English

Are employers asking for qualifications you don't have? If you need an English qualification to improve your CV or boost your confidence, our nationally recognised English qualifications from City & Guilds are a great way to show you can apply your English skills in a practical way. Brushing up on your English skills will help you to:

read, write and improve your spelling
follow written instructions at work
fill out forms easily
understand what a leaflet is telling you

We'll help you gain the essential skills you need to make communicating easier at work and at home, and get a qualification too.

Is this qualification right for you?

We offer qualifications at entry level 3, level 1 and level 2. You can do different sized qualifications at each level, depending on your learning needs. Here's a simple guide to our different levels of qualifications. But don't worry, we're here to help advise which qualification is best for you before you start.

Before you start, we'll check which level you should be working towards. We'll also see what skills you already have in the different areas of the qualification, so you don't cover what you already know.

How will you learn?

You will complete your qualification in a learndirect centre with face to face support from our friendly centre staff. Once you have got started you can also carry on your learning at home or wherever you have internet access

Your tutor will be there to give you advice, and you'll have regular progress reviews to keep you on track.

For each course, you'll do tasks and activities to show how you can apply your new skills, and build up a folder of your learning work.

Getting your qualification

The great thing about our maths qualifications is that there's no test! Once you've finished all your courses and completed your tasks and activities, your work will be reviewed by City & Guilds to gain your qualification.

How much will it cost?

Thanks to Government funding your courses and qualification could be free. We'll confirm this with you before you start.

What do you learn?

We'll put together the right courses from each area to suit your needs and the type of qualification you want to gain. Depending on the level, type and size of qualification you're working towards, you'll do a variety of online courses, along with some paper tasks too. Your English qualification could be made up of the following subject areas:

Reading

If you find reading hard then everyday tasks can be a real challenge, like reading a story to your toddler or following written instructions at work. We can help you to:

skim read and use different reading methods to find information
understand instructions
understand the alphabet, signs, symbols and different words and phrases
understand different kinds of texts and their purposes
identify, understand, summarise and compare the main points, information, events, ideas and opinions in a text

Writing

Do you find writing tricky? Everyday tasks like writing notes can be tough if your writing skills aren't up to scratch. Theses courses will help you to:

organise and plan your writing into paragraphs
write clearly and present information in a sequence
use and proofread grammar, punctuation and spelling
use detail, format and structure to suit your purpose and audience
improve your letter writing skills

Grammar and punctuation

Incorrect punctuation not only looks unprofessional, it can actually change the meaning of what you write. These courses will give you the grammar and punctuation skills you need to get your message across clearly. You'll learn how to:

use grammar like the correct tense, adjectives and connectives
check for errors in your work
use punctuation like capital letters, commas, full stops, colons and apostrophes
use sentence structure to make pieces of writing easier to read and understand
read and write more difficult sentences

Spelling

Whether you're applying for a job or selling things online, spelling things correctly will help you to look professional. You'll find out about spelling tips and tricks to help you:

avoid common spelling mistakes
know and apply spelling rules
recognise different spellings of the same sound
understand how English spelling developed and how common words are put together
use different methods to check spelling

Vocabulary

It can be hard to get your point across if you can't find the right words. Increasing your vocabulary with more words means you won't be tongue-tied when describing things! If you want to express yourself better, we can help you to:

use the right words and sentences to describe people, places and events
expand your vocabulary by making a personal dictionary
use word lists and glossaries
use online and paper dictionaries and thesauruses

Speaking and listening

If you want to improve your communication skills and spot key information, then these courses can improve your everyday speaking and listening skills. This area of your qualification will help you to:

listen for information, details, instructions, meanings, ideas and opinions
answer questions and give details about yourself
change your tone and words for different audiences and situations
contribute to a discussion and support your opinions with evidence
clarify information that is given to you by asking questions

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I worked towards my English level 1 and 2 qualifications. I was over the moon when I found out I'd passed! I'm now much more confident at work - I can talk to people easily, read and put together menus.

Marrie Bellingy
32
Naval chef
St. Vincent

Getting started

To get started please contact your local learndirectcentre.

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Get face to face tutor support
Free access to a computer and the internet to do your learning
Meet other learners and make new friends

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Or call 0800 101 901 if you need more information about learning with us.