ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) - Online

ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)

City Lit has a wide range of courses to help you develop your reading, writing, and speaking and listening skills in English (ESOL).

The courses are FREE to most learners. Click into the courses below for more information.

For more information about our live online courses, please see our guide to online learning.

Our offer includes both a year long and short termly courses at different levels.

  • Level 2
  • Level 1
  • Entry 3
  • Entry 2
  • Entry 2
  • Pre-Entry 
  • Maths for ESOL 
  • Conversation Club 
  • Grammar in practice 
  • Writing skills in Practice 
  • ESOL, maths and digital skills for Life 
  • Learn English- learn about London
 
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  1. Develop your writing and language skills (level 1-level 2)
    Course start date:  Thu 8 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    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.



    You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).



    This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here

    Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £65.00
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  2. English pronunciation: stage 1
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 23 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  David John Gwillim
    Are 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 online.
    Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £195.00
    Rating:
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  3. English pronunciation: stage 3
    Evening
    Course start date:  Fri 16 Jan 2026 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  David John Gwillim

    Designed for advanced non-native speakers, and all who have completed 'English Pronunciation' stages 1 and 2. Conversation and the reading aloud of a variety of texts will help to pinpoint those pronunciation worries still to be addressed.

    Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £195.00
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  4. English pronunciation: stage 2
    Evening
    Course start date:  Fri 26 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  David John Gwillim
    The aim of the course is to further improve your ability to communicate confidently and clearly in spoken English. Designed 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 taught online.
    Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £195.00
    Rating:
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  5. Grammar in practice: advanced (level 2+)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 7 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Is your grammar holding you back? Learn how to communicate more effectively by analysing, discussing and experimenting with English grammar. This course will help you realise that grammar is really about meaning: understanding better the meaning of what someone is saying and expressing yourself more meaningfully.



    You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name). The course runs over three terms (though you may start any term, places allowing).



    This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here

    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £90.00
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  6. Communication Skills for Life and Work (ESOL Entry 3 - Level 1)
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 23 May 2026

    Location on this date:  Online

    This is the Writing unit of the ESOL course to give you confidence in writing sentences for emails and letters clearly. You will learn how write formal or informal topics using the right grammar and vocabulary. You will focus on planning and organising writing into paragraphs and writing clear introductions and conclusion.



    This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here

    Full fee £169.00
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  7. Grammar in practice: upper intermediate (level 1-2)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Fri 9 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    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. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).



    This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here

    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £75.00
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  8. English for professionals: C2 Proficiency (Cambridge English: Proficiency, CPE )
    Course start date:  Thu 22 Jan 2026

    Location on this date:  Online

    Are you a professional wanting to refine your English? Are you on a post-graduate course or completing a PhD and need some help to communicate at this level? Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) qualification shows the world that you have reached an exceptional level of English. It the ultimate proof that you can communicate with the fluency and sophistication of a highly competent English speaker and that you have the level of English required to work or study at a top level. This course will develop your language skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening and provide you with the preparation needed to pass the exam.



    You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).



    This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here

    Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £299.00 Concession £299.00
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  9. Communication skills for life and work (entry 3 - level 1)
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 26 Apr 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Are you quite confident about 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 skills so you can understand people better; talk about most daily topics with more than one person; read and understand short, straightforward texts such as emails and simple news stories; and write different sentences, learning how to effectively proofread.



    This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here

    Full fee £360.00 Senior fee £288.00 Concession £180.00
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  10. Workplace communication skills: how to get a better job (ESOL entry 3-level 1)
    Course start date:  Mon 12 May 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Are you looking for a new or better job? Do you feel nervous in interviews? Would you like to learn the English you need to impress an employer? This course will help you with the language you need to do well in interviews, to feel calm and relaxed. You will work on predicting the types of questions an employer will ask you and you will practise answering them. You will work on your pronunciation including stress and you will role play different situations that take place in an interview.



    You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).



    This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here

    Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £25.00
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