Learn English in UK: language schools courses in Britain


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Find an English language school in the UK


Sections:	English language schools
	Vocabulary
	Choosing a school
	Course types
	Time of year
	London schools
	Links

Related pages:	Guide (information for all types of student)
	Vocational courses (study job-related subjects)
	Short courses (summer school classes)
	University / college (1-year diploma/exchange, or undergraduate degree)
	Distance learning (study a UK-based course in your own country)

From early 2009, new student visa rules will be introduced in the UK ("Tier 4" of the "points based system"). After this time you will only be able to get a student visa to study at accredited schools. For details, see: Prepare/Visa

ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOLS

The most popular language school locations in the UK are in Oxford, Cambridge and London. Other popular towns include Brighton, Bournemouth, Eastbourne, Canterbury, Bath, Exeter and Hastings. You can find photos and information about these and other locations in the UK in this section: Travel/Tours/UK.

The main English language exams are described in the English/Exams section.
UKCISA produce guidance notes for students on: "Learning English in the UK" at http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/information_sheets.php.

If a school is not accredited by the British Council or other official organisation, you need to ask if it is in the Register of Education and Training Providers. If the school is not listed in the Register, your application for a visa or for permission to enter/remain in the UK as a student will be refused (from January 2005). Note that just because a school is on this register does not tell you anything about its quality - it only tells you that such a school exists. For more details, see: Prepare/Visa. Be careful to avoid bogus language schools (bogus means "false, not real or not legal"). For information about this see: Course/Bogus-Schools

These are some of the ways to find a language school in the UK:

(1) Language school associations

The British Council assesses the quality of English language teaching in the UK through its Accreditation UK scheme. See: http://www.britishcouncil.org/accreditation.htm

English UK (http://www.englishuk.com) is an association of UK language schools which combines the members of the former organisations ARELS (Association of Recognised English Language Services: http://www.arels.org.uk) and BASELT (the British Association of State English Language Teaching: http://www.baselt.org.uk)

EAQUALS (the European Association for Quality Language Services) is an association of language schools in the UK or other parts of Europe. Their website is at http://www.eaquals.org

IALC (the International Association of Language Centres) is an accrediting body for language schools worldwide, including a number of English language schools in the UK. Their website is: http://www.ialc.org

(2) Agents

For information about using an agent to help to organise a school and your travel, see: Prepare/Agent
Remember that agents are paid commissions - ask yourself if you believe that he/she is giving you the best information for you, or is choosing to recommend the places which pay the most to the agent.
If you need a visa to come to the UK, you should

(3) Directories

You can use directories to find a list of language schools in a town or city. For example:
- You can find a language school using UpMyStreet: http://www.upmystreet.com. Select Find My Nearest … , enter a postcode or town name, select Find by category and choose Education & childcare then Language schools. The closest ones will be listed first. Note that not all language schools teach English - they may teach other languages.
- Yellow Pages: http://www.yell.com. For "What?" type Language courses & schools and for "Where?" type Brighton.
- Use a search engine (such as Google: http://www.google.co.uk), using an expression such as english language school brighton (choose to search pages from the UK).
- Contact the local council or tourist office.
- Books are available which list schools and basic details about the courses (see below)
Remember to be careful if you decide to study at a school which is not accredited by the British Council.

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VOCABULARY

These are some of the general expressions which you may see used to describe types of English courses:

ESOL - English for Speakers of Other Languages: These classes are usually intended for people whose first language is not English but who have immigrated to the UK (meaning that they have come to live permanently in the UK).

EFL - English as a Foreign Language: Teaching of English to people who live in countries where English is not an official language of the country (for example: teaching people from mainland Europe, East Asia or South America, either in their own country or in the UK). This is the term used

ESL - English as a Second Language: This refers to teaching English to people from countries where English is widely used in everyday life, although the country also has a different national language. There are many such countries in the Commonwealth (for example: India, Nigeria and Singapore). It also refers to teaching of immigrants in English speaking countries. Because English language teaching in the US has historically been mainly to immigrants, this is the term generally used for English courses in the US

EAP - English for Academic Purposes: courses designed to prepare foreign students to study an academic course at a UK college or university. The course may be either pre-sessional (before the start of the course) or in-sessional (during your course)

ESP - English for Special Purposes: Some English language courses are designed for people having a particular specialised interest in studying English, for example for their jobs or for their academic studies

ELT - English Language Teaching: Courses for people who want to teach English to others

English Plus - English courses (especially at summer schools) which include social activities, group travel or sports training.

