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
 
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15 Items

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  1. 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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  2. 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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  3. 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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  4. 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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  5. 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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  6. 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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  7. English pronunciation: stage 1
    Evening
    Course start date:  Fri 2 May 2025 (and 4 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 £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £181.00
    Rating:
    97% of 100
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  8. English pronunciation: stage 3
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 29 Apr 2025 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  David John Gwillim
    Designed for fluent non- native students 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.



    This course will be taught online.
    Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £181.00
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  9. English pronunciation: stage 2
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 1 May 2025 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  David John Gwillim
    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 in the college.
    Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £181.00
    Rating:
    97% of 100
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  10. Grammar in practice: advanced (level 2+)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 1 Oct 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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  11. ESOL - communication skills for life and work -Entry 3 (speaking and listening)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 13 Jan 2025 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    This is the Speaking and Listening unit of the ESOL course to give you confidence in communicating with others. You will practice speaking fluently in different types of conversations, asking and answering questions to build your vocabulary. Speaking about interesting everyday topics you will practise different tenses and improving your pronunciation.



    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 £300.00 Senior fee £240.00 Concession £150.00
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  12. ESOL - communication skills for life and work -level 1 (Speaking and Listening)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 12 Jan 2026 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    This is the Speaking and Listening unit of the ESOL course to give you confidence in communicating with others on different topics in a range of contexts. You will practice speaking fluently in different types of conversations, responding to questions on a range of topics and you will build your vocabulary by learning more synonyms and antonyms. You will also have the opportunity to hear a variety of accents and varieties of English. Speaking about interesting everyday topics you will practise different tenses and improve your pronunciation including stress and intonation to convey meaning.



    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 £549.00 Senior fee £439.00 Concession £275.00
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  13. ESOL - communication skills for life and work -level 2 (Speaking and Listening)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 13 Jan 2026

    Location on this date:  Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    This is the Speaking and Listening unit of the ESOL course to give you confidence in communicating straightforward and detailed information, ideas and opinions clearly, adapting speech and content to take account of the listener(s), medium, purpose and situation. You will improve your fluently and accuracy in extended and varying conversations, responding and contributing on a range of topics. You will also build your vocabulary by learning more sophisticated words for formal settings. You will have the opportunity to hear a variety of accents and varieties of English and be able to apply speaking skills in face to face and telephone situations. Speaking about interesting everyday topics you will practise a wide range of sentence structure and tenses and improve your pronunciation including stress, rhythm and intonation to convey meaning.



    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 £529.00 Senior fee £423.00 Concession £265.00
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  14. 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
    Rating:
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  15. ESOL, maths and digital skills - for life and work (entry 1-entry 2)
    Course start date:  Mon 7 Apr 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    For students who can are not complete beginners and can speak and write a little English. On this 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 write short emails. You will also learn some simple maths to tell the time, count and learn maths vocabulary.



    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 £369.00
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