'The UK is the home of the English language, so it's not surprising that there are hundreds of great English language schools and language centres '
Whether you are planning to learn English for pleasure, or for a specific purpose, you'll become one of around 750 million people around the world who speak English in addition to their mother tongue.
And if you are planning to study at school, college or university then learning English is likely to be an important part – maybe even the main part – of your UK education.
Choosing a course
There's a huge choice of courses available around the UK in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: English language schools, international study centres, tutorial colleges, further education colleges and universities. More than 600,000 people come to learn English on courses in the UK every year.
The first thing to check, when you are looking at English language courses, is whether the course is run by an accredited English language teaching centre.
Using the Search tool on this website (top right hand side) you'll find over 6,000 courses at more than 500 English language centres. These centres are all accredited by the British Council's Accreditaton UK scheme. You can filter your search by type of course, location, and age range.
There are also many other reputable English language centres that operate outside the Accreditation UK scheme and are inspected by other bodies. You can find out more by contacting organisations such as BAC, ISI or QAA - or search on the web for other schools and ask them about their inspection and accreditation procedures.
Check whether you need a visa
It's important to check whether you need a visa to study in the UK.
If you are a national of a country outside the EEA and Switzerland you should check on the UK Border Agency website whether you need a visa, and if so, which type of visa is right for you. For example, if you are over 18 and coming specifically to study on an English language programme for up to 11 months, you may be eligible to apply for an extended student visitor visa.
Here on Education UK's Applications section you'll find general information about visas.
