Introducing Learning Paths: Customized language learning powered by AI

Learn the words and phrases you need for any language topic you choose. Get vocabulary words, key phrases, grammar explanations, and flashcards created for you in minutes.

Mastering Street Food Ordering in Thai

อาหาร (aa-hăan)

เมนู (Menu)

ราคา (raa-khaa)

น้ำ (náam)

ข้าว (Khâaw)

Join Waiting List

What are the 5 Best ESL classes online?

Have you been searching for the best ESL classes online? Have you considered relocating to an English-speaking country for work or studies? Is the language barrier why you continue to stall this possibly life-changing decision?

We understand the difficulty of learning a new language to become confident when interacting or studying. 

So, we have put together a detailed piece on the best online ESL classes where we carefully detailed:

1. The top 5 online platforms that offer ESL classes

2. Their styles, courses offered, length of study, and certificate of completion (where applicable)

3. FAQs to guide your decision-making

Top ESL classes online that offer a certificate of completion

Proof of English fluency can significantly enhance your resume, and several platforms offer certification of completion. This certificate enables employees or students to show employers or school officials their proficiency and communication skills. Certificates usually require a fee.

Alison

What is Alison?

Alison was formed in Galway, Ireland, in 2007 and has developed organically to become a major force in free online education and professional training. With over 25 million students in 195 countries, Alison is available for students worldwide.

Its goal is to help people improve their skills, switch careers, or follow their passions. Depending on how long the course is, you get either a diploma or a certificate when you finish it. 

Top 3 Online English as a Second Language Courses on Alison

Here are the top 3 ESL courses to take on Alison:

1. Beginner Level English 2 - Make a Request

This course offers five units of presentations, listening exercises, and test questions designed to increase your knowledge of questions and responses for the following words: want, would like, please, this, that, these, and those.

1. English for Tourism - Tourist Information and Guided Tours - Revised

This course will improve your English language skills and help you express yourself more confidently as a tourist. Course assessment at the end of each module ensures you are following up and getting value for your time and money.

2. English Writing Skills

Students will learn about the many English writing types and styles from this. The many writing types, including story, comedy, descriptive, science fiction, instructional, reflective, and poetry, will also be thoroughly explained.

What are the advantages of online ESL classes with Alison?

It's easy and smooth to learn with Alison. You'll have access to a wide range of options. While some diplomas and certificates cost money, this online education platform is the least expensive overall. It is also a place to go if you want to take classes on more practical subjects that you can use immediately in your job.

The only thing you should consider before taking online English courses with this platform is that they are not accredited. The lessons follow industry standards, but it's up to your employer to decide if the Alison certificate or diploma sufficiently shows that you have made progress.

Udemy

What is Udemy?

Udemy is a massive open online course provider, and its learning experience consists of a series of modules and lessons that can include videos, written notes, and tests. Its video player has features like closed captioning and the ability to take notes.

People from all over the world have used Udemy courses to learn English. To follow the lessons, language learners only need a simple internet connection, a device, and a basic understanding of English. 

Bestselling Practicable English Courses on Udemy

1. ESL English: Strong English for Good Jobs, Beginning

This course teaches Business English and helps you better understand English conversation at work or school. You will practice the most important "rules" of spoken English in recorded conversations with many native English speakers.

Upon completion, you become more comfortable with familiar English accents, and you will quickly differentiate between spoken and written English.

2. ESL Foundational English - Complete Course for Beginners

This 12-week course was crafted for ESL learners to help them develop a solid English foundation.

You will learn Alphabet Phonics, Parts of Speech, Numbers, Phonetics, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Conversational English.

3. Speak English Better with Natives and Abroad Now! ESL Course

This course teaches and helps you to solve communication problems in real time. Students become enabled to understand better natives that speak fast, vocabulary, phrasal verbs, idioms, and numbers.

Is Udemy a good choice for online esl CLASSES?

Udemy could be a good fit if you want to learn new skills but aren't necessarily looking for a degree or classes from a college or university. Udemy does give out certificates, but they are not recognized by universities or accredited.

"Udemy students always have access to the most up-to-date lessons on almost any topic," says Patrick Heffernan, who works in communications for Udemy. Doing your research before starting any online English course would greatly help you.

Best Online ESL Courses For Free

FutureLearn

What is FutureLearn?

FutureLearn offers various online English language lessons to enhance your general English skills and writing abilities. On completion, it can give you an edge when finding new employment and educational opportunities worldwide.

"FutureLearn lowers the number of people who don't finish a course by making it less lonely. 22% of the people who start our courses finish most of the steps and all the tests. That's twice or three times better than other MOOC providers." - CEO of FutureLearn, Simon Nelson.

ESL classes to take on FutureLearn

Learn British English from expert instructors and get to know your classmates simultaneously. You can do many online language lessons independently, but FutureLearn encourages students to talk with others taking the same classes. More than a million people are taking classes here, so there will be lots of people to talk to.

