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ESOL resources |
‘ESOL’ stands for English for Speakers of Other Languages – the term used in the UK to describe the English provision for migrants and those who have come to settle in Britain.
If you are supporting a partner/learner with their English, and are looking for suitable materials to use, we have selected some which could be useful for you.
See the table at the bottom of this page for the different levels, along with a link to our topic based resources.
Beginners level /’New to ESOL’ learners
Many learners arriving in UK speak very little English and some are complete beginners with no or minimal literacy in their own language. Even if they are literate in their own language, they may have used a different alphabet and not be able to read/write Roman script. For information and guidance on working with ESOL ‘basic literacy’ learners, see ESOL learners with basic literacy needs - where do I start? | TeachingEnglish | British Council
Useful resources for learners at this level:
- BRIDGES Project - Language Skills is a website with interactive topic-based lessons for beginners. Although it can be used as a self-access resource, there is a teacher’s book, a downloadable workbook and a learner dictionary
- Absolute Beginners | Business & ESP | Onestopenglish (free to register – limited amount of free resources)
- BBC Learning English / English My Way (video lessons)
- Education and Training Foundation Learning Management System (formerly Excellence Gateway): There are now 2 separate learning platforms for ESOL. Registering is free and simple - just enter your name, email address and a password.
- for learners https://learning.etfoundation.co.uk/esol-learners/esol-courses Also access the ESOL Nexus videos and other interactive learner materials with the same login
- for teachers https://learning.etfoundation.co.uk/catalog Click on ESOL teachers in the left-hand panel. .
- https://www.handwritingworksheets.com/flash/printdots/sentence/index.html Handwriting Worksheets – enter your own script (student’s name, sentence). This programme produces customised sheets for handwriting practice.
- Wordwall community has a host of activities for ESOL learners which are particularly useful if you are teaching on-line or using a computer. You can put in a search for the topic/grammar area you are teaching and you are then given a series of possible lessons.
- First resort and first Resort Extra (books) – we have hard and soft copies of these. (See Volunteer Coordinator or Administrator)
Easy readers useful for volunteers to use with their partners, to practise reading and speaking English
- ESL Literacy readers (Bow Valley College, Canada) These online ‘easy readers’ are at different levels on a variety of topics, free to access.
- NATECLA Scotland ESOL literacies readers These online beginner-level readers on everyday topics were developed by ESOL teachers in Scotland, free to access.
Teaching one-to-one
- English My Way was a community-based English language project, developed by Good Things Foundation in partnership with the BBC and the British Council, which supported adults with low levels of English language skills. It consists of a comprehensive package of resources: assessment materials, lesson plans, detailed teacher’s notes and topic based resources. Although the website has closed down, the resources have been saved and can be accessed from Rachel’s padlet Former 'English My Way' website content (padlet.com)
- An introduction to teaching ESOL one-to-one’ can be downloaded from English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) support - The Education and Training Foundation (et-foundation.co.uk
General ESOL resources (all levels)
- NATECLA list of useful websites has links to a wide range of websites for teaching English.
- The British Council learn English website has a huge range of resources (mostly for international students)
- The ESOL section of the Excellence Gateway website has a huge range of resources for teaching ESOL at all levels in the UK, including a useful section on teaching UK life
- Learning Unlimited has a range of free downloadable resources including Welcome to the UK project packs: Preparing for life in the UK, Befrienders Toolkit and other ESOL materials.
- Learning & Work Institute have produced an excellent guide and topic-based resources for volunteers running conversation groups
- Life in the UK Test Preparation and Practice is a free website to practice and help migrants pass the test needed for British citizenship.
- IELTS Official YouTube channel has videos, discussion for those preparing for the IELTS exams.
- Trinity College Information on the GESE Grade 5 exam which is required for Indefinite Leave to Remain (to settle) or British Citizenship. Candidates must pass a Secure English Language Test (SELT) in at least CEFR level B1 in Speaking and Listening.
- The English Hub for Refugees which has materials specifically designed for asylum seekers and refugees, at different levels.
Self-study websites/apps for learners
If your partner/learner wishes to work independently, one or more of these might be useful for them:
- Learn English Online | British Council (skills, grammar, vocabulary, etc.)
- BRIDGES Project - Interactive self-study resources for higher level learners:
Digital Skills
Citizenship Skills
Work Ready Skills - EnglishCentral.com American English but could still be very useful. Self-access short videos on different topics, with exercises including gap-fill, vocabulary and pronunciation. Beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Learners need to be able to read the instructions. Register for free.
- engVid for a huge range of video lessons (mostly American English)
- esl-lounge.com Student - Learn English for Free! English Grammar, Vocabulary, Reading & Listening
- Duolingo app
- BBC Learning English (website and app)
- Hello Talk app
- Busuu app (limited free)
ESOL qualifications and levels
Most of the ESOL resources you come across will be described in terms of ‘level’ and therefore, before you select any to use with your partner/learner, it is useful to know what this means.
At college, learners usually study for ESOL Skills for Life qualifications (which can be taken at ENTRY levels 1, 2, 3 and LEVELS 1 and 2.)
Entry levels are for beginners/ elementary/lower intermediate, and Levels 1 and 2 are for intermediate/advanced learners who have usually studied English in their home country.
Most lower-level ESOL learners are encouraged to gain an Entry level 3 qualification which is regarded as the minimum level for vocational study or work.
See comparison table below:
Most of the ESOL resources you come across will be described in terms of ‘level’ and therefore, before you select any to use with your partner/learner, it is useful to know what this means.
At college, learners usually study for ESOL Skills for Life qualifications (which can be taken at ENTRY levels 1, 2, 3 and LEVELS 1 and 2.)
Entry levels are for beginners/ elementary/lower intermediate, and Levels 1 and 2 are for intermediate/advanced learners who have usually studied English in their home country.
Most lower-level ESOL learners are encouraged to gain an Entry level 3 qualification which is regarded as the minimum level for vocational study or work.
See comparison table below:
Comparison table for QCF, Trinity ESOL, Cambridge English Language Assessment and IELTS.
Trinity ESOL Skills for Life |
Trinity ESOL for Work |
Cambridge English Language Assessment (international) |
IELTS (for university entry) |
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Entry 1 |
A1 |
Entry 1 |
- |
- |
- |
Entry 2 |
A2 |
Entry 2 |
- |
KET |
3.0 |
Entry 3 |
B1 |
Entry 3 |
Entry 3 |
PET |
4.0 |
Level 1 |
B2 |
Level 1 |
Level 1 |
FCE |
5.5 |
Level 2 |
C1 |
Level 2 |
- |
CAE |
6.5 |
Level 3 |
C2 |
- |
- |
CPE |
7.5 |
Information on IELTS: the International English Language Testing System:
| ielts_info_2023.docx |
Useful resources for IELTS, PLAB and OE:
| ielts_plab___oet_resources__links_2023.docx |
Continue to Topic based ESOL resources for non-specialists
Page last updated September 2023