At ELC Chester we offer a broad range of options to make your General English just right for you. Our experienced, friendly staff provide a comprehensive programme of lessons at our school in Stanley Place, which has been ranked in the top 2% of language schools in the United Kingdom.
A General English course is a study programme which focuses on building your skills around every day spoken English, as opposed to English for technical or academic purposes.
A General English class typically focuses on the language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing, which is acheived through developing a good understanding of English grammar whilst discovering new vocabulary topics and cultural insights.
Our General English course at ELC in Chester aims to develop your ability to communicate effectively in English. All aspects of language are covered with an emphasis on speaking and listening.
* Minimum age: please see more information regarding levels of care and supervision for 16 and 17 year olds in international classes. We occasionally accept 15 year olds in international classes provided they are part of a group with a group leader.
General English courses are balanced programmes, focusing on the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing, whilst covering essential grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, idioms and colloquial language.
The course consists of 28 lessons (21 hours) of General English per week.
There is a core morning programme of 20 lessons that is course book based. Afternoon lessons are theme-based or exam based:
Develop your real-life conversation skills and fluency. Improve your pronunciation so that people will understand you better. Build your vocabulary and learn techniques to remember and use more words and phrases correctly. Practise vocabulary in context.
Preparation for the academic IELTS exam and for university study. Study all 4 IELTS papers, practise listening for lectures and giving presentations.
Training in exam techniques. Study reading, writing, speaking, listening and grammar in use for Cambridge First (FCE) and/or Advanced (CAE).
Introduction to English used in work situations. Focus on making phone calls, language for presentations, meetings and negotiations.
Complete and thorough preparation for the listening and reading exam. Practise exam questions and learn exam techniques.
Please note:
Exam options are subject to availability.
*You need to be intermediate to advanced level for this option.
**You need to be pre-intermediate to advanced level for this option.
If you are a beginner with the English language, please contact us to check if we will have a suitable class. If you are a complete beginner, then we recommend that you take one-to-one lessons.
| Times | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:30–11:00 | Core GE lessons | Core GE lessons | Core GE lessons | Core GE lessons | Core GE lessons |
| Morning break | |||||
| 11:30–13:00 | Core GE lessons | Core GE lessons | Core GE lessons | Core GE lessons | Core GE lessons |
| Lunch break | |||||
14.15–15.45 | Theme/Exam-based lessons | Theme/Exam-based lessons | Theme/Exam-based lessons | Theme/Exam-based lessons | Free time/ supervised self-study |
| 15:45+ | Free time or supervised self-study until school closes | ||||
| 1 ‘lesson’ = 45 minutes. Lessons are usually combined into larger units of time. | |||||
Our General English course is the most popular programme here in Chester. It is perfect for international students who are looking to improve their overall level of English fluency whether that’s for travel, study or your career. The electives in the afternoon allow you to build up skills in specific areas (e.g. Business English).
Our General English courses start any Monday and finish any Friday. You can book a minimum of 2 weeks. Please note that the school is open year round except for 2 weeks around the Christmas period – usually the last 2 weeks for the calendar year.
The 25+ course is completely designed around your needs. It is a more intensive (22.5 hours per week) and the classroom size is maximum 6 and average 3, so you have a lot more teacher attention. Students on the 25+ Course are on average 43 years of age.
Our most flexible and economic option is our Study Year Programme. You will normally start on the General English course, then when you have reached a B1 intermediate level you can join an exam preparation course (e.g. IELTS or Cambridge First). The Study Year Programme includes one free airport taxi transfer on arrival and one free examination.
To study English language, you can study for a maximum of 11 months. You need to apply for a Short-Term Study Visa
Normally no, all our courses are full time. Please contact us for more information
We start all our group courses at elementary level. If you are a beginner we can only offer you one-to-one courses.
Chester is a beautiful, medium-size city and a great place for families to live or as a base to travel around the country. If your family members are not studying at the school, you will have to arrange your own accommodation and childcare if required.
We can organise a taxi for you and the price is £85 each way from Manchester or Liverpool airports.
All students learn in different ways and at different paces, so we are not able to give you a specific answer. Sometimes students expect that they will improve much faster than it is possible. On average it takes around 12 weeks for you to move up to the next level.
When you take the long view, even the most dominant languages go in and out of fashion, but will English really lose importance in business now we're living…
When you start to learn English, it can be a challenge. However, there are some great ways for you to improve your language skills and learn about the culture of…
In England, we have a saying: practice makes perfect, and it is completely true. The main way you are going to improve speaking any language is to keep on speaking…
Here are some top tips on the mistakes to avoid when you're starting to learn English.
Learning English online: Coming to England and to take an English course is amazing, but what if that isn't an option?
English is the language of science, of aviation, computing, diplomacy, and tourism. It is the lingua franca of the business world, so knowledge of English increases…
ELC Chester provides a wide range of English exam preparation courses to help students achieve the English language qualifications they need. Find out more!
This English Study Year programme in Chester will give you new English skills, new friends and an unforgettable experience of life in the north of England.
Programmes for people aged 25+ who use English in professional circles, whether socially or in a work environment.
Our language learning levels relate closely to how the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) define them, but with a difference which we have found to help our students at Elementary level.
| ELC level | Equivalent CEFR levels | |
|---|---|---|
| A0 | ||
| A1 | ||
| Upper A1 | Lower A2 | |
| A2 | ||
| B1 | ||
| B2 | ||
| C1 | ||
| C2 | ||
We offer an English level test which anyone can take. It involves 50 questions and, depending on your level, will probably take you from 10 to 20 minutes. At the end of it, we will tell you your probable level.
But when you book, we will ask you to take a more detailed and accurate test, to make sure that you start in the class which is best for you.
It can be difficult working out which General English course to book when there is so much choice. If you have questions for us before you can book, please contact us, because we’re very happy to help - even if you are not yet confident about your English!