ESOL courses
Scotland's Colleges are the main providers of ESOL courses. As well as running courses within the college itself, they often organise classes in the local community, for example, in community centres or church halls. Some English language courses are held in the evening or run for less than five hours per week.
ESOL courses at colleges are very popular and there may be a waiting list to get on to the course at the level you want.
What level of ESOL course is right for me?
Before enrolling on an English language course at a college, you will be offered a test of your current English language skills, to make sure that you are placed in a class at a suitable level.
The length of the course and the frequency of the classes will affect how quickly you can progress from level to level. Individual colleges will be able to provide you with further details of the availability and different levels of classes.
There is a new national directory of ESOL courses available in Scotland, which gives information on ESOL provision and available courses.
The following tests are a guideline of the acceptable minimum requirement for studying at higher education level:
- ESOL SQA – Intermediate 2 or higher www.sqa.org.uk/esol
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – score above 5.5 www.ielts.org/
- Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (pass) www.cambridgeesol.org/
The English language requirements of individual faculties do vary, so please check with specific institutions about their exact requirements.
For more information and help on how to identify the levels of English you may need to fulfil the requirements, look at the table below.
| SCQF level | School/FE qualifications for English language skills | ESOL SQA qualification levels | Commonly used ESOL levels | Cambridge exams* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Advanced Higher | Proficiency | CPE | |
| 6 | Higher | Advanced | Advanced | CAE
IELTS 6/6.5 |
| 5 | Credit: Standard Grade Intermediate 2 |
Intermediate 2 | Upper Intermediate | IELST 5/5.5 |
| 4 | General Standard Grade Intermediate 1 |
Intermediate 1 | Intermediate | IELTS 4/4.5 |
| 3 | Foundation Standard Grade: Access 3 |
Access 3 | Pre-Intermediate | PET |
| 2 | Access 2 | Access 2 Access 2 – Literacies |
Beginners/ Elementary |
KET |
| 1 | Access 1 |
* CPE: Certificate of Proficiency in English; CAE: Certificate in Advanced English; IELTS: International English Language Testing System; PET: Preliminary English Test; KET: Key English Test.
If you are unsure of your current level of English, The Open University in Scotland has published a self-assessment workbook for speakers of English as an additional language. The workbook is aimed at helping potential Open University students to reflect on their current language skills and whether they feel ready to study in English at higher education level. The workbook is called 'Am I ready to study in English?'. Click here for an interactive online version of the workbook. Or if you would like to be sent a copy of the booklet, please contact the Learning Development Team, The Open University in Scotland, telephone: 0131 226 3851 or email R11-Learning-Development@open.ac.uk
How much will an ESOL course cost?
Many colleges and community centres offer English language courses free or low cost if you are ordinarily resident in Scotland and meet certain eligibility criteria. For more detailed information on course fees contact individual institutions.
For further general information on funding, click here.
If you are an asylum seeker or refugee, click here.