Course Overview
Our Part Time ESOL courses for 2023/24 start with a 12 week Speaking and Listening course from 9th October to 12th January 2024. The Reading course is available from 15th January to 29th March 2024. The Writing course is available from 15th April to 28th June 2024 . Our Part-Time ESOL classes are either 2 mornings or 2 evenings a week, with a total of 5 hours of study per week. Other part time options may be available to suit your individual needs, and these are discussed with you following your application. This may involve opportunities to study ESOL alongside vocational courses and opportunities to study for Functional Skills Maths alongside your ESOL qualification. For further information on any of the above courses please email the Deputy Head of ESOL, Kay Davies, at: Kay.Davies@wiltshire.ac.uk.
What will I learn?
You will develop your English Language skills in a friendly and supportive environment. You will learn a variety of skills aimed at improving your speaking, listening, reading and writing.
We follow the ESOL Skills for Life syllabus which involves regular assessments, feedback and exam practice. A sample of the topics covered include:
Free time
Work
Sport
Health
Education
Community Issues
Life in the UK /Citizenship topics
Holidays
Food and drink
As part of the course, you will be given a log on and password for the college's computer system. This will allow you to access a wide range of on-line resources on the college's E-Study virtual learning environment and to use Microsoft Teams for online classes when appropriate to your course.
Study, Assessment and Qualifications
There are 3 courses:
October to January – ESOL Speaking and Listening skills
January to March– ESOL Reading skills
April to June – ESOL Writing Skills
Each course is tailored to your needs with a mixture of internal assessment and exam opportunities with recognised Exam Boards. We cover a mixture of grammar, vocabulary and different learning activities to make lessons fun and enjoyable.
The majority of classes are in college, but, we are also offering some online classes in the evenings.
Entry Requirements
ESOL courses are provided at 6 different levels: Pre-Entry, Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2.
If you have not studied ESOL before we will give you an initial assessment to decide which level is most suitable for you to start with. Then you can progress from one level to another as your skills improve.
There are no other entry requirements to start studying ESOL with us, so do not worry if you have never studied English before, we are here to help you whatever your starting level.
Additional Costs and Information
For every ESOL course, you will need to buy a course book, at a cost of £20 - £25 per course. We use course books from National Geographic Learning, and these books are available from the college’s online shop.
When your English language skills have improved you can make an appointment with one of our Careers Advisors to discuss other courses or employment opportunities.
What Could I Do Next?
Having a higher level of English language will help you when • looking for work, • improving your employment prospects in your current job, • studying on a vocational course or • accessing Higher Education.Previous ESOL graduates have progressed onto a range of vocational courses at the College such as Hairdressing, Plumbing, IT, Health & Social Care and Accounting.
