Business English courses in the UK

Ready for business?

It would appear that English is increasingly the international language of business, which is probably why so many international business schools now only teach in English. Whatever stay you’re at, we can help you up to the next level, whether that’s in general fluency, business-specific language, or specialist terminology you need for your industry.

We can also organise custom programmes for your company, where a number of you attend closed-group classes in the UK.

Business English Courses in England, UK

If you are a business professional or are about to enter the workplace in a new job, ELC has a number of excellent courses to help you gain a good general knowledge and understanding of the use of English in a business environment. We offer core Business English tuition, as well as preparation for the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry English for Business examinations. Let us give your business English credentials a real boost!

Course features

Warm, welcoming atmosphere
All homestays have study facilities
Free wifi in all accommodation options
You’ll be in a multi-national group for your English classes.
Individual tutorial support and consultation with trainers.
All course books and materials are included.
Business lounge with complementary hot drinks.
Use of our dedicated business suite to catch up with work.

Where to study Business English in England

Here you can see which courses are available at each of our locations.

If you know where you would like to study, you can choose your course and location here. If not, see our explore the courses below or learn about our locations.

Courses	Brighton	Chester	Eastbourne
General English plus business English for professionals
Business English mini group for professionals
Business English mini group plus one-to-one for professionals
One-to-one plus business English for professionals

Our range of business and specialist programmes

For the time being, our Business English courses in the UK take place in out dedicated space in Brighton. That said, we have a programme in Chester for for working professionals aged 25 or over, though the focus is less on business English, and more for general English for professional situations.

Brighton: General English plus business English for professionals

A course for working business professionals which combines General English with business related language, in small groups of maximum 6 participants.

A group of young professionals are grouped around the same laptop. Maybe they're short of laptops or maybe they're working together as a team. We're using this photo to illustrate the need for English for business as well as everyday general English.

Min age: 21
Min/max weeks: 1 – 52
Max students: 12
Hours per week: 30
Lessons per week: 40

Brighton: One-to-one plus business English for professionals

Combining one-to-one Business English with small group Business English classes is a smart way to develop your English for work in a short amount of time.

The friendly face of a member of staff from ELC. He's wearing a brown poloshirt and he looks like someone you could come to if you had a problem.

Min age: 21
Min/max weeks: 1 – 52
Max students: 6
Hours per week: 22.5 – 30
Lessons per week: 30 – 40

Brighton: Business English mini group plus one-to-one for professionals

Build your business English competency in a mini-group of just 4 people, and then switch into one-to-one lessons for the ultimate executive experience.

A photo of two professionals in a working environment. The female coworker is smiling at her male counterpart. She's wearing a green blouse and he's got a blue shirt on. The photo is angled upwards so you can see some very striking circular lighting fixtures. A very fancy place to work.

Min age: 21
Min/max weeks: 1 – 52
Max students: 4
Hours per week: 30
Lessons per week: 40

Brighton: Business English mini group for professionals

A mini-group business English course in Brighton, with 30 lessons per week in a group of just 4 business executives for accelerated business English training.

This photo is taken from ELC's classroom where we can see the teacher helping a mature student as she looks through a dictionary in class in Brighton. We think it might be summer as she's wearing sunglasses with bright green mirrored lenses on her head, but then again, it might just be a sunny day outside.

Min age: 21
Min/max weeks: 1 – 52
Max students: 4
Hours per week: 22.5
Lessons per week: 30

Chester: General English group for 25 plus

At ELC Chester we offer students aged 25 small-group English classes which are well-suited to working professionals. If you are 25 and over and enjoy a challenge,…

A very happy man in a jazzy red floral shirt gives the thumbs up to the fact he's been given an end of course certificate from the over 25s English course he's attended at ELC Chester. You can spot the familiar bright blue door behind him.

Min age: 25
Min/max weeks: 1 – 6
Max students: 6
Hours per week: 22.5+3.75
Lessons per week: 30+5

Chester: General English combination course for 25 plus

The Combination English course for adults is a happy mix of small group classes and one to one instruction, specifically for people aged over 25.

A young professional in a beige shirt is leaning against his desk in a modern looking office building. There's a lot of expensive glass panelling behind him.

Min age: 25
Min/max weeks: 1 – 6
Max students: 6
Hours per week: 15+7.5 – 15+11.25
Lessons per week: 20+10 – 20+15

Find your English level

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
Complete beginner	A0
Beginner	A1
Elementary	Upper A1	Lower A2
Pre-intermediate	A2
Intermediate	B1
Upper-intermediate	B2
Advanced	C1
Upper-advanced	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.

Test your English level now

Is a business English course in the UK right for you?

Business English courses in the UK have the added advantage that you can really get a lot of practice between lessons to fil in those gaps in your knowledge, and practise your skills away from colleagues and people you know!

Have a think whether it’s really a business English course you need in the UK, or actually something more general. Do you need to really hone your skills in specific business situations, or is it more the general fluency and grammatical underpinnings you need? If you’re not sure, please do let us know and we’ll help you.

If you look at our programmes, but realise you need something much more customised for you, your team or your organisation, please let us know adn we can have a conversation about it.

Ask us for advice, or for a more customised programme for your company

Cool places that are small enough to be friendly, big enough to be fun

We offer year-round English language courses in three English locations. All our schools are classic, historical buildings with up-to-date, modern language learning facilities, and a warm and friendly welcome.

Map of ELC’s locations in England at Brighton, Chester and Eastbourne, with indications of their distance from major cities, airports and national parks. Brighton and Eastbourne are on the south east coast next door to the South Downs National Park and not far from London Gatwick and London Heathrow airports. Chester just to the east of north Wales is close to Liverpool and Manchester airports and roughly half way between Snowdon National Park and the Peak District National Park. An overlaid scale of 50km helps to show that Brighton and Eastbourne are about 120km from central London, and that Chester is about 35km from central Liverpool and 65km from central Manchester.

A photo of the seafront at Brighton which shows an array of white buildings and the sand-coloured pebble beach. There is a large white ferris wheel in the foreground, and a scattering of people sitting looking out to sea. — Brighton

Brighton and Hove is a lively, cosmopolitan seaside city of about 300,000 people with a vivid cultural life. It is about 85 km – 1 hour – south of central London and surrounded by the beautiful Sussex countryside. Learn more about Brighton

A photograph of the famous Eastgate clock in Chester which stands high above the road on a section of the Roman walls. The clock has a round white face with black roman numerals and hands, and lots of ornate black metalwork filled in with orange and gold panels. The letters VR are above it, visible against the turquoise dome roof, and the date 1897. This was erected in memory of Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee. — Chester

Chester is an English city with 2,000 years of heritage, excellent shopping and a lively nightlife. It is 30km from Liverpool and 60km from Manchester – major cities of around half a million people each. Learn more about Chester

A seafront photo of Eastbourne taken from the west side. The pier can be seen jutting out into the sea towards the top of the photo, as the beach extends round to the left and the emerald sea takes up most of the rest of the shot. The sun is shining and the white hotels on the seafront are very noticeable. — Eastbourne

Eastbourne is a traditional seaside town that’s regularly the UK’s sunniest place. It is about 120 km from central London. The beautiful South Downs national park rises up directly from the western end of its seafront. Learn more about Eastbourne