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CHOOSING A SCHOOL

Once you have found a language school, check if you have considered the following points. If these points are important to you and you cannot find the answers on the school's website or in its brochure, ask the school for details before you enrol:

School
- If the school is private, is it accredited by the British Council? If so, you should be able to find details on the web-site: http://www.englishinbritain.co.uk.
- Is the school listed on the DfES Register of Education and Training Providers? If it isn't, you won't be able to get a student visa. If it is, it doesn't mean that it is a quality school - it just means that the school exists and provides lessons.
- What facilities does the school have? Is there a library or study room? Are there computers or special language learning facilities?
- Where is the school located?
- How big is the school (what is the maximum number of students it can take)?

Teachers
- What qualifications do the teachers have? Have all the teachers completed courses in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL)? How much teaching experience do they have?
- What are the nationalities of the teachers? Are they British? Are they native English speakers?

Courses / exams
- Are courses offered throughout the year, or just summer programmes? Note that schools which only operate in summer are not as well regulated.
- Is there a full structured course, or a set of modules designed for students taking short-term courses?
- Are there specialised English courses (business English, English conversation etc)?
- For which exams does the school prepare students?
- On what dates do courses begin? Courses with weekly intakes may be less well structured, but may have a more convenient start date for you.
- When does the school close for holidays?
- Is there any recommended study material to read before the course starts?
- What textbooks and teaching methods are used?
- Is there a minimum study period?
- Is there an entrance test? For higher level courses some schools may need you to have a minimum IELTS or TOEFL score, or to show a high school leaving certificate.

Classes
- What is the maximum class size? What is the average class size? A class size of up to 10 is small, 10-15 is average and over 15 students is large.
- What proportion of the students are of your nationality (this may be a particularly important consideration for Japanese, Spanish and Italian students, or at schools whose students are sent mainly from agents in one country). There are schools at which more than half of all students are from one country at some times of the year.
- What is the typical age range of students in the class?
- At what time of day are the classes? Are there different prices for morning and afternoon classes?
- Each week, how many hours of classes are there? At least 15 hours per week are required for a student visa (these classes should be between 9am-6pm Monday to Friday - not in the evenings or at weekends).
- Into how many levels of ability are students divided? How does the school decide your level?
- Can you change classes if you want to study under a different teacher or if you find the lessons too easy or difficult?
- Is it possible for you to join one of the classes before you enrol, to check if it is suitable for you (if you are already in the UK)?

Money
- How much do the courses cost? Is there a registration fee? There is a great variation in course costs (depending on class sizes, the level of experience of the teachers, the school facilities and its location).
- Does the course fee include VAT (value added tax) (currently 17.5%)?
- Does the course fee include books or other study materials?
- If you are applying directly rather than using an agent, is there any discount available?
- What is the policy about refunds if you have to stop going to the course for some reason?
- What happens if the school closes for some reason (for example if it goes bankrupt)?
- If you are want to get a job while you are studying (assuming that your passport/visa allows this), how easy will it be to find a part-time job close to your school and accommodation?

Life
- Does the school provide help with visas / banks / work placements / airport collection?
- Does the school provide help finding accommodation? Is this included within the course fees? What kind of accommodation is there? How far is it from the school, and what will be the cost of travelling there each day?
- Does the school organise any social events or excursions? Are there extra charges for these?
- How much support is given to help you adjust to the UK, or to help with problems?

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSE TYPES

The most common are General English courses, courses for particular exams (see English/Exams for a list of the most popular English language exams).

However, there are a wide variety of English courses offered courses (including some which are combined with business or sport activities):

General: British culture; Christmas holiday course; Conversation; Easter holiday course; Executive; General; Home tuition; Intensive; Junior; One-to-one; Pronunciation; Summer holiday course
Academic: Academic purposes; Examinations; Pre-sessional (preparation for a university course); Teacher training
Industry: Aviation; Engineering; Hotel/catering management; Journalism; Medicine/health/nursing; Military; Petroleum; Tourism/travel
Business: Banking; Business; Computing; Finance; Law; Management; Marketing/advertising; Secretarial; Translation
Arts: Art/design; Fashion; Interior design; Literature; Music; Performing arts
Sports: Football; Golf

Some courses include the chance to spend some time working in a British company (an internship), although this work is normally unpaid.

Schools which have teacher training programmes may offer cheap classes which are given by trainee teachers. For example, the courses given by trainee teachers at International House London are described here: http://www.ihlondon.com/english/practicelessons.asp.

If you cannot find the particular type of course you require, contact the British Council in your country for advice. To find their nearest offices, see: Links or http://www.britishcouncil.org/home/home-contact/home-contact-worldwide.htm.

