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Free Entry Level ESOL Course in Ashton-under-Lyne – Tameside College

CostFREE
Duration1 year
LevelEntry Level
DeliveryClassroom based
Start7 Sep 2026
Study modeFull-time
AttendanceDaytime
Awarding bodyCity & Guilds awarding body
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About this course

Free Entry Level ESOL Skills for Life Course in Ashton-under-Lyne. Classes run at Tameside College, full-time during the day.

You'll practise reading texts such as signs, forms, letters, and short fiction. Writing covers sentences, simple letters, and filling in forms. Speaking and listening units focus on everyday conversations, following instructions, and taking part in discussions. The course covers all four skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

You'll finish with a City and Guilds Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life at Entry Level 3.

Who this course is for

This Entry Level 3 ESOL course is here to help you improve your English and feel more confident using it in all areas of everyday life, education, and work.

During the course, you'll work on three main areas:

Reading - Youll practise reading simple texts like signs, forms, short letters, emails, and notices as well as more difficult texts such as letters, fiction and non- fiction book extracts.

Youll learn to find main ideas, pick out important details, and build your vocabulary. You will also learn how to skim and scan to locate specific information and also have a general understanding of anything you read.

Writing - Youll learn how to write short texts such as notes, messages, emails, and simple forms and also longer texts, such as medium sized essays on different topics. Well help you with sentence structure, spelling, and using capital letters and full stops, everything you need to become a competent writer of English.

Speaking and Listening - This part of the course helps you join in basic conversations, ask and answer questions, and understand everyday spoken English. Youll do activities like role-plays, group chats, and listening to short recordings. This will help you in everyday life such as shopping, going to the GP and to hospital.

Along with the English skills, you will also study Maths, IT and tutorial.

You'll get lots of support and have the chance to practise your skills in a friendly. relaxed and stimulating environment. The aim is to help you use English more easily and more confidently in real-life situations.

Entry requirements

Entry Level (Foundation)

  • No formal entry requirements but you will need to pass an assessment test to demonstrate you are suitable for this level.

What you will learn

  • You'll read and understand everyday texts such as signs, forms, emails, and short letters.
  • You'll read more challenging texts including fiction and non-fiction extracts and identify main ideas and key details.
  • You'll build your English vocabulary through reading and writing tasks.
  • You'll write simple sentences, short messages, and everyday documents such as forms and letters.
  • You'll speak clearly in everyday conversations and short discussions.
  • You'll listen to and follow spoken instructions and take part in group discussions.
  • You'll develop the English skills needed for daily life, education, and work.

How you will learn

You'll learn through classroom sessions at Tameside College. Tasks include reading exercises, writing practice, speaking activities, and listening tasks. Your progress is assessed through coursework and practical tasks across the four skill areas: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. You'll sit an initial assessment before you start to confirm Entry Level 3 is the right level for you.

What you will need to bring

The centre will provide most materials. Tameside College will confirm anything else you need before you start.

Where next

Jobs you could do

  • Customer service assistant, uses everyday English to help customers in person or by phone.
  • Retail sales assistant, reads product information, handles written queries, and talks with customers.
  • Warehouse operative, follows written instructions and communicates with team members.
  • Care assistant, reads care notes and speaks clearly with clients and colleagues.
  • School or nursery support worker, supports staff and communicates with children and parents.
  • Office administrator, handles basic written tasks such as emails and forms.

What you could study next

  • Functional Skills English Level 1, the next step up and recognised by employers as a foundation English qualification.
  • City and Guilds ESOL Skills for Life Level 1 Certificate, builds on Entry Level 3 and develops more complex reading, writing, and communication skills.
  • Functional Skills English Level 2, the qualification recognised as equivalent to a GCSE in English and accepted by most employers and colleges.
Apply on tameside.ac.uk →
Apply now →

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