If English is not your first language, this section is the place to find additional material to support you with your English language studies.

Remember that this English course is for learners whose first language is English, but it is also open to students who have completed their primary education through the medium of English, even if English is not their first language. Every situation is unique and you will have been advised on the best pathway for you at the Admissions stage.

What is the difference between this English course and a second language course?

On this course, it is expected that you are already confident in communicating in English and therefore, the course has an emphasis on developing skills through studying a range of text types and writing clearly and creatively for a range of different purposes. There will be less focus on grammar and syntax, unlike an English as an Additional Language course, where the aim is to help you develop the skills to communicate in English.

Where can I find help with developing my English communication skills, if my first language is not English?

If you find that during this first language course, you are struggling with sentence formation, vocabulary or any other grammatical point, we have collated a selection of resources to help you. The links below will take you to a separate page containing support material or weblinks that you can explore.

You don’t need to work through all the activities together. In fact, we advise against this. Choose one grammar point to work on. By revising little and often, your confidence will grow and your language level will improve. Do this alongside your studies.

Another way of boosting your English language skills would be to join one of our community clubs. Our Debate Club and Creative Writing Club are run by our English tutors and these will help develop your speaking and written communication skills specifically. They are also a lot of fun! For more information on how to join, have a look at our page.

Here are some other handy tips to help you improve your understanding of English, which you can do in your free time:

Watch television and films in English (it’s worth putting on the subtitles to help you read along and listen at the same time). Remember that YouTube allows you to adjust the speed of a video so that you can hear the words more clearly. You can do this by clicking on the Settings icon then choosing the appropriate speed . You can turn on the subtitles by clicking on this icon . This will allow you to see the words at the same time as you listen to them.
Make notes of new vocabulary – you can do this on your phone or in a notebook. If it helps, add a translation of the word in your own language.

Listen to British and American music. This is a fun way of improving your English. There are endless songs out there and you can find the lyrics online. You could read the lyrics as you listen to the song – as well as sing, if you feel confident!
Get a good bilingual dictionary - this could be online. Wordreference.com is a good suggestion and it will also pronounce the word for you.
Practise English whenever you can. Make an effort to learn new words and go over your feedback from your tutor carefully. Remember that your tutor is on your side and will want you to make progress and achieve good marks. Try to practise with other English-speakers and don’t be afraid about making mistakes – it’s actually a great way of learning.
Practise English on the go! Here is a list of apps that you can download on your phone to help you practise your grammar and vocabulary when you are on the move.

EXPLORE – Useful apps for learning English

Resources to support my English language studies

Below, you will find carefully selected resources to support your English language skills. We have divided these into two categories - vocabulary and grammar. In each category, you will find a selection of weblinks and downloadable worksheets to work on at your own pace.

For some of the weblinks, you will need to input your CEFR level. Remember to choose B2 as we would be expecting you to be working at least at this level in Year 9. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is a way of describing language ability. For more information, you can read the level descriptors here:

Explore – CEFR Level Descriptors

Vocabulary

Learning vocabulary (meaning, pronunciation and spelling) will help you improve your English language skills. Vocabulary plays a very important role in learning any language – without vocabulary, nothing can be communicated. The more vocabulary you know, the better you will be able to express yourself and the more you will be able to understand.

In this section, we have collated a list of useful links to help you learn new words. You will notice that the pages are organised by theme to help you memorise the new words.

The first link will take you to A1 (elementary) and A2 (pre-intermediate) level vocabulary. The second link will take you to B1 (intermediate) and B2 (upper-intermediate) level vocabulary.

In Lower Secondary, if your first language is not English, you should feel confident at using B1/B2 level vocabulary.

PRACTISE – A1-A2 Vocabulary

PRACTISE – B1 -B2 Vocabulary

Practise your vocabulary and spelling by playing these interactive games.

PRACTISE – Vocabulary games

Grammar

As part of the English course, you are expected to work through the CGP Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Book which you have been sent, along with the Ignite textbook. In addition to this, we have collated some additional resources which we feel are specifically challenging for learners of English. These are listed below. Click on each grammar term for additional practice.

Grammar Terms	Quick Examples
Adjectives	Easy English lessons
Adverbs	Read slowly
Articles	a house, an appointment, the meal you ate yesterday
Commas	We didn’t have any bread, so I went to the shop.
Connectives	I was scared of the teacher because she was looking at me intently.
Nouns	house, family, Madrid
Phrasal verbs	Fall behind, hold off, whip up...
Plural nouns	Horse > Horses
Sentence structure	In English, a simple sentence is made up of a subject + verb + possibly an object.
Subject-verb agreement	The list of items is on the desk.
Tenses	I see you all the time, I saw you yesterday, I have seen you before...