Centre for Deaf Education Courses at City Lit
City Lit has provided support for deaf people at its heart right from our establishment, in 1919. Some of the first courses ever offered by City Lit were lipreading classes for deafened soldiers returning from World War I. Over the years, we have grown to become an internationally-renowned centre of a wide range of provision - it is the largest centre of its kind in Europe. Our staff is a mixed group of deaf and hearing professionals; all highly skilled in their own areas of specialist expertise. Learn British sign language with City Lit today.
In order to join our deaf English, maths and computing courses, you need to have an interview and initial assessment first.
As well as courses, we also offer support and services for deaf people.
- Introduction to BSL
Course start date: Tue 19 May 2026 (and 9 other dates)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alexia LumleyInterested in learning British Sign Language? Learn some basic vocabulary and grammar, and decide if you want to progress to the level 1 qualification.Full fee £289.00 Senior fee £289.00 Concession £202.00 - BSL with Basic English VocabularyCourse start date: Mon 1 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Full fee £0.00 - Living well with hearing loss Course start date: Wed 17 Jun 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lisa CoxThis course will give you practical strategies for coping with your hearing loss and will help improve your confidence and well-being.
This course will be taught in spoken English and not in sign language.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £45.00 Concession £35.00 - Managing hearing loss at work Course start date: Fri 19 Jun 2026 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Nicola HicksThis course is for people who have a hearing loss and who work in an office environment. It covers a range of common office scenarios and issues that arise for people with hearing loss.
This course will be taught in spoken English and not in sign language.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00 - English for deaf people: English for work - reading and writing skills (entry 3) - part 1Course start date: Mon 7 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
This course is suitable if you are looking for or already are in employment. The aim of the course is to help you to acquire English skills necessary for communication at work via e-mails, memos, reports etc. This course has no exams.
This course is free for learners who have not achieved a GCSE grade C (4) and higher in English. For more information Click here
Full fee £0.00 - English for deaf people: Getting started with vocabulary - part 1 (pre-entry)Course start date: Mon 7 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
This course is suitable if you have recently arrived in the UK from abroad and/or missed out on the education at school due to communication barriers. This course will help you to develop your basic communication skills in various social settings such as starting, maintaining and ending the conversations, confirming your understanding of the conversation flow and/or ask for clarification if/when necessary, asking and answering questions on various social topics etc. You will develop your basic vocabulary linked to everyday life, spelling and punctuation.You will also develop basic study skills to help you to complete simple tasks and do homework on your own. This course has no exam. To be able to participate in this course, you will need to have basic BSL skills.
This course is free for learners who have not achieved a GCSE grade C (4) and higher in English. For more information Click here
Full fee £0.00 - English grammar for deaf people (entry 1) - part 1Course start date: Mon 7 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
This course is suitable if you have enough vocabulary to be able to read and write basic sentences. During this course, you will learn more vocabulary and grammar to help you talk, read and write about yourself, your family and friends and complete forms, short sms and e-mails. This course has no exams.
This course is free for learners who have not achieved a GCSE grade C (4) and higher in English. For more information Click here
Full fee £0.00 - English for deaf people: Get Confident with Reading and Writing Skills (Entry 3) - part 1Course start date: Mon 7 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
This course will help you get become confident in your everyday communication including reading and writing. We will focus on topics that interest you and use these to help you improve the key elements of reading and writing as well as communication skills to enable you to express your thoughts and feelings including in difficult situations. You will learn to how write whole sentences and paragraphs, use adjectives effectively, organise your writing, make notes and complete drafts, spell important common words, use punctuation correctly and develop reading and writing strategies most suited to you. And you will learn some digital skills including reading and finding information from websites.
This course is free for learners who have not achieved a GCSE grade C (4) and higher in English. For more information Click here
Full fee £0.00 - English Entry 2 for deaf people - part 1Course start date: Tue 8 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
This course will help you to get confident in reading, writing and communication. You will learn to read pieces of texts, write sentences, spell correctly and use punctuation. This course has no exams.
This course is free for learners who have not achieved a GCSE grade C (4) and higher in English. For more information Click here
Full fee £0.00 - English grammar for deaf people (entry 2) - part 1Course start date: Thu 10 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
This course is suitable if you have enough vocabulary to be able to read and write basic sentences. During this course, you will learn more vocabulary and grammar to help you talk, read and write about yourself, your family and friends and complete forms, short sms and e-mails. This course has no exams.
This course is free for learners who have not achieved a GCSE grade C (4) and higher in English. For more information Click here
Full fee £0.00 - English for deaf people: Reading for pleasure (entry 1) - part 1Course start date: Thu 10 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
The aim of this course is to develop your reading skills in a friendly and supportive environment. During this course you will read various book stories chosen by the tutor. You will also be discussing your reading materials in BSL, learning new vocabulary and exploring the structure of English. This course has no exams.
This course is free for learners who have not achieved a GCSE grade C (4) and higher in English. For more information Click here
Full fee £0.00 - Maths for deaf people: Getting started with maths - (Entry 1 - Entry 2) - part 1Course start date: Sat 12 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
This course is suitable if you are new to the UK or have missed school education because of language barriers. You will learn basic maths skills, including addition, subtraction, money management, telling the time, and simple measurements.
This course is free for learners who have not achieved a GCSE grade C (4) and higher in Maths. For more information Click here
Full fee £0.00 - Digital skills for deaf people: Introduction to MS Office 365 (Entry 1 - Entry 2) - part 1Course start date: Sat 12 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Microsoft Office 365 is a valuable tool for work, study, and those who require flexible ways to collaborate and communicate. You will learn the basic functions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
This course is free for learners who have digital skills assessed as below level 1. For more information Click here
Full fee £0.00 - BSL level 1 Course start date: Mon 21 Sep 2026 (and 8 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Susan WhalleyHave you always wanted to learn British Sign Language and communicate with Deaf people? Develop the skills you need to gain the level 1 BSL qualification, accredited by Signature. The fees for BSL level 1 courses include a year's subscription to Signworld.
You may wish to study BSL without the pressure of an exam, or just for fun. We can arrange for you to be taught without a formal final assessment and you will receive a certificate of attendance.Full fee £699.00 Senior fee £585.00 Concession £528.00 - Lipreading and managing hearing loss: beginners module 1Course start date: Mon 21 Sep 2026 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Christine HathwayThis class is suitable for total beginners who have little or no experience of lipreading or who have completed a lipreading class at any level in the past, but want to go back to basics. You will learn how to recognise some sounds that are visible on the lips and how to use other tactics to support lipreading and how to manage hearing loss.
This course will be taught in spoken English and not in sign language.
See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £90.00
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