ESOL Social Conversation (WOR25T016)

ESOL

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Mode of attendance: Online

Start date: Thursday, 11 September 2025

End date: Thursday, 18 December 2025

Number of weeks: 14

Time: 19:00 - 21:00

Tutor: Timothy Cottingham

Venue: Online Delivery

Free Course

About the course:

This course gives you the opportunity to improve your communication skills so you can converse more effectively with people you meet in your everyday and work lives. You will work with people at the same level as you so you can all enjoy learning together. You will be taught by one of our expert ESOL tutors who will support you to achieve your personal aims for this course. By the end of the course you will be able to: Greet people formally and informally; Engage in social conversation; Ask and respond to open ended questions; Politely and appropriately agree and disagree with opinions; Offer your own opinions and challenge those of others; Talk about your feelings and emotions; Talk about your culture; Understand and apply the conventions of social interactions in the UK; Develop a glossary of terms to help you when you engage in social interactions.

How will the course be delivered?

The course will be taught in a classroom by one of our ESOL tutors. You will work with other people at the same level as you so you can enjoy learning together. You will work with a tutor to agree targets for you to improve your English and these will be reviewed regularly. When you have achieved targets agreed with the tutor you can set some more to stretch your knowledge.
*Your class is delivered online using Zoom which means you can learn from the comfort of your own home. Your Tutor will send an invitation to join the class each week. This will be by email on a secure link. The class is delivered in real time. To get the most from your online lessons, we ask you to follow these ten guidelines: (1) If you are not working from home, use a location where it is safe to connect. (2) It is better to join your class using a laptop or a tablet. We may be able to help by loaning a laptop if you do not have one. Ask your centre for details. Mobile phone screens are not big enough to read shared documents and it is harder to move between the activities, so we do not recommend using one for a class. (3) Find a suitable quiet space, have access to a desk or table, have resources such as paper and pen to hand to support your learning. (4) Be prompt – we aim to start and finish on time. (5) Please be aware of what your tutor and peers can see. Ideally blur your background or use one of the standard, freely available, backgrounds on Zoom. If you require support with this, please don’t hesitate to speak to your Tutor. (6) Please dress appropriately and do not share inappropriate websites or materials. (7) Turn your camera on at all times. This is a safeguarding requirement and being able to see each other’s faces and reactions will help you to get to know each other and work as a group. It will also help your tutor see if anyone doesn’t understand. (8) Please try to minimise any background noise. Mute your microphone if it is noisy at your end of the connection and avoid interrupting other people. (9) Engage with the learning activities and your tutor and peers. You will enjoy the class more and increase your learning if you are fully involved and open to the challenge. If you do not understand something, please let your tutor know either by saying something or by private message on Zoom. (10) If you are completing a qualification that is assessed through a multiple-choice final assessment, please be aware that the assessment must be completed at one of our Cumbria Adult Learning Centres.

What do I need to bring?

Please bring a pen and a notebook.

What are the entry requirements?

There are no entry requirements for this course. It might be useful to have completed the following courses : Reading and Writing for Pre-Entry Learners, First Steps into English.

What can I do next?

You can talk to your tutor or a member of the Centre staff about what you can do next. The ESOL Curriculum Plan has something that will appeal to you. There are a range of ESOL Skills for Life qualifications that you can study and more Tailored Learning options that will improve your knowledge of English.

How well am I doing?

You will have an Individual Progress Record that you review with your tutor regularly. You will set some targets yourself and your tutor will set others so you can monitor how well you are doing and the progress you have made. Your tutor will also give you verbal feedback during classes and help you to celebrate what you are doing well and identify things that you can still work on.

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Enquiries

Centre: Workington Adult Learning
Contact number: 01900 706023
Email address: workingtonadultlearning@cumberland.gov.uk