Key Facts
| Adult Skills Fund earnings threshold for full funding | below £26,800 annual gross salary |
|---|---|
| SELT result validity for visa applications | 2 years from the date the test is awarded |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
ESOL stands for English for Speakers of Other Languages, the name used in the UK for English courses and qualifications aimed at adults whose first language is not English and who live in the UK. Courses and qualifications run at five levels, Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2, and they assess speaking and listening, reading and writing. Learners use them for daily life, study, work and progression into other courses.
Qualifications at these levels are offered by awarding bodies such as Trinity College London, City & Guilds and Pearson, and the classes that lead to them run in colleges, adult education provision and community groups. English tests for visa and citizenship applications are a separate set of tests, so the right choice depends on what the result is needed for.
What does ESOL stand for and who is it for?
ESOL stands for English for Speakers of Other Languages, and it is designed for adults whose first language is not English and who live in the UK. The qualifications are described as suitable for mainly over-16 learners who want to improve their English for daily life, work or further study. Councils also signpost new arrivals to classes through local further education providers, so a first enquiry often goes through a council or a college.
How is ESOL different from EFL and Functional Skills English?
ESOL qualifications are built for learners whose first language is not English, whereas Functional Skills English and GCSE English are designed for learners whose first language is English. The ESOL Skills for Life qualifications are based on the National Standards for Adult Literacy and show a clear relationship to the Adult ESOL Core Curriculum, which drew partly on curricula for English as a Foreign Language, known as EFL.
A separate family of ESOL International qualifications exists for learners who are mainly abroad, and these reference the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, the CEFR. The Skills for Life qualifications taken in England are not required to be mapped to the CEFR.
ESOL tutors
Mark
Master TutorI have thirty years in education, including Head of English at an independent school and GCSE and A-Level examiner. I teach English, Literature, Language, Creative Writing and Critical Thinking, ages four to eighteen. I start from what a student can already do and adapt my methods to them.
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Hannah
Master TutorI am a UK-qualified teacher with 15+ years across private and state schools in the UK and abroad, and hold a BSc from LSE and a PGCE with QTS. I teach English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, 11+ and Common Entrance preparation. My approach is personalised, confidence-building and rigorous.
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Johanna
Expert TutorI have two decades' teaching experience in English Literature, English Language and Philosophy, and hold a PhD in English Literature. I teach GCSE, A-Level, Oxbridge entrance and UCAS personal statements. My approach is person-centred, working through dialogue and ongoing assessment.
Enquire about this tutorWhat are the ESOL levels in England and how do they relate to the CEFR?
The qualifications sit at five levels of the Regulated Qualifications Framework: Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2. Learners who are not yet ready for an Entry level qualification can take the Trinity Step 1 and Step 2 Awards, which sit below Entry 1.
Because the Skills for Life qualifications are not required to be mapped to the CEFR, the CEFR comparison comes from Ofqual research and is an estimate. That research placed Entry 1 reading and writing at A1 to A1+ and speaking at A1+ to A2, Entry 3 content at B1 to B1+, and Level 1 writing at B1+ to low B2. Writing at Entry 2 and Entry 3 mapped to A2+ for some qualifications, so the boundary between those two levels is blurrier than the labels suggest.
Which ESOL qualifications and awarding bodies are there?
Trinity College London, City & Guilds and Pearson each offer ESOL Skills for Life at levels from Entry 1 to Level 2, with separate awards for each skill. Trinity makes each award a standalone qualification listed on the Regulated Qualifications Framework, open to candidates aged 16 or over and living in the UK, and adds an overarching Trinity ESOL Skills for Life certificate. Its exams are externally assessed by professional examiners, with fixed dates for reading and writing and flexible booking for speaking and listening.
City & Guilds offers ESOL Skills for Life (4692) as single-mode Awards in Reading, Writing, and Speaking & Listening and as full-mode Certificates combining all three. All Entry level assessment is marked by the centre, as are Writing and Speaking & Listening at Levels 1 and 2, whilst Reading at Levels 1 and 2 is an externally marked test available onscreen or on paper.
Pearson Edexcel offers Awards in Reading, Writing, and Speaking and Listening from Entry 1 to Level 2, with Certificates covering all three areas from Entry 1 to Level 1. Pearson publishes controlled assessment instructions, marking guidance for writing tasks and top tips for learners alongside the qualifications.
