Where can I find FREE online English courses?

Where can I find FREE online English courses?

Published: Nov 2, 2022 | By: Lucas Weaver

Finding FREE online English courses where the quality level is an effective use of your time can take time and effort. So, where can you find helpful online resources to learn English that will help you improve your language skills without investing any money?

Let's look at some online sources and what you can expect to gain from each source. We'll organize them by:

  1. the top free online English courses

  2. the learning method that you'll use

  3. the specific benefits they can offer you

And we'll give you our best advice on how you can be most successful using these free language courses.

Full-length online English courses from universities you can take for free

Coursera 

free online english courses

What is Coursera?

Whether you're looking for a non-technical or technical course, you've heard of Coursera. The language courses on this platform include:

  • Extensive course content.

  • Online videos.

  • Quizzes.

  • Capstone projects at every level.

  • Virtual classes by some of the best educators in the industry.

Coursera provides online English language courses for both native and second-language speakers. These virtual language courses can help non-native English speakers improve their grammar and writing abilities and enhance communication skills in professional situations.

Most popular free online English courses on Coursera

English for Common Interactions in the Workplace: Basic Level

We must frequently react correctly to everyday or workplace issues in a professional setting. This course aims to help workers with that issue by teaching them how to communicate more quickly in the workplace. 

After finishing this course, you can expand the variety of your word choice and the types of sentences you use, enhancing your professional value and expertise and contributing to a better job and position in life.

Learn English: Advanced Academic Speaking and Listening Specialization

Listening and speaking at a high level is the focus of this course, designed to help students who are not native English speakers succeed at higher education institutions where English is the language of instruction. 

This Coursera course is helpful for everyone who wants to learn how to listen more effectively, not only non-native English speakers who want to do better in college. Your communication abilities, in general, will be enhanced, helping you in situations like class presentations and group debates. 

English for Career Development

This class is designed for non-native English speakers who want to succeed in the international job market. You can learn how to find a job, apply for one, interview for jobs in the United States successfully, and then compare and contrast that with how you usually would in your own country. 

This free online English course aims to help you reach your professional objectives by expanding your vocabulary and language skills and will also provide you with the chance to investigate worldwide employment options. 

English for Business and Entrepreneurship

This short course is designed for international business students who are not native English speakers. "English for Business and Entrepreneurship" claims to give you the knowledge and skills you need to function effectively in a global business environment. 

You will study business English by watching video lectures and reading real-world business articles. This course will also inform you about general entrepreneurship by focusing on business ideas, goods, and economic markets. 

The quality of Coursera's free online English courses

With thousands of courses, specializations, and degrees available online through Coursera, language students can grow their knowledge and skills in various course topics. Their online courses are offered in partnership with leading universities and organizations.

Because they don't specialize in language lessons, their course topics might be more general than what you're looking for. However, their courses are flexible, affordable, job-relevant, and recognized by future employers. So, if your needs are centered around general English language education, and you're determined to look for free online English courses, Coursera is worth a look.

How to make the most of Coursera English courses?

Stick with the schedule by setting a weekly study time goal for yourself and try to meet it. 

Do all the homework and take your English lessons seriously and come prepared. 

Try and practice outside of class in the real world. If you have a study partner, the two of you may help keep each other on track with their studies.

edX

free online english classes

edX is an online platform created by MIT and Harvard, which provides online course materials to students worldwide. They give you freedom and convenience that you can't get in a traditional classroom. They offer self-paced learning, online discussion groups, collaborative learning using wikis, and online labs.

The online courses that edX offers

There are many English online courses for beginners to advanced learners on edX. Also, many classes are free, making them a cheaper way to learn than other online resources. 

Their website has a wide range of classes for different skill levels. Law, history, physics, engineering, business, social sciences, computer science, public health, and artificial intelligence are just a few subjects covered by edX's MOOCs and interactive online courses.

edX has many options for professional and academic English language learners that may "dazzle" them. But edX is one of the best places to learn online, so you can be sure that your classes will be worth your time.

The quality level of edX's courses

edX courses have excellent video and audio quality. You can get the same education as a college student without paying college tuition if you take advantage of the fact that some language courses use videos from actual college classes.

How to learn English from edX?

The first step in choosing a practical online course is determining the teaching method used. You should try a few different learning methods and see which works best. After making a short list, you can use edX's search function to learn more about each course.

When looking for a course, stick with it and rewatch lessons if you don't understand at least 80% of the content.

Lastly, remember to do your homework and use what you've learned in class in real life.

Harvard Online

free online english courses

What are Harvard Online courses?

Taking classes online at Harvard is an option if you want to get a prestigious credential from a well-known Ivy League school. You can also find data science, computer science, education, and business courses. Plus, the added credentialing can help you advance in your chosen field.

But you can save money by using the many free resources available on the topics they cover to fill in the gaps in your education. 

Find out about as many free online courses as you can. You can sit in on the following Harvard classes for free or pay and get an official certificate.

Specific recommended course

Harvard Online doesn't have many free online English courses, but they have one that anyone with an advanced level will find interesting. A basic introduction to American political rhetoric may help you improve your writing and speaking English skills.

Writing is one of the most critical parts of using a language, and once you get to an advanced level, understanding rhetoric in writing is a must. The benefits you'll get in public speaking are also a huge bonus.

Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking by Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences

How can the Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking course help you?

This short overview of American political rhetoric aims to help students improve their writing and speaking skills so that they can work in public service in the future.

In this class, you will learn about rhetoric, or the art of persuasion, through writing and public speaking. After participating in it, you can make and defend strong arguments, which is helpful in many areas, from school to the workplace.

