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Learning English


English language skills are really important to help you integrate into life in the UK.

Available Support

The government is keen to support those on the BN(O) route to learn English. Under the new eligibility rules for Adult Skills Fund (ASF), a BN(O) visa holder can now access any ASF funded courses (including English classes) from day one of learning if they can prove ordinary residence and subject to learner’s income. Course providers will check this eligibility during the admission process.

Some local authorities are also able to claim funding of up to £850 per adult to support access to English language classes. In the East of England most local authorities are using this funding for face-to-face classes.

The East of England Hong Kong Welcome Hub believes that many BN(O) visa holders and their dependants need English language support which goes beyond this. Therefore, to help boost your level of English, we are funding a range of additional provision for people living in our region. This includes online classes, self-study and courses for professional use.

Please be aware that the ESOL provision offered on this website is only for BN(O) visa holders and their dependants living in the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk). If you do not reside in the East of England, please contact the Hong Kong Welcome Hub in your region to find out more about ESOL in your area.

Understanding Your English Level

Understanding your English level can be difficult. Whereas the use of the CEFR framework (The CEFR Levels (coe.int)) is common in many countries, it is only used by some organisations in the UK. Most government-funded programmes use the ESOL or Skills for Life levels (these are pre-entry or New to ESOL, Entry 1, 2 and 3 then Level 1 and Level 2). This table shows how the CEFR and ESOL levels compare and what can be achieved when a person has English at a specified level.

The table below details the criteria for each level under the CEFR framework

In order to facilitate international comparisons and enable you to understand a range of common ESOL exams on offer, please refer to this website The Cambridge English Scale – information for institutions and in particular the table shown there.

This table: British Education System and Equivalency – Study in the UK with UNI Britannica shows that if you have an ESOL Level 2 qualification or equivalent at B2 or C1 (e.g. Cambridge B2 First, IELTS around 6.0 or higher), you can progress to a range of other courses and can access university (Levels 3-7).

If you want to improve your English there are various things you can do. Some people prefer formal classes and may want to take an exam like IELTS. For other people, improving their spoken English and learning about life in the UK is more important. We understand that people have different needs so the Hong Kong Welcome Hub has arranged the following options for you. You are welcome to choose one or more of these options to suit your wishes and needs.

Local Provision

The government funding only allows for a small number of classes. Generally the following options will provide around 3 hours per week face-to-face in a local class with a teacher. These courses are arranged in conjunction with your local authority, so that you can benefit from the government funding of up to £850 per person for ESOL. When signing up please inform the provider that you are on the BN(O) visa route.  They will also wish to check that you live in the local area.

Please choose the provision for your location:

Bedfordshire 
Cambridgeshire
Essex 
Hertfordshire
Norfolk
Suffolk
  • register your interest by contacting us at hkbno@eelga.gov.uk

If you are located in an area in the East of England About – East of England Local Government Marketplace (eelga.gov.uk) that is not listed here for ESOL provision, please contact us at hkbno@eelga.gov.uk

If you have any problems accessing the provision listed above, please contact us at hkbno@eelga.gov.uk