General English Courses

About these courses

General English is the course most people start with, and there is a reason for that. It covers grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, listening and speaking together, rather than isolating one skill. If you are not sure which course type fits your goals yet, this is the sensible default.

Classes are built around speaking and doing, not silence and worksheets. You will spend the class time in discussion, working through real situations, and building the habit of thinking in English rather than translating in your head. Levels go from complete beginner to advanced, and every school places you with a test before your first lesson so you land in the right group.

What the price depends on

Across the schools we list, general English currently runs from £26 to £1,425 a week, across 39 UK schools offering 190 courses. That is a wide range because it covers very different products under one label: a standard group course at one end, and a residential stay or a one-to-one executive programme at the other. Most day courses in standard groups land somewhere between roughly £182 and £380 a week. What moves the price: hours of tuition per week, class size (mini-groups and one-to-one cost more per hour), whether accommodation is bundled in, and the school’s location.

How long courses run, and when they start

Course length ranges from a single week up to a full year, and you choose the block that matches your visa, your budget or how long you can be away. Most schools that offer general English run rolling start dates, typically every Monday, so you are not stuck waiting for a fixed term. A smaller number run fixed intake dates instead, usually schools that plan classes around a group timetable.

Comparing courses

Once you know roughly how many weeks you need and your budget, the details that separate one course from another are hours per week (15 is standard, intensive options run 20 to 30), class size, and whether the school holds British Council accreditation. Compare those alongside price rather than price on its own, since a cheaper course with fewer teaching hours a week is not automatically the better deal.

The courses below are pulled directly from each school’s own price list, with no commission added, so you can compare them side by side before you enquire.