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TIME OF YEAR

Some of the things you may want to consider when you consider what time of year to study English in the UK:

Season	Months	Notes
Spring	March April May	A time when many Far Eastern students arrive, as their academic year starts in April. The weather changes quickly. A mixture of sunshine and showers. The second of the three terms in the UK academic year starts in April.
Summer	June July August	July and August are the busiest months for tourists. It may be difficult to find cheap, good quality accommodation. Air fares may be more expensive. Transport may be busy.There may be many European school children or university students taking short courses at language schools during their summer holidays (especially Italian and Spanish students).If you are studying at a university, some of the facilities may be closed.The warmest and sunniest months of the year.It remains light until late at night (sunset is after 10pm in June). More temporary jobs may be available
Autumn	September October November	The start of the first term of the UK academic year: most school, university or college courses start in late September or early October
Winter	December January February	Courses may be cheaper (some schools offer discounts). Classes may have fewer students; students may be older and more motivated to learn. It may be easier to find centrally located accommodation, and transport may be less crowded. The weather is often cold or wet (this could make it easier to spend time indoors for studying). It gets dark early in the afternoon (sunset is before 4pm in December). Schools may be closed over Christmas and New Year (from end December to early January). Shopping season: Christmas shopping and then January sales. The second of the three terms in the UK academic year starts in January

There are likely to be more students of your nationality during the times of the main school and university holidays in your own country. For example, the largest number of students from South America (especially from Brazil and Argentina) come to the UK in January, February and July. The largest number of European students (especially from Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Turkey and Russia) arrive in July and August. Asian students (especially from Japan, Korea and China) usually stay in the UK for longer than European students. Although the largest number of Asian students are in the UK from July to September, they make up a higher proportion of the total number of students at other times of the year, when there are fewer European students.

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LONDON SCHOOLS

When you are looking through lists of language schools in London it can be difficult to locate them quickly.
This postcode map may help you. If you know the postcode of a school then you can locate its approximate position using this map.
The most central areas have a postcode beginning with WC ("west central") or EC ("east central").
The other London postcodes indicate the direction: E ("east"), N ("north"), NW ("north-west"), W ("west"), SW ("south-west"), SE ("south-east").
There are also areas with different postcodes which are a bit less central but are in the area called "greater London". These start with the codes shown outside the map.

The following list is of accredited schools in the London area which were members of English UK at the end of 2007. They are grouped by postcode area. The colour of the shading is the same as in the map above.

