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ESOL (English for speakers of other languages)

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
 

Items 1-15 of 39

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  1. ESOL and making podcasts: pronunciation, presentation, expression (level 1-2)
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sun 11 May 2025 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Do you want to improve your pronunciation, learn more about how you sound when you speak English and develop your speaking? A podcast is a digital recording, which can be used in a very practical way to help develop your English. On this course, you will discover how to make and edit a podcast to record yourself as well as what to say and how to say it. You will be able to practise speaking on your own and interviewing others as well as learn how to prepare what to say and how to say it. Podcasting is a fantastic way of improving your pronunciation, your vocabulary, your spoken accuracy, and your fluency.



    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).



    Please note you will need to download the free Audacity software and have a headset with mic to do this course.



    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. 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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  3. ESOL - communication skills for life and work -Entry 3 (Writing)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 19 May 2025 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    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 £129.00
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  4. ESOL - communication skills for life and work -level 1 (Writing)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 19 May 2025 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    This is the Writing unit of the ESOL course to give you confidence in writing a range of sentences for personal writing, and formal and informal texts. You will focus on using correct grammar (such as subject-verb agreement, correct use of tense) and become aware of the distinct differences between spoken and written English. You will focus on notetaking, planning and organising writing into paragraphs, developing a narrative and ending writing with a summary or 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 £129.00
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  5. ESOL - communication skills for life and work -level 2 (Writing)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 20 May 2025 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    This is the Writing unit of the ESOL course to give you confidence in writing and producing text independently for personal and academic writing, and for formal and informal texts. You will be taught how to generate creative and critical ideas using correct grammar, appropriate tenses, key linguistic features such as discourse markers, clauses, paragraphs, and you will become aware of the standard written features of English. You will focus on proof-reading, self-correction strategies and structuring your writing with correct conventions. You will also be taught how to organise, structure and extend your writing for academic, fiction, non-fiction and more complex text types or genres to suit purpose and audience.



    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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  6. Learn English - discover London, its history, culture and people (level 1-level 2)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 7 Jul 2025 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Do you want to improve your English and learn about London, its history, culture and people at the same time? On this course, you will visit places of interest and learn about the history of these places especially about the different people and cultures who have lived there, and about important events which have shaped the city. You will do your own research and so improve your reading and writing skills as well as your speaking and listening. In addition, you will feel more at home in London and able to participate in its rich and diverse life.



    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 £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £35.00
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  7. Learn English - learn about London (entry 2-entry 3)
    Course start date:  Tue 8 Jul 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Do you want to improve your English and learn about London at the same time? This course will help you feel more confident about living in London and using your English. You will visit interesting places and learn about the history of the city and the people who live there. You will also learn about important events in the city in the past and now. You will improve your speaking, listening, reading and writing. You will learn a lot of new words to describe people and places and how to express yourself fluently and correctly.



    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).
    Full fee £59.00 Concession £30.00
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  8. English pronunciation: stage 1 (intensive)
    Course start date:  Mon 21 Jul 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  David John Gwillim
    Improve your pronunciation of standard English on this intensive course, running each day in the same week, which includes detailed study of vowel and consonant sounds. This course is for speakers of other languages who are fluent in English. Some homework required.
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £160.00
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  9. English pronunciation: stage 2 (intensive)
    Course start date:  Mon 28 Jul 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  David John Gwillim
    Ideal if you have completed 'English Pronunciation: stage 1', this intensive course develops fluency and clarity and explores diphthongs and triphthongs, inflexion and intonation, and the rhythms of standard English.
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £160.00
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  10. ESOL - communication skills for life and work - level 1 (Reading)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 15 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    This is the Reading unit of the ESOL course to give you confidence in reading straightforward and some complex texts. You will practice reading different types of text including emails, letters, adverts, posters, books, newspapers, and websites. You will read interesting everyday topics and practice finding information and understanding general meaning of stories, news, descriptions, messages, signs, and notices.



    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 £479.00 Senior fee £383.00 Concession £240.00
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  11. ESOL - communications skills for life and work Entry 3 (Reading)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 15 Sep 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    This is the Reading unit of the ESOL course to give you confidence in reading simple text. You will practice reading different types of text. For example: letters, adverts, books, newspapers, and websites. You will read interesting everyday topics and practice finding information and understanding the gist and general meaning of stories, descriptions, messages, signs, and notices.



    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 £489.00 Senior fee £391.00 Concession £245.00
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  12. ESOL - communication skills for life and work - level 2 (Reading)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 16 Sep 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    This is the Reading unit of the ESOL course to give you confidence in reading and understanding a range of texts of varying complexity accurately and independently and obtaining information of varying length and detail from different sources. You will practice reading and analysing different types of text including emails, newspapers, recipes, journals, reports, poems, formal letters, articles, websites, books and reviews. You will practice extracting and communicating factual and opinionated statements about a range of topics.



    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 £429.00 Senior fee £343.00 Concession £215.00
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  13. English communication skills for life and work (ESOL entry 2)
    Course start date:  Tue 16 Sep 2025 (and 3 other dates)

    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.



    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 £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £195.00
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  14. English communication skills for life and work (ESOL entry 1)
    Course start date:  Wed 30 Apr 2025 (and 3 other dates)

    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.



    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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  15. 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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