English for Adults Over 30
General English Course for Adults over 30
Learn English in the south of England with one of the top language schools in the UK! Here at LSI/IH Portsmouth, we offer a range of General English courses exclusively for adults over 30 (average age is 45). The programme is very flexible and consists of core morning classes, which all students have, and then optional afternoon electives so you can choose the course that best suits you, your language needs and your personal preferences. If you can’t choose from our afternoon electives, why not combine the options and do a week of each!
Study English in the morning
All 30+ students study the Core morning programme. This is a 3-hour morning class. However, you have the option to join a variety of afternoon programmes.
Morning Classes of 15 hours per week 1 hour is 60 minutes
- Focus is on all 4 skills: speaking, writing, listening, reading
- Practical grammar
- Communication is key, with plenty of opportunity for practice
- Dynamic and interactive classroom environment
- Authentic materials – newspaper, video and audio recordings
- Pronunciation
- Constant correction and feedback from your teacher
- All books or materials are included in the fees
Optional English study for the afternoon
We have four different afternoon options to suit your needs.
Intensive English Study
Afternoon classes of 10 hours per week – Friday afternoon free. Maximum group size of 8 students.
The content will be an extension of your morning classes but with extra:
- Role plays and discussions
- Tailored functional and theme-based practice, selected from a list of choices
- Practice of everyday situations
- Focus on listening and speaking
- Everyday English to help you in all situations
- Increase confidence and develop fluency
Business Communication
This option is for those who want to improve communicative performance in a wide range of professional, business and commercial contexts. Students join our Executive Open Groups.
- Students must be lower-intermediate or above
- 12.5 hours in groups of maximum 4 participants
- Focus on communication, intercultural exchange and functional skills with participants of different nationalities and commercial backgrounds in the context of professional situations – presentations, meetings, negotiating, leading an international team, intercultural awareness in working environments.
Individual lessons
If you want individual attention, you can add 1:1 English lessons to your course with a choice of either an extra 10 or 5 hours:
- Maximise your progress
- Focus on your personal needs
- Preparation for a specific conference or presentation
British Culture Trips
Portsmouth has a rich historical and literary tradition, so why not discover it in the company of one of our teachers?
You can enjoy our city’s heritage while improving your English skills.
Here is a sample of some of the activities you can join:
- Visit one of the best museums in the UK; the Historic Dockyard Museum
- Find out about the Portsmouth literary history – creator of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens
- Visit a vineyard for tasting, a monastery to experience the life of a monk or enjoy Queen Victoria’s favourite holiday home, Osbourne House
- Discover Roman England and the lasting influences of the Romans today
- Take a boat trip around Portsmouth Harbour, step aboard the Warrior and HMS and Victory or see Henry VIII’s ship, the Mary Rose
- Visit to Portsmouth City Museum and Charles Dickens Birthplace Museum
- Visit the Isle of Wight by hovercraft
- Visit Portchester Castle, one of the most complete Roman Castles to be seen in Europe
*Please note that this option is only available on set dates – please see the dates and fees page for more information.
Friday afternoons are free. However, we do have social activities organised for most Friday afternoons. 30+ students have access to the 30+ Social Programme and the General English Social Programme.
Please be aware that the choice of activities may change subject to weather and availability.
English for Adults over 30 – FAQs
Students in General English classes tend to be in their early 20’s and there is a maximum class size of 12 students. They usually stay longer, so are able to go step-by-step through a course book. Their motivation for learning English is often because they need English to get into university or to start their professional careers.
30+ students generally come for much shorter stays (1 to 4 weeks). The maximum class size is 8 though the average is 4. Students’ reasons for coming to LSI/IH Portsmouth include needing English for travel, because they are changing jobs to one that will require more English, or they are simply learning English as a hobby.
Because of the shorter nature of the course, teachers do not usually use a course book. The teaching is more spontaneous, reacting to what the students want to study and dealing with any unplanned grammatical and vocabulary-based issues as they arise. In short, the teacher tries to upgrade and improve the English they already have.
One thing that students say they enjoy is having so much in common with their classmates. 30+ students also have the use of the Executive student coffee lounge and socialise with the Executive students, both during the day and in the evenings on the Executive social programme.
Every 30+ student studies the “Core” programme of 3 hours every morning (15 hours per week). However, students can choose from a variety of 5 different afternoon options:
10 hours of group classes (called “intensive”) total hours: 25
5 hours of one-to-one teaching total hours: 20
10 hours of one-to-one teaching total hours: 25
Culture (run on specific dates) total hours: 20
12.5 hours of Business Communication total hours: 27.5
We have had a lot of demand for courses which have both Business English and General English. For this reason we developed the 30+ Core and Business Communication course. In the Business Communication part, you can study English for telephoning, negotiation skills, presentation skills etc. Please note you will not be assigned a Business English teacher for 30+ Core and 5 or 10 hours 1:1.
This is a one week course where students study General English in the “Core” part and in the afternoon usually go out with the teacher to visit museums, houses, and castles of historical interest and of course Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard. There is a choice of activities for the students to choose from.
08.30 – 08.45: Optional supervised self-access
08.45 – 10.30: Lesson 1 – 115 minutes
Monday Instructions, greetings and exchanging information
Tuesday Discussing schedules, habits and routines
Wednesday Describing experiences: past actions relating to the present
Thursday Expressing needs and obligations
Friday Discussing future plans: forecasting and hypothesising
10.30 – 10.45: Morning Coffee Break
10.45 – 12.00: Lesson 2 – 75 minutes
Monday Making polite requests and clarifying information
Tuesday Describing past routines and habits
Wednesday Describing experiences: comparing similarities and differences
Thursday Making plans and arrangements
Friday Weekly review and consolidation
12.00 – 13.15: Lunch/Optional supervised self-access
13.15 – 14.30: Lesson 3 – 75 minutes
Monday Socialising and Entertaining: Ordering meals and drinks
Tuesday Making Complaints: Explaining and apologising
Wednesday Expressing Opinions: Agreeing and disagreeing
Thursday Understanding and using idiomatic phrases and expressions
Friday FREE to discover Portsmouth
14.30 – 14.45: Afternoon Coffee Break
14.45 – 16.00: Lesson 4 – 75 minutes
Monday Using YouTube: Food, recipes, etc.
Tuesday Giving advice, suggestions and recommendations
Wednesday Listening and Discussion: The world of work
Thursday Listening and Discussion: Travel, transport and holidays
Friday FREE to discover Portsmouth!
Talk to us
Have we answered all your questions about studying English courses in Portsmouth? If not, find out more here or contact us. We look forward to meeting you in Portsmouth and helping you to learn English in the UK!Key Facts
- 15 – 27.5 hours (60 minutes) per week
- Minimum length 1 week
- Maximum students per class 8 (average 5)
- Minimum age 30 (average 45)
- Minimum level A2
- Available online and face-to-face
- Free 1 year access to online learning platform Sensations English
Accommodation
During your stay in Portsmouth, you may want to live with a local homestay family, in one of our self-catering residences, or choose to find your own accommodation. We will do everything we can to give you the best option to suit your needs and to help and support you with your living arrangements.
Social Programme
Do you want to practice your English through socialising? With this course you can choose activities from both the General English social programme and Executive English social programme! Both programmes are full and varied, and are a great way to meet other people like you!