Postcode	School name	Website
EC2	InTuition Languages	http://www.intuitionlang.com
EC3	Communicaid	http://www.communicaid.com
EC3	Our World English Schools	http://www.ourworldenglish.com
WC1	Bell International, London	http://www.bell-centres.com
WC1	Bloomsbury International	http://www.bloomsbury-international.com
WC1	Kaplan Aspect London - Covent Garden	http://www.kaplanaspect.com
WC1	Language in London (formerly Camden College of English)	http://www.camdencollege.com
WC1	Language Studies International London Central	http://www.lsi.edu
WC1	St Giles International, London Central	http://www.stgiles-international.com
WC1	The English Studio Language School	http://www.the-englishstudio.com
WC2	Avalon School of English	http://www.avalonschool.co.uk
WC2	EC London	http://www.ecenglish.com
WC2	International House London	http://www.ihlondon.com
WC2	Kaplan Aspect London - Leicester Square	http://www.kaplanaspect.com
WC2	Leicester Square School of English	http://www.lsse.ac.uk
WC2	One to One English	http://www.onetooneenglish.co.uk
WC2	Regent London	http://www.regent.org.uk
WC2	Sels College London	http://www.sels.co.uk
E1	Queen Mary, University of London	http://www.languageandlearning.qmul.ac.uk
E17	Waltham Forest College	http://www.waltham.ac.uk
N2	Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute	http://www.hgsi.ac.uk
N6	St Giles International, London Highgate	http://www.stgiles-international.com
N7	London Metropolitan University	http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/els
N10	Excel English	http://www.excelenglish.co.uk
N14	Southgate College	http://www.southgate.ac.uk/international
NW1	Internexus - Regent's College	http://www.internexus.to
NW1	Tti School of English	http://www.ttischool.com
NW3	Hampstead School of English	http://www.hampstead-english.ac.uk
NW3	Language Studies International London Hampstead	http://www.lsi.edu
NW6	ESOL Intensive at the College of North West London	http://www.cnwl.ac.uk
NW8	Academy SJW (St John's Wood School of English)	http://www.sjw-school.co.uk
NW9	Barnet College	http://www.barnet.ac.uk
NW11	Golders Green College	http://www.englishlanguagecollege.co.uk
SE1	EF International Language School, London	http://www.ef.com
SE1	English Language Institute (ELI), London	http://www.londoneli.org
SE1	Southwark College	http://www.southwark.ac.uk
SE3	Eurocentres London Lee Green	http://www.eurocentres.com
SE8	Embassy CES London	http://www.embassyces.com
SE13	Twin English Centre London	http://www.twinuk.com
SE18	Greenwich Community College (GCC London)	http://www.gcc.ac.uk
SW1	Eurocentres London Central	http://www.eurocentres.com
SW1	Victoria School of English	http://www.victoriaschool.co.uk
SW4	English Language Training (ELT)	http://www.elt-online.co.uk
SW6	Burlington School of English	http://www.burlingtonschool.co.uk
SW6	London Study Centre	http://www.londonstudycentre.co.uk
SW7	Frances King School of English (London)	http://www.francesking.co.uk
SW7	Language Link	http://www.languagelink.co.uk
SW15	South Thames College London	http://www.south-thames.ac.uk
SW19	CES/Swandean School of English, Wimbledon	http://www.swandean.co.uk
SW19	London College Wimbledon	http://www.londoncollegewimbledon.co.uk
SW19	Milner School of English, Wimbledon	http://www.milnerschool.co.uk
SW19	Wimbledon Language Academy	http://www.wla-london.com
SW19	Wimbledon School of English	http://www.wimbledon-school.ac.uk
W1	British Study Centres London	http://www.british-study.com
W1	Central School of English	http://www.centralschool.co.uk
W1	Eden House College	http://www.edenhouse.co.uk
W1	London Meridian College	http://www.meridiancollege.co.uk
W1	Malvern House London	http://www.malvernhouse.com
W1	Mayfair School of English	http://www.mayfairschool.co.uk
W1	Oxford House College, London	http://www.oxfordhousecollege.co.uk
W1	Rose of York Language School	http://www.roseofyork.co.uk
W1	Saint George International	http://www.stgeorges.co.uk
W1	Shane Global Language Centres London Central	http://www.shaneglobal.co.uk
W1	United International College Limited (UIC)	http://www.uiclondon.com
W1	University of the Arts London, The Language Centre	http://www.arts.ac.uk/languagecentre
W1	University of Westminster	http://www.wmin.ac.uk/efl
W1	Westminster Kingsway College	http://www.westking.ac.uk
W2	AEST (Anglo European Study Tours)	http://www.aest.co.uk
W2	SKOLA Group: English in London	http://www.skola.co.uk/london
W2	SKOLA Group: English Study Tours	http://www.skola.co.uk/est
W2	SKOLA Group: International Community School	http://www.skola.co.uk
W2	Stanton School of English	http://www.stanton-school.co.uk
W5	GEOS English Academy, London	http://www.geos-london.co.uk
W5	Languages Plus London Ltd/Edwards Language School	http://www.edwards-language-school.co.uk
W6	Active Learning	http://www.active-learning.co.uk
W8	Discovery Summer	http://www.discoverysummer.co.uk
W12	King Street College Ltd.	http://www.kingstreet.co.uk
W12	London Empire Academy	http://www.londonac.co.uk
W14	Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College	http://www.wlc.ac.uk
W14	The London School of English	http://www.londonschool.com
BR3	King's School of English London	http://www.kingslon.co.uk
EN1	English and Cultural Studies Centres (ECSC)	http://www.englishandcultural.com
HA1	BABSSCo (The British Association of Boarding School Short Course)	http://www.babssco.co.uk
HA1	Harrow College	http://www.harrow.ac.uk
HA8	Crest Schools of English	http://www.crestschools.com
KT1	Kingston College	http://www.kingston-college.ac.uk
TW7	West Thames College	http://www.west-thames.ac.uk
TW9	Language upon Thames	http://www.languageuponthames.co.uk
TW9	Richmond Adult Community College	http://www.racc.ac.uk
TW9	Richmond Language Training Ltd	http://www.rlt.co.uk
TW20	TASIS - The American School in England	http://www.tasis.com
UB8	Uxbridge College	http://www.uxbridgecollege.ac.uk
WD6	Centre for International Training	http://www.citraining.org.uk

LINKS

Using an education travel agent: Prepare/Agent
The cost of living in the UK: Prepare/Cost
UK immigration issues: Prepare/Visa
Guide to British towns: Travel/Tours/UK

Home page: Home

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