Online English Learning Options with Video Instruction

Oxford Online English courses

free online english language courses

What is Oxford Online English?

Oxford Online English (not to be confused with the famous Oxford University) offers free online English courses. They operate on a "freemium model," but they offer enough classes to make it a productive place to start for someone just getting their toes wet with English learning.

This website has a lot of free lessons, including video and listening lessons, that you can use to learn about spoken English, English grammar, English pronunciation, and much more. 

Which free online English courses are available on the Oxford Online English platform?

Do you need to study for an English language test (like IELTS or TOEFL) or want to brush up on your business English or conversational English? Oxford free English online courses can help.

The best part is that you can use their free materials to try out their programs and ways of teaching without spending money.

How to best learn from them?

If you want to improve your English language skills with Oxford Online, start with review courses. Take classes in areas with which you already have some familiarity.

You might have learned them in school or a language class for beginners and remember them now.

To make the most of their free courses, start with the basics and work up to the more complex subjects.

USA Learns

free online english courses

USA Learns offers a variety of free online English courses to help people reach their goals, such as learning English, getting a job, or getting ready to become a citizen. 

USA Learns aims to help adults who don't speak English learn to write and speak English well.

What online English courses does USA Learns offer for free?

USA Learns is a helpful site for beginner, intermediate, and ESL students who want to learn English as a second language.

English language Learners can use the site's many multimedia resources to read, watch, listen, interact, and even practice their conversational English skills. You can work on different communication skills, such as asking and answering questions, asking for help, and making small talk. 

Why is the USA Learns worth trying?

These free online English classes are like traditional language classes, so they might be a good fit if you like learning in a classroom setting, but they won't be suitable for those who want more high-tech ways of learning.

Please make sure you work to learn the vocabulary and grammar they teach, and this course should help you build a good foundation for learning English in the future.

You will need a computer to use the app, but it's free. It would help if you had a microphone and a quiet place for the talk-back and practice functions to work well.

Text-only free online English courses

English Page

free online english courses

EnglishPage.com is one of my favorite free online English courses on the internet. Their lectures are only of text, yet the concepts are presented in a very understandable manner.

They have quizzes and worksheets to check how well you know different verb tenses and words. The worksheets and quizzes are easy to figure out how to do.

Why English Page?

English Page allows you to practice the English language skills you learn in your classes or lessons that stand out and are well organized. It's a great way to keep up with what you've learned outside of class and strengthen your language skills.

How to use English Page

The best place to begin is with the different verb tenses, and then I'd go on from there.

You should go through all the lessons, after which you should take the associated quizzes and keep taking the quizzes until you obtain a perfect score on each one.

What is the quality level of English Page's lessons?

Even though English Page is a website with only text-based lessons, no video or audio, and no live instructions or guidance, the classes are of pretty good quality. All the examples are helpful, and the diagrams make it much easier to understand what they mean.

ESOL English

free online english classes

Along with English Page, ESOL is a site that provides text lessons. This is a free place to learn online you can do from anywhere. They offer free online classes for people who want to learn English independently and tools for teachers who teach English as a second language.

Users don't have to sign up to use their classes, and it doesn't cost anything. ESOL uses the same teaching methods in all of its classes, so language learners of all skill levels can benefit.

How will ESOL English help you?

In the same way that the English page is an excellent addition to your main courses, so is this site. This might be enough if you only want to learn the basics. 

Quality of lessons on ESOL English

ESOL's materials are a good choice for text-only lessons. They give out free information of good quality, and the courses they offer are primarily about essential topics. If you want free classes to learn English all by yourself, it's worth trying them.

Which FREE online English course is the best option for you?

What are your goals?

First, answer the following questions:

  • What are your goals for learning English?

  • How fast do you need to improve?

  • What level do you want your English skills to reach?

  • How much do you value your time?

  • How long until I will get my goals with free online English courses?

If you value your time at a high hourly rate, you need to factor in how many hours you will take to learn English using the free methods above. If you multiply that by the hourly rate you value your time, you'll see the total cost of your "free" lessons.

Realizing this is important for deciding when choosing the best course for you. A course where you have to pay might seem more expensive, but it could save you a lot of time and money in the long term.

Also, what is the value of being good at English to you? Later, when you're using it at work or speaking to international friends, would you rather have a little more money in your bank account, or would you say better, more confidently, and fully communicate what you want?

When choosing whether to pay for a professional English teacher for your online English lessons or to go the accessible route instead, these are the priorities you have to decide.

Choosing the best FREE online English courses for you

If you decide that free online English courses are the best route for you at this point, consider your options carefully, but then once you make your choice, stick with it! The most important part of English language learning is consistency. 

Don't start thinking, "the grass is greener in the other language course." Start with a short course that you can make some quick progress in and keep with it.

Once you finish, then you can evaluate the results and your progress. Then you may find that other learning methods are better suited for you, and you can change to a different course.

But for now, pick one that works for you and enjoy your learning journey.

When you're ready to start learning English with the most complete online language learning platform on the internet, sign up for your free account with Weaver School. With our expert teachers and course structures based on the most proven language learning neuroscience, you'll start making progress you can see FAST.

Want to get started with online English courses? Go to https://www.weaverschool.com/register and see how you can best improve your English.

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Online English courses to help you reach fluency fast.
Lucas Weaver from the Weaver School

Lucas Weaver founded The Weaver School in 2016. He's passionate about using the latest learnings in neuroscience and education to create the best language learning experience possible for our students, so they can quickly build effective language learning habits that will last for years. Lucas is a graduate of Texas A&M University and after 7 years of living in the Netherlands, he is currently traveling through Southeast Asia while learning their languages along the way.

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