General English

Our General English course helps you improve all four skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. You also learn grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. And you learn about life in the UK and how to use English around the world. We focus on natural, useful communication. We use coursebooks, materials made by our teachers, and real English texts.

English levels

Cambridge A2-C2

Minimum Age

16+

Maximum class size

Timetable

20 x 45 minute lessons in the morning only.

Lessons per week

Price

£254 - £307 per week

Registration

£62 one-time admin fee
£21/week High season supplement fee (15th June - 14th August 2026)

Materials

£43 for courses 1 - 12 weeks
£75 for courses more than 12+
+£25 for exam preparation courses

Included

20 x 45 minute lessons
Study room 4 days/week
Conversation club every Friday
Students' room
Free tea + coffee
Kitchenette

Start dates

Every Monday year-round, except for public holidays.

Length of course

1 - 50 weeks

Why Study in Bristol

Bristol is a lively and exciting city with something for everyone. You can enjoy culture, food, nightlife, music and beautiful views.

Bristol has a population of 450,000 and 2 major universities. Bristol has busy city life and beautiful green spaces. For example, you can go to the Bristol Downs to play sport, have a picnic or fly a kite. Or you can walk across the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge to Ashton Court park.

Living in Bristol

Bristol harbour with Clifton in the distance

Live in English every day

The Cultural Question gives you new grammar and vocabulary on a new subject every day, as well as a chance to share stories about your culture and learn about the culture of others.

The English Phrase of the Day helps you to understand the English being spoken around you in the UK and to sound more natural when you speak to other people.

With so many opportunities to improve your English, you should feel you are making progress from the day you arrive.

Looking for more?

See our intensive English course - 30 lessons / week

Student smiling whilst discussing a topic in class

20 lessons (15 hours per week)
In the morning (lessons 1-4) you will use a general English coursebook, with a balance of skills, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Every morning, we also teach our Phrase of the Day to help you sound more natural in your language use and our Cultural Question to help you learn about UK and other students’ cultures and to teach others about your culture. Teachers add extra language points to help the students in their class. They also use real English texts, so you see how people use English outside the classroom.
Our flexible English course syllabus ensures a balanced programme and means you do not repeat materials or lessons.
Optional daily supervised study room also available - see above for full list of included extras.
This course allows you to concentrate your learning into the mornings, leaving you free to work or study in the afternoons. It is perfect if you want time to review and remember what you learn, and you are not preparing for an exam. You will improve all of the following:
- reading
- writing
- speaking
- listening
- grammar
- vocabulary
- cultural knowledge
This helps students to use English in the UK and in an international context. There is an emphasis on practical, effective and natural communication.
Improving every aspect of your language:
- Grammar - so you are more correct in English, and easier to understand
- Vocabulary and idioms - so you can understand much more English, and sound up to date
- Pronunciation of English - so your accent is better and you can speak English in a more natural way
- Spoken fluency - so others understand you better
- Listening comprehension - so you can follow English conversations with greater understanding
- Reading comprehension - so you can read all sorts of English texts and understand them better
- Writing skills - so you can write different sorts of English texts
- British life and culture - you will also learn about our culture, the media and the British way of life
- Access to our online e-learning platform from the moment you enrol until 3 months after the end of your course
- Permanent open access to our Free Exercises
- Regular help with English pronunciation
- Daily homework
- Suggestions about how to learn more effectively
- Real English texts (written for British people), so you learn the English people really use
- Personalised elements
- Phrase of the Day
- Cultural Question - learn more about the culture of the UK and that of the countries of your classmates
- Supervised Study Room open from 3.30-5pm, with a tutor available for one hour every afternoon after classes from Monday to Thursday
- Lots of help from our tutors — with your homework, with difficult grammar and vocabulary, and with advice on how to improve your English
- Access to our weekly Conversation Club on Friday afternoons to practise English with other students and teachers

Morning classes

Class	Time	Focus
Morning Class 1	9.15am ‒ 10am	The first two classes focus on the language. The classes deal with grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation mainly through the use of a general English coursebook. Teachers add extra materials to meet each student's needs. Every morning we also teach you our Phrase of the Day, to help you sound natural. Teachers add extra language points to help the students in their class. They also use real English texts, so you see how people use English outside the classroom.
Morning Class 2	10am ‒10.45am
Morning Class 3	11.15am ‒12pm	Lessons three and four are usually skills based focusing on Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. There is a chance to use the language element from lessons one and two as well. You'll start the class with a Cultural Question, to help you understand the cultures of the UK and other students. Teachers sometimes introduce extra materials designed for the individual learners in a class and materials taken texts written for native speakers so you learn the English people really use.
Morning Class 4	12pm ‒12.45pm

Conversation Club

Conversation Club is an excellent way to practise your English. Every Friday afternoon, all IH Bristol students are invited to gather with a teacher to discuss a variety of topics and to put the English they have been learning through the week to use. Students interact with each other, listening and responding to what they say, exactly as they will do in real life.

It is also a fun way to finish the week!