What is the course about?
This is a course for native and non-native English speakers to improve practical English skills for the workplace and for day-to-day living.
Is a pre-enrolment interview or assessment required for this course?
Yes, please contact our customer services before enrolling.
What level is the course and do I require particular skills, experience or prior qualifications?
This is an Entry Level 3 course. Familiarity and confidence with English as it is spoken in every day life is intrinsic to the course, as it does not have specific grammar and vocabulary input in the way that ESOL classes do. This is because it is for all learners and not only for people who are learning English as a second or other language. As part of the application process you will need to take an initial assessment and have a short interview with one of our tutors. The course is especially suitable for students who are studying with a particular career or educational pathway in mind, to provide them with a context for the English skills they are learning.
What topics does the course cover?
The course is practically based. You will study reading (understanding layout and extracting information from texts), formal and informal writing (for example, e-mails, letters and articles) including punctuation and sentence structure, and using speaking and listening skills to give short talks and to participate fully and appropriately in group discussions.
How will I be taught and assessed?
Courses run for 5 months and you will have two classes per week, each of two hours. You will be in a class of up to 20 students and will work as a whole class, in pairs and in small groups. You will be given homework and will also have an account with an online learning platform called Century in order to work independently outside class time. The course has three assessments; reading, writing and speaking & listening. The reading and writing assessments will be taken in week 13 of your 17 week course, and the speaking & listening in week 16. You will have mock assessments before this, for practice.
Are there any other costs or equipment I need to get?
The course is funded by the government so is free to applicants. You will though need to supply your own stationery: an A4 folder to keep your work and your own pens and paper. You will need access to a PC or a laptop to complete the work on Century and to access Microsoft Teams, but these are available in the learning centres of our sites if you do not have ICT equipment at home.
By the end of the course what should I be able to do?
By the end of the course you should have increased your confidence to read and write in English in workplace or everyday life situations, and to participate in conversations or discussions. You should be able to write e-mails, articles, reports or online forum posts to Entry 3 standard and be familiar with different text layouts and purposes, and extracting information from these.
What are the progression opportunities following this course?
The progression from this course is to Level 1 English Functional Skills. This is dependent on passing all three of the assessments to a sufficient standard and having a satisfactory record of attendance. For non-native speakers of English, progression might be to an ESOL course, to strengthen knowledge of grammar and vocabulary before tackling Level 1 English Functional Skills.