- BBC Learning English: All the BBC Learn English lessons and activities in an app.
- Duolingo: Free app, very easy and fun to use. Suitable for adults or children.
- Rosetta Stone: You can pay for a premium version of this but if you just click ‘no thanks’ and on the cross to close down when it asks you to subscribe, there are lots of free 10 minute lessons for beginners to intermediate.
- Memrise: Lots of free vocabulary, listening and matching games. The app is free, just click ‘maybe later’ when it asks if you want to buy the paid version.
- Drops: Good for vocabulary, a fun app with memory games. Free if you don’t subscribe, just click on the cross to close when it asks if you want to upgrade.
Learning to Speak English (ESOL)
We understand how important learning to speak English is to help with finding a job, attending school and fitting in to your community.
There are lots of opportunities in Lincolnshire to learn and improve your English. English language courses are sometimes referred to as ESOL – English for Speakers of Other Languages.
We have included a lot of information below about the different opportunities to learn to speak English in Lincolnshire. Some of these are formal educational settings like colleges, some are informal places like community groups.
If you can’t attend a particular location for English lessons there are also lots of online resources for learning to speak English – we have made a list of some useful websites, podcasts and apps below, including a few links that might be useful for children.
We hope that you will find something useful on this page, but if you have any questions about where to learn English you can contact the Lincolnshire County Council Homes For Ukraine team on homesforukraine@lincolnshire.gov.uk.
Map of ESOL providers in and around Lincolnshire
The map below shows all of the learning providers in Lincolnshire who offer ESOL classes. You can click on each learning provider on the map to find out more about them, including their contact details.
There are many different levels of ESOL classes on offer across Lincolnshire – courses for beginners, for intermediate English speakers and for advanced English speakers.
Different learning providers teach ESOL in different ways. Some learning providers offer formal ESOL lessons, some offer informal ESOL lessons.
Formal ESOL
These are learning providers who teach ESOL in a formal environment. The courses they offer are likely to be to a set timetable, will follow a set syllabus and will result in a recognised qualification.
Formal providers will usually require you to enrol onto a course that starts at a particular time of year – you are unlikely to be able to enrol in the middle of a course, you will have to wait for the next one to start.
If you are taking a formal ESOL course it is likely that the learning provider will need to assess you to understand your current ability in English, so that they can work out what level of course would be best for you. Please do not worry about this assessment - it is not a test, it is just to help ensure you are placed on the course that is right for you.
It is likely that ESOL courses will be free for Ukrainian guests but you should check this with the learning provider.
The map has not listed the dates of individual courses being run at each learning provider – to find out what courses are being run, and what the start dates are, please contact the learning provider.
In some situations funding can be provided to help you attend these courses, including helping with transport and childcare costs. Again, please contact the learning provider directly for further information.
Informal ESOL
These are learning providers who teach ESOL in an informal environment. These are likely to be drop-in sessions that do not require an enrolment and do not require you to start on a particular date.
These sessions will generally be run by volunteers (many of whom might be experienced teachers giving up their free time to help learners).
These sessions are unlikely to result in a recognised qualification, however they are a good way of building your English skills and giving you opportunities to practise. You may find yourself in a group of people with mixed abilities in English.
It is likely that you can simply turn up and join in the sessions but we would advise you to contact the learning provider first just to check.
Learning English - Online Resources
There is a range of online resources available to support you with learning English. Please see below for more details.
- BBC 6 Minute English: 6 minute videos on language for intermediate and advanced students.
- British Council Learn English Podcast: Lots of episodes with dramas, stories and quizzes. Each episode has a transcript so you can practise reading too. For intermediate level.
- BBC The English We Speak: 3 minute programmes about English sayings. For intermediate or advanced level.
- Podcasts in English: Podcast episodes for beginners to intermediate level to help improve conversation. Videos to watch at the same time and transcripts and quizzes available too.
- Culips English Podcast: American English but interesting topics. Stars used to rate difficulty from 1 to 5.
- ESOL Courses: Lots of activities on reading, writing and speaking; from learning the alphabet to days of the week and conversation starters.
- Future Learn: Free online 4 week courses for beginners through Kings College London. Enrol any time.
- Future Learn: Free online 4 week course for pre-intermediate through Kings College London. Enrol any time.
- BBC Learning English My Way: Beginners lessons on lots of useful topics.
- British Council: Online lessons are available for £5.99 per month but the website has lots of resources on grammar, reading, writing and listening for free too.
- Future Learn: Free 4 week course which uses TV programmes to help build confidence in writing, reading and speaking English.
- ESOL Courses: A fun way to learn English through song lyrics!
- Cambridge English: Lots of activities, quizzes and links to free games and apps.
- BBC Learning English: Lots of video lessons and activities on vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, English for business.
- Oxford Online English: Free English lessons: pronunciation, business English, IELTS preparation.
- Future Learn: English for academic study course. Free but limited 2 week access.
- BBC Skillswise: Writing activities for English and Maths – useful for functional skills exams.
- National Geographic: Grammar, writing and reading activities on nature and science topics.
- The Open University have free online resources for Ukrainians settling in the UK and Ireland.
- Flash Academy.
- Racing to English.
- Klik2learn – provider of online English courses at various levels.
- Flying Cows Learning – East Midlands-based provider of various levels of online English courses, including Teaching English as a Second or Other Language (TESOL).
- Free printable books for early reading.
- LearnEnglish Kids: Free games, stories and activities for children. There is also advice for parents on supporting children to learn English, and information about English courses for children.
- Language nut English offers free language learning resources for supporting Ukrainians to learn English at school or independently (covers proficiency levels Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) A1 to B2).
- Future Learn: Free online four week course to help people learn basic individual skills (join with ‘limited access’ for the free 4-week course).
- LearnEnglish Teens: Improve English with reading, writing and listening practice, tips for exams, grammar and vocabulary exercises, and games and videos.
- News in levels: Learn 3,000 words in English by reading and listening to news articles at different levels.
- Babbel is an online language learning platform offering native Ukrainian speakers the opportunity to learn German, Polish or English through free self-study lessons.
- The Duolingo English Test is a CEFR-aligned test of English proficiency and is recognised by some universities and education providers who can get this test for free for their Ukrainian students. They provide information about how to access free Duolingo English Test coupons.
- Games to Learn English: Games to help with grammar and vocabulary (American English).
- CBeebies Bedtime Stories: Lots of lovely children’s stories read by celebrities.
- Yakka Dee!: A series of short programmes encouraging young children to talk.
- SnappyWords: Interactive website of tools and games to help improve and expand your vocabulary
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In this section
- Homes For Ukraine Lincolnshire
- Visas, Sponsoring and Hosting
- Health and Emergency Services
- Learning to Speak English (ESOL)
- Education, Family and Child Services
- Money, Benefits and Financial Support
- Adult Learning and Employment
- Housing
- Travel, Shopping and Community
- General Support
- Ukraine Support Groups
- Guest & Host Newsletters
- In-Person Support
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