Home > HK Hub > Learning English
廣東話

Learning English

Introduction Understanding Your English Level Local Provision Online Self-study Courses for Professional Use (IELTS & Driving Theory) Free ESOL Resources FAQs

English language skills are really important to help you integrate into life in the UK.

The government is keen to support those on the BN(O) route to learn English.  Top tier local authorities are able to claim funding of up to £850 per adult to support access to English language classes.  In the East of England most local authorities are using this funding for face to face classes.

The East of England Hong Kong Welcome Hub believes that many BN(O) visa holders and their dependants need English language support which goes beyond this.  Therefore, to help boost your level of English, we are funding a range of additional provision for people living in our region.  This includes online classes,  self-study and courses for professional use.

Please be aware that the ESOL provision offered on this website is only for BN(O) visa holders and their dependants living in the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk). If you do not reside in the East of England, please contact the Hong Kong Welcome Hub in your region to find out more about ESOL in your area.  

ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)

Understanding your English level can be difficult. Whereas the use of the CEFR framework (The CEFR Levels (coe.int)) is common in many countries, it is only used by some organisations in the UK. Most government-funded programmes use the ESOL or Skills for Life levels (these are pre-entry or New to ESOL, Entry 1, 2 and 3 then Level 1 and Level 2). This table shows how the CEFR and ESOL levels compare and what can be achieved when a person has English at a specified level.

The table below details the criteria for each level under the CEFR framework

In order to facilitate international comparisons and enable you to understand a range of common ESOL exams on offer, please refer to this website The Cambridge English Scale - information for institutions and in particular the table shown there.

This table: British Education System and Equivalency - Study in the UK with UNI Britannica shows that if you have an ESOL Level 2 qualification or equivalent at B2 or C1 (e.g. Cambridge B2 First, IELTS around 6.0 or higher), you can progress to a range of other courses and can access university (Levels 3-7).

If you want to improve your English there are various things you can do. Some people prefer formal classes and may want to take an exam like IELTS. For other people, improving their spoken English and learning about life in the UK is more important. We understand that people have different needs so the Hong Kong Welcome Hub has arranged the following options for you. You are welcome to choose one or more of these options to suit your wishes and needs.

The government funding only allows for a small number of classes. Generally the following options will provide around 3 hours per week face-to-face in a local class with a teacher. These courses are arranged in conjunction with your top tier local authority, so that you can benefit from the government funding of up to £800 per person for ESOL. When signing up please inform the provider that you are on the BN(O) visa route.  They will also wish to check that you live in the local area.

Please choose the provision for your location:

Bedfordshire 

Cambridgeshire

Essex 

Hertfordshire

Norfolk

Suffolk 

If you are located in an area in the East of England About - East of England Local Government Marketplace (eelga.gov.uk) that is not listed here for ESOL provision, please contact Justin Leung

If you have any problems accessing the provision listed above, please contact Justin Leung

For online lessons you must have a computer/laptop and a quiet working environment.

We are funding a limited number of places on the following online courses, so you can attend free of charge. 

Please be aware that these courses are only for BNO visa holders and their dependants living in the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk). If you do not reside in the East of England, please contact the Hong Kong Welcome Hub in your region to find out about ESOL in your area.

These courses will be for 3 hours per day, 3 days per week from July to the end of October.  We know this is a big commitment, but we want to really help you improve your English as quickly as possible.

You can sign up here

 

Morning Course (FULL):

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday

1000-1300

Starting on July 4th Ending end of October

Evening Course:

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 

1800-2100

Starting on July 5th Ending end of October

We have identified two self-study options for you.

Option 1: Klik2learn

With Klik2learn's award-winning online English courses, you’ll have the ability to gain a certificate in English Learning from City & Guilds within a matter of months. 

We have put in place a special offer with Klik2learn for a limited number of BN(O) visa holders and their dependants living in the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk).

If you qualify, we will cover the costs of a one-month trial for you. After that, if you wish to continue you can pay to access the course for yourself.  We have negotiated a reduced price of £5.00 per month.  This is an 83% reduction on the standard UK price of £30 per month.

Click here to get started.

This course is best suited to people who prefer a more informal style (A1-B2).

