The International ESOL courses have been developed to allow international learners to gain a recognised qualification in English language. These qualifications are mapped to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages CEFR, the Adult ESOL Core Curriculum and the National Standards for Adult Literacy.

The International ESOL qualifications provide valuable opportunities for individuals to develop skills and gain underpinning knowledge and understanding in the four main areas of speaking, listening, reading and writing and is linked to the Common European Framework.

These qualifications enable learners to gain crucial language skills for work or social purposes. International ESOL qualifications are designed for learners who are not native speakers of English and who wish to achieve a high quality, internationally recognised qualification in English that is available and recognised worldwide and at the highest level (RQF Level 3/CEF C2). They are suitable for candidates who are preparing for entry to higher education or professional employment in the UK or elsewhere. They allow learners to expand cultural knowledge, participate in English-speaking communities and improve communication skills when travelling abroad for business and/or pleasure.

EC Reading offers International ESOL from Entry CEFR B1 to Level 3 CEFR C2 Levels.

The overall objective of the International ESOL qualifications is to provide learners with a qualification that they can use where the ability to speak, write and understand verbal and written English is required. The qualifications are suitable for:

• non-native speakers of English worldwide
• young people or adults attending an English course either in the UK or overseas
• students learning English as part of their school or college curriculum
• people needing English for their everyday or working life
• learners who require externally recognised certification of their command of the English language
• those who are attending courses over a period and require a series of graded examinations which provide steps up the ladder of English language proficiency
• learners attending short courses in English
• visa applicants who need to demonstrate that they have met the required level of English by passing a test with a UK Home Office approved Secure English Language Testing (SELT) provider.

Duration: 

• 6 months (20 lessons per week) - Standard Visitor Visa
• 11 months (15 lessons per week) - Short-term Study Visa

Content Overview:

Listening - This unit provides learners with the knowledge and skills needed to enable them to extract information from varying length texts, listen for grammatical and phonological detail, listen for gist and specific information and recognise a variety of speakers feelings and viewpoints.

Reading and Use of English – This unit provides learners with the knowledge and skills to extract main points and ideas and predict words from context, read and scan texts to locate information, use syntax and grammar to work out meaning and understanding and use a variety of reading strategies to help read and understand unfamiliar words.

Writing – This unit provides learners with the knowledge and skills to recognise the process of planning, drafting and making notes when writing text. Main points of writing will be in short paragraphs showing sequence, expression, correct basic spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Speaking - This unit provides learners with the knowledge and skills needed to enable them to obtain information from different spoken sources and speak to communicate in different situations and be able to relate to other speakers

Duration: 

• 6 months (20 lessons per week) - Standard Visitor Visa
• 11 months (15 lessons per week) - Short-term Study Visa

Content Overview:

Listening - This unit provides learners with the knowledge and skills needed to enable them to extract information from varying length texts, listen for grammatical and phonological detail, listen for gist and specific information and recognise a variety of speakers feelings and viewpoints.

Reading and Use of English – This unit provides learners with the knowledge and skills to extract main points and ideas and predict words from context, read, skim and scan texts to locate information, use implicit and explicit grammar to predict meaning, recognise and understand an increasing range of vocabulary.