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
- Grammar in practice: upper intermediate (level 1-2)
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 - ESOL: Develop your writing: grammar, vocabulary, expression (advanced) Course start date: Wed 21 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Do you already have a good level of writing but wanting to take it up to a level suitiable for professional work? Are you wanting to develop your expressive skills in general? This course will help you improve your writing by focusing on meaning and how you can become a more skilful user of English, not concerned only with accuracy. You will work on how you can use grammar in different ways to say different things. You will expand your vocabulary so you can say more with fewer words. And you will work on how you can influence your reader.
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 £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £105.00 - 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 - ESOL, maths and digital skills - for life and work (entry 2-entry 3)Course start date: Thu 1 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Are you quite confident about your everyday English? Can you have some short conversations and read and write simple emails? Can you go shopping, talk about simple subjects, and write a letter? But do you make quite a lot mistakes? Is it difficult to speak, read or write about more complicated topics? This course will help you learn more vocabulary and grammar so you can talk, read and write about more interesting everyday things and make fewer mistakes. Your will practise your speaking, listening, reading and writing so you can understand people better, talk about most daily topics, read a simple news story, and write a long email or letter. You will also improve your maths and the English you need to do maths such as for simple calculations with money and using percentages.
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 £15.00 - 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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