Option 2: British Council

You can also sign up to the British Council Self-study course for £5.99 per month. We were unable to make arrangements with the British Council to cover a month’s free trial so you will need to sign up for yourself. This self-study course is well-suited to people who prefer formal study. You can sign up here: LearnEnglish Subscription: self-access courses | British Council (A1-C1).

IELTS & Driving Theory Courses:

BN(O) visa holders and their dependants living in the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk) are able to access the WW4RI project: Well being and Work for Refugee Integration Project - EELGA SMP.

Participation in this project is NOT affected by the ‘no recourse to public funds’ condition on your visa. It does not change your immigration status and is not limited to refugees.

This project gives you access to an employment adviser to assist you into work, some work-related courses and also a therapist to support your mental wellbeing (in most places).

The courses available are listed here: WW4RI ESOL and skills courses - EELGA SMP

In addition to the work courses stated above, we are able to provide free IELTS courses for academic and/or professional purposes through this programme.

If you wish to study OET, please contact Justin Leung

To access all of the benefits of the WW4RI project including IELTS, please register with your local employment adviser:

Bedfordshire: Sharifullah Dorani [email protected]; Helena Maddock [email protected];

Hertfordshire: Justyna Wajer: [email protected];

Cambridgeshire: Thomas Wright [email protected];

Essex: Jan Abraham [email protected] Abdul Karem Atteh [email protected];

Suffolk: Sarah Owens: [email protected];

Norfolk: Jordan Watson: [email protected]

Thanks to the South West Hong Kong Welcome Hub and NATECLA, here is a list of free online ESOL resources:

Websites:

Youtube:

Learn English with social media and Apps:

Pronunciation practice:

Citizenship

Younger children:

Websites:

YouTube:

Teenagers:

Websites:

YouTube:

I cannot find the times for face to face courses on the provider's website

Please contact the provider for the updated course schedule.

Are the courses free?

We have found lots of different ways to fund courses for BN(O) visa holders in the East of England, so you can learn English free of charge.

Can I register with an employment adviser even if I do not want an IELTS course?

Yes, you are encouraged to register with an employment adviser. To find out what employment advisers can do for you click here to read more.

None of the courses suit me!

Please contact Justin Leung

English language skills are really important to help you integrate into life in the UK.

The government is keen to support those on the BN(O) route to learn English.  Top tier local authorities are able to claim funding of up to £850 per adult to support access to English language classes.  In the East of England most local authorities are using this funding for face to face classes.

The East of England Hong Kong Welcome Hub believes that many BN(O) visa holders and their dependants need English language support which goes beyond this.  Therefore, to help boost your level of English, we are funding a range of additional provision for people living in our region.  This includes online classes,  self-study and courses for professional use.

Please be aware that the ESOL provision offered on this website is only for BN(O) visa holders and their dependants living in the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk). If you do not reside in the East of England, please contact the Hong Kong Welcome Hub in your region to find out more about ESOL in your area.  

ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)

Understanding your English level can be difficult. Whereas the use of the CEFR framework (The CEFR Levels (coe.int)) is common in many countries, it is only used by some organisations in the UK. Most government-funded programmes use the ESOL or Skills for Life levels (these are pre-entry or New to ESOL, Entry 1, 2 and 3 then Level 1 and Level 2). This table shows how the CEFR and ESOL levels compare and what can be achieved when a person has English at a specified level.

The table below details the criteria for each level under the CEFR framework

In order to facilitate international comparisons and enable you to understand a range of common ESOL exams on offer, please refer to this website The Cambridge English Scale - information for institutions and in particular the table shown there.

This table: British Education System and Equivalency - Study in the UK with UNI Britannica shows that if you have an ESOL Level 2 qualification or equivalent at B2 or C1 (e.g. Cambridge B2 First, IELTS around 6.0 or higher), you can progress to a range of other courses and can access university (Levels 3-7).

If you want to improve your English there are various things you can do. Some people prefer formal classes and may want to take an exam like IELTS. For other people, improving their spoken English and learning about life in the UK is more important. We understand that people have different needs so the Hong Kong Welcome Hub has arranged the following options for you. You are welcome to choose one or more of these options to suit your wishes and needs.

