affects the reader. Grammatical features play a significant role in creating these effects. On this course, you will explore how different grammatical forms can be used to create different impressions on reader and influence them. For example, how modal verbs can express different levels of assertiveness or how information can be made as clear as possible by using certain types of clauses and conjunctions. By becoming aware of how to use grammar to change meaning, your writing will become more sophisticated and impacting.
You need to do a pre-course assessment face-to-face or online. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).
This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click hereFull fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £90.00 - Grammar in practice: upper intermediate (level 1-2)Course start date: Fri 3 Feb 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street (other locations are available)
Unsure when to use present perfect or past perfect? Is reported speech still causing you problems? Do you need to practise your conditionals? Join this course and put your grammar into practice in speaking, writing, reading and listening. Gain confidence in using grammar effectively through high level and engaging tasks
You need to do a pre-course assessment face-to-face or online. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).
This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click hereFull fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £75.00 - Communication skills: read well, write well (level 1-level 2)Course start date: Sat 11 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Learning how to write well requires learning how to read well. This course will prepare you for all types of writing but especially essay writing. Learn and practise how to answer essay questions by choosing what to read, how to read it and make notes, and then turning these notes into good pieces of writing with effective introductions and conclusions and well argued opinions. This course will be especially suitable for anyone wanting to study or who works in a job which requires good writing.
You need to do a pre-course assessment face-to-face or online. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).
This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click hereFull fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £85.00 - ESOL pronunciation: stage 1 (level 1-2)Course start date: Mon 8 May 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street (other locations are available)
Tired of people not understanding you? Would you like to sound 'more English'? Do you need to communicate well with people in your work? Then this specialist course will help you. Learn how to make the individual sounds of English, hear the differences between them, and read and write the phonemic script, a special alphabet of sounds. This course is aimed at students with a good level of English - level 1 and 2 (B2-C1). Highly fluent students at level 3 or above should apply to the courses in the drama department.
Before this course, you need to do a pre-course assessment face-to-face or online. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).
This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click hereFull fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £65.00 - ESOL level 1 (reading and writing)Course start date: Tue 21 Feb 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street (other locations are available)
Are you now a confident speaker and writer of English? Can you communicate quite easily in your daily life, understand people around you and read and write about everyday subjects? This intermediate course will help you speak, read and write about more complicated topics with greater accuracy. You will learn how to make a presentation, write formally and informally, and read about more challenging and interesting subjects. There will be reading and writing exams in July.
Before this course, you need to do a pre-course assessment face-to-face or online. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).
This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click hereFull fee £319.00 Senior fee £255.00 Concession £160.00 - ESOL entry 3 (reading and writing)Course start date: Mon 20 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Are you quite confident in your everyday English? Can you go shopping, talk about simple subjects and write a letter or email? But do you make quite a lot of mistakes? Is it difficult to speak, read or write about more complicated topics? This pre-intermediate course will help you practise your speaking, listening, reading and writing so that you can understand people better, talk about most daily topics, read a simple news story and write a long email or letter. There will be reading and writing exams.
Before this course, you need to do a pre-course assessment face-to-face or online. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).
This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click hereFull fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £140.00 - ESOL entry 2Course start date: Tue 17 Jan 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Can you have short conversations in English, and read and write simple emails, but want to do more? This course will help you talk, read and write about more interesting subjects and make fewer mistakes so people can understand you, you can understand them and you can read and write important messages, emails, forms and news stories. You will improve your vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. By the end of this three-term programme you will able to interact confidently with English speakers in your daily life. You can join the course at any time.
Before this course, you need to do a pre-course assessment online or face-to-face. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).
This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click hereFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £80.00 - ESOL entry 1Course start date: Wed 18 Jan 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
For students who can speak or write only a few words in English or maybe none at all. On this beginners' course, you will learn new words and grammar, how to ask and answer questions, how to read and write about yourself, your family, and friends, and how to complete forms and short emails. Before this course, you need to do a pre-course assessmen online or face-to-face. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).
This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click hereFull fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £85.00 - Develop your writing and language skills (level 1-level 2)Course start date: Thu 27 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Have you been learning English for a long time but your writing just doesn’t seem to be improving? Are you quite a fluent speaker but find formal speaking difficult? Do you feel ‘stuck’. This course will release you! You will focus on how to improve the structure of your writing both the whole text, paragraphs and sentences. You will work on understanding the grammar of the language, and the skills you learn to develop your writing will help you improve your more formal speaking whether this is for job interviews, meetings at work or giving presentations. This course is ideal if you have been living in the UK for several years, feel quite comfortable in speaking English as a second language, but lack confidence in your literacy skills.
Before this course, you need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name). Use Chrome if possible.
This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click hereFull fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £50.00 - English pronunciation: stage 2Course start date: Sat 21 Jan 2023 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street (other locations are available)
Tutors: David John GwillimDesigned for people who have completed ‘English Pronunciation: stage 1’ although new students with sufficient skills can join. Develop confidence and clarity, explore diphthongs and triphthongs, inflection and the rhythms of Standard English. This term the course will be delivered in the college.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £153.00 - English pronunciation: stage 1Course start date: Thu 19 Jan 2023 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street (other locations are available)
Tutors: David John GwillimAre you a non-native fluent speaker who wants to improve your pronunciation of English and to speak the language more clearly and confidently? Work on clear formation of vowel and consonant sounds including the English neutral vowel and the distinction between voiced and unvoiced sounds. This term the course will be taught in the college.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £153.00 - ESOL: Develop your listening skills (entry 3)Course start date: Tue 2 May 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Are you tired of asking people to repeat themselves? Do you nod and smile when you don't understand? Do you wish you could understand the TV better or follow phone conversations more easily? Good listening skills are essential to your English language development and students often never learn specific listening techniques. This course will help you change your experience of listening to English. It will change from being a stream of meaningless sounds into one in which you can identify the words and focus on the meaning of what you are hearing. You will be able to relax when you are having conversations and enjoy films without subtitles!
You need to do a pre-course assessment face-to-face or online. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).
This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click hereFull fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £65.00 - English dialogue: speaking, listening, pronunciation, performance (level 1-2)Course start date: Wed 3 May 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Do you want to sound ‘more English’ when you speak? Do you want the chance to experiment with becoming expressive in English, playing with how you sound when you speak different dialogues? On this course, you will work on different dialogues from everyday speech and well known plays. And you will also create your own! The chance to work on how to perform and enact this speech will enable you to focus on how to link and ‘chunk’ words, develop your rhythm and stress, work on your fluency and ensure that the meaning of what you are saying becomes expressed. You will also be working with ‘real’ language, not the sometimes artificial language of English course books. Although you will be performing the texts, you do not need to be an actor, just willing to give it a go. By writing your own dialogues, you will also develop your writing skills so by the end of the course you can write and perform together with your classmates your own 5 minute play!.
You need to do a pre-course assessment face-to-face or online. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name). Use Chrome if possible.
This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click hereFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £80.00 - Grammar in practice: beginners (entry 1 -2)Course start date: Wed 3 May 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Do you need help with your grammar? Do you want to know more about verb tenses? Do you want to ask questions with good pronunciation and correct grammar? On this course, you will learn all the essential grammar to help you speak and write well. You will focus on when to use present simple, present continuous and past simple. You will practise when to use 'do', 'does', 'is', 'are' and 'did' in questions and how to say these words. By the end of the course you will have a strong foundation for your English learning.
You need to do a pre-course assessment face-to-face or online. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).
This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click hereFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £40.00
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