26 March 2026
Adult Learning
When I arrived in the UK, my English was very poor. Thanks to the ESOL courses, I now have more confidence to talk to local people.
Terry Fok, Level 1 and Level 2 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
I wanted to get better at English and the course is subsidised by the council for BNO (British National Overseas) Visa holders which allows eligible Hong King residents to live, work and study in the UK.
When I arrived in the UK, my English was very poor. In Hong Kong I worked as a nurse but my English needs to be stronger to work in a hospital here in the UK.
The ESOL course has different levels and class times so this is good if you work and you once you get better with your English, you can study higher level courses. You get assessed by the teachers to make sure you are on the best course for your English so this means that you are getting lots out of the course rather than struggling.
Mostly recently, I was working in a warehouse. I now have more confidence to talk to people so if I have any problems that I need to report to my manager, I feel comfortable to use the phone and make contact with supporting teams. I would say my English is currently sufficient for my job. Once my English is better, I would like to get back into a health career.
When you sign up for an ESOL course, you need to go for an assessment. Take the advice of the teachers as they know best. It's better to start off on a lower level and then grow in confidence to study another course.