Which skills are assessed and how should you prepare?
The qualifications assess reading, writing, and speaking and listening, and an overall certificate is awarded when all three are passed at one level. Each awarding body offers the three skills as separate awards, so preparation can follow whichever skill needs most work.
A sensible order is to take the initial assessment that a college or centre offers, since it places a learner at a level that suits them, and then to practise all three skills at that level. Speaking and listening often improves fastest through regular conversation and group discussion with another person. For reading and writing, the awarding body specification sets out the exam formats and assessment criteria, so checking each practice piece of writing against the criteria for your level shows what to improve. Pearson's marking guidance and top tips and City & Guilds assignments support the same check.
Where is ESOL taught and how do funded places work in England?
Classes run in sixth form and further education colleges, adult education provision, prisons and community groups. Councils signpost new arrivals to local further education providers.
In England, ESOL up to and including level 2 is part of the Adult Skills Fund offer, and learners who earn below the earnings threshold, including people who are unemployed or have no earnings, are fully funded. Learners who earn above it are co-funded. Funding applies to learners aged 19 or over who are ordinarily resident in the UK on the first day of learning and living in England outside devolved authority areas. Student, graduate, holiday and most sponsorship visa holders are not eligible, although dependants of sponsorship visa holders usually are, and no recourse to public funds does not affect eligibility. Providers check earnings with evidence such as a wage slip or Universal Credit statement.
How does ESOL relate to English tests for UK visas?
Visa and citizenship applications use secure English language tests, known as SELTs, which are approved by the Home Office and are a separate set of tests from ESOL Skills for Life qualifications. GOV.UK guidance on SELTs does not mention the Skills for Life qualifications, so the guidance for your route is the place to confirm what is accepted.
The required level depends on the route, and the approved test list gives each test's CEFR level and minimum grade. Reading, writing, speaking and listening are tested for routes such as Skilled Worker, Student and Health and Care Worker, whilst speaking and listening only are tested for citizenship, partner, parent and settlement. Inside the UK, approved providers include Trinity College London, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson. Classes build the underlying skills, and a SELT is then booked separately for the application.
Guides in this series
- ESOL levels, Entry 1 to Level 2
- CEFR levels explained for employers
- How long B1 to B2 takes
- Business English or general English?
- Assessing English in recruitment
- English training for relocated staff
- What is IELTS? Format, versions and scoring
- What is IELTS? Format, versions and scoring
- Cambridge English exams, A2 Key to C2 Proficiency
- English requirements for UK visas by route
- English requirements for UK visas by route
English tuition for adults with Taylor Tuition
Adults who come to us for English usually know the situation they need it for, whether that is a job, a test or daily life in the UK, so lessons start with a level check against the CEFR scale and are then built around the tasks the learner actually faces.
English for adults is taught one-to-one or in small groups, at every level from beginner (CEFR A1) to proficient (C2), online or in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level, there is no registration fee and the initial consultation is free. Employers can book programmes for staff and are invoiced directly.
Read more about our English tuition for adults, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
For IELTS, see our IELTS preparation tutors.
Frequently asked questions
- What can learners take if their English is below Entry 1?
- Learners who are not yet ready for an Entry level qualification can take the Trinity Step 1 and Step 2 Awards, which sit below Entry 1. A college or centre will usually give a short initial assessment to place you at the right level, so the first step is to ask a local further education provider or adult education service for that assessment.
- Is it possible to take just one skill, such as speaking and listening?
- Yes, because Trinity, City & Guilds and Pearson all offer separate awards in Reading, Writing, and Speaking and Listening. A full certificate is awarded when all three skills are passed at one level. Taking a single award suits someone who needs proof of one skill, such as spoken English, without sitting the other two.
- Can a student visa holder get a funded ESOL place?
- Learners on student or graduate visas, holiday visas and most sponsorship visas are not eligible for Adult Skills Fund places. Dependants of sponsorship visa holders are eligible, except seasonal workers, and a visa that expires before the course ends can rule out funding unless documented evidence shows an intention to renew. Providers confirm eligibility at enrolment.
- Is the reading assessment taken on paper or on screen?
- With City & Guilds, Reading at Levels 1 and 2 is an externally marked test available either onscreen or on paper. All Entry level assessment is marked by the centre, as are Writing and Speaking & Listening at Levels 1 and 2. Trinity exams are externally assessed, with fixed dates for reading and writing.
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