The government funding only allows for a small number of classes. Generally the following options will provide around 3 hours per week face-to-face in a local class with a teacher. These courses are arranged in conjunction with your top tier local authority, so that you can benefit from the government funding of up to £800 per person for ESOL. When signing up please inform the provider that you are on the BN(O) visa route.  They will also wish to check that you live in the local area.

Please choose the provision for your location:

Bedfordshire 

Cambridgeshire

Essex 

Hertfordshire

Norfolk

Suffolk 

If you are located in an area in the East of England About - East of England Local Government Marketplace (eelga.gov.uk) that is not listed here for ESOL provision, please contact Justin Leung

If you have any problems accessing the provision listed above, please contact Justin Leung

For online lessons you must have a computer/laptop and a quiet working environment.

We are funding a limited number of places on the following online courses, so you can attend free of charge. 

Please be aware that these courses are only for BNO visa holders and their dependants living in the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk). If you do not reside in the East of England, please contact the Hong Kong Welcome Hub in your region to find out about ESOL in your area.

These courses will be for 3 hours per day, 3 days per week from July to the end of October.  We know this is a big commitment, but we want to really help you improve your English as quickly as possible.

You can sign up here

 

Morning Course (FULL):

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday

1000-1300

Starting on July 4th Ending end of October

Evening Course:

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 

1800-2100

Starting on July 5th Ending end of October

We have identified two self-study options for you.

Option 1: Klik2learn

With Klik2learn's award-winning online English courses, you’ll have the ability to gain a certificate in English Learning from City & Guilds within a matter of months. 

We have put in place a special offer with Klik2learn for a limited number of BN(O) visa holders and their dependants living in the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk).

If you qualify, we will cover the costs of a one-month trial for you. After that, if you wish to continue you can pay to access the course for yourself.  We have negotiated a reduced price of £5.00 per month.  This is an 83% reduction on the standard UK price of £30 per month.

Click here to get started.

This course is best suited to people who prefer a more informal style (A1-B2).

Option 2: British Council

You can also sign up to the British Council Self-study course for £5.99 per month. We were unable to make arrangements with the British Council to cover a month’s free trial so you will need to sign up for yourself. This self-study course is well-suited to people who prefer formal study. You can sign up here: LearnEnglish Subscription: self-access courses | British Council (A1-C1).

IELTS & Driving Theory Courses:

BN(O) visa holders and their dependants living in the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk) are able to access the WW4RI project: Well being and Work for Refugee Integration Project - EELGA SMP.

Participation in this project is NOT affected by the ‘no recourse to public funds’ condition on your visa. It does not change your immigration status and is not limited to refugees.

This project gives you access to an employment adviser to assist you into work, some work-related courses and also a therapist to support your mental wellbeing (in most places).

The courses available are listed here: WW4RI ESOL and skills courses - EELGA SMP

In addition to the work courses stated above, we are able to provide free IELTS courses for academic and/or professional purposes through this programme.

If you wish to study OET, please contact Justin Leung

To access all of the benefits of the WW4RI project including IELTS, please register with your local employment adviser:

Bedfordshire: Sharifullah Dorani [email protected]; Helena Maddock [email protected];

Hertfordshire: Justyna Wajer: [email protected];

Cambridgeshire: Thomas Wright [email protected];

Essex: Jan Abraham [email protected] Abdul Karem Atteh [email protected];

Suffolk: Sarah Owens: [email protected];

Norfolk: Jordan Watson: [email protected]

Thanks to the South West Hong Kong Welcome Hub and NATECLA, here is a list of free online ESOL resources:

Websites:

Youtube:

Learn English with social media and Apps:

Pronunciation practice:

Citizenship

Younger children:

Websites:

YouTube:

Teenagers:

Websites:

YouTube:

I cannot find the times for face to face courses on the provider's website

Please contact the provider for the updated course schedule.

Are the courses free?

We have found lots of different ways to fund courses for BN(O) visa holders in the East of England, so you can learn English free of charge.

Can I register with an employment adviser even if I do not want an IELTS course?

Yes, you are encouraged to register with an employment adviser. To find out what employment advisers can do for you click here to read more.

None of the courses suit me!

Please contact Justin Leung