Preparation for IELTs/General English for International Students

Our General English is a full time English language course with flexible entry for international students wishing to improve their English language skills. The course can enable students to progress to:

• Level 5 courses at Blackburn College
• Degree level courses at University Centre at Blackburn College and other UK universities

All of our English language courses are delivered by fully qualified language teachers (CELTA/DELTA qualified). Maximum group sizes of 15-20 students. Students can choose to study for a full academic year (36 weeks) or one or two semesters. The minimum study duration is 2 weeks. Entry onto the course is on Monday only.

Full-Year Costs

International - £4660 EU - £2900 (This includes tuition, classroom materials, resources via our Virtual Learning Environment. Prices do not include accommodation, food or social activities). If you prefer to study more or less than 17 hours per week please discuss this with our International Department who can generate a timetable to suit your requirements.

VISA Requirements

You may be able to gain a Short-Term Visa for this course. This means you can stay in the UK for 11 months  if you’re aged 18 or over and taking an English language course. Please see more details on the UK Home Office website.

You will study 15 hours general English a week which includes coverage of:

• Grammar - explanation and practice of using the main features of English grammar
• Vocabulary - the language of real-life English, from social English to formal and academic styles
• Reading - comprehension and research tasks based on a variety of texts and topics
• Writing - instruction in writing techniques and practice in writing a range of formal and informal texts
• Listening – development of listening skills and practice using authentic and recorded examples
• Speaking – focus on improving accuracy and fluency when speaking

You will also have 1 hour per week will be dedicated to tutorial. This will involve:

• Induction to the college and course
• Identifying strengths and weaknesses in language use and setting targets for improvement
• Work on individual targets to develop self-study skills
• Additional weekly homework and tasks on our virtual learning environment to further promote self-study and development.

The course consists of 16 hours contact per week plus 13 hours non-contact self –study via our Virtual Learning Environment.

18 years and above. We will assess your level of English and place you in the appropriate level class.

Every student will undertake a Blackburn College final assessment and some will have the opportunity to take an internationally recognised qualification such as Cambridge PET or FCE (dependent on students studying a minimum of 1 term).