FutureLearn works like many other MOOCs: lessons are given weekly for several weeks. You can learn alongside the class, which is highly encouraged (so you can talk to other students). But if you need a different class time than the class times, you can go at your own pace.

FutureLearn gives free limited access for one month. You can take as many classes as you want for $27.99 every three months. You can also buy single classes for different flat rates.

Consider taking the following classes:

A Beginner's Guide to Writing in English for University Study

This one is for people who want to study in an English-speaking country, but it can be helpful for anyone learning English.

1. Understanding IELTS

Techniques for English Language Tests: This course is excellent if you want to take any English test, especially the IELTS.

2. Exploring English: Language and Culture

In this course, you can simultaneously improve your English and learn about British culture.

Why FutureLearn?

Learn a new language to sharpen your mind, learn about other cultures, or find work and travel opportunities. You can learn online in a new way with FutureLearn. Every course is based on principles of how people best learn, such as using stories, discussion, visible learning, and community support to mark progress.

FutureLearn's offering is similar to other online course providers. With FutureLearn, you'll have access to an easy-to-use portal and course syllabi, and the overall student and user experience will likely be positive. It's easy to figure out how to use this platform, and it's not too expensive. 

FutureLearn is free, but only if you choose the free membership plan. You can take classes for free if you don't want to pay anything, but there are other ways to pay and memberships that give you more benefits.

Openlearning

What is Openlearning?

Openlearning is a platform for lifelong learning that allows teachers to give learners effective, fun, and valuable online content. 

"Giving students, working professionals, and people looking for work the skills employers want most. In a critical time when the workplace demands high skills, Deakin University partnered with Openlearning to create a range of online Open Cred short courses for the 21st century. Improving workplace performance and future employability in Australia and beyond."

ESL classes to take on Openlearning

1. Discussions at Work Made Easy

Need help getting your point across in group discussions? Do you need to get along better with groups? This self-paced option will help you speak better English to talk to people at work.

The focus is on the commonplace group discussions at work, which are a structured but informal way for people to share their knowledge, ideas, and opinions on any issue or topic.

1. English Whit #1 Using Sentence Connectors

This program is suitable for 16 to 21-year-old students who want to improve their English writing skills in preparation for university. Scroll down this page for more information about UNSW Foundation Studies.

Using Sentence Connectors provides an opportunity for learners to understand more about the theory and practice relating to the use of cohesive devices in grammar. In this lesson, sentence connectors are employed to convert individual sentences into meaningful paragraphs. 

Why Openlearning?

Openlearning partners with leading education providers and organizations to empower you with world-class programs in a practical and social learning environment. You may find fewer college professors, but you will find experts who want to share their skills. Only some of the studies on this platform are free.

"The variety of classes they offer [is high]. There are a lot of different courses and ways to learn. You can go as fast or as slow as you want. The ideas are easy to understand and make good lessons." - G2.com

MOOCs Offered by Universities

Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, are free classes that anyone can enroll in. Millions of people worldwide use MOOCs to learn for many different reasons, such as career development, changing careers, getting ready for college, supplemental learning, lifelong learning, corporate eLearning and training, and more.

With MOOCs in English, you can learn the most spoken language in the world at your own pace. Most of their options are free and are certified by well-known universities such as Cambridge, Harvard, or MIT.

OpenCourseWare by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T)

What is OpenCourseWare?

MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a digital collection of high-quality instruction and learning resources that are provided in a simple way. It is free, openly available, and licensed under an open license. You are welcome to search through, download, and use the materials provided by more than 2,500 on-campus courses and extra resources offered by MIT. 

On the OpenCourseWare website, every ESL class has a syllabus, various instructional materials such as notes and reading lists, and other learning activities such as assignments and answers. Additionally, some lessons include videos, online textbooks, and the instructors' perspectives on teaching. There is no need to sign up or enroll, and there are no set dates for the beginning or end of the event. 

Exploring ESL classes on OpenCourseWare

Listening, Speaking, and Pronunciation

This program is for high-intermediate ESL students who need to improve their listening comprehension and oral skills. During video-based periods, Professor Yoo works with students on some of the exercises from the handouts. These videos show how a typical classroom works, including the professor's lectures, small groups of students working together, and a classroom debate. 

Advanced Speaking and Critical Listening Skills (ELS).

This class is for students who already know a lot of English and want to improve in conversation. It is helpful for people who wish to teach or lecture in English and has assignments for language labs. The workshop aims to help people develop good pronunciation, listening, and speaking skills for school and work.

Benefits of learning ESL with MIT's MOOC

MIT offers its ESL course for high-intermediate ESL students who need to improve their oral and listening abilities. The courses are for students who wish to build confidence and skills in spoken English. It focuses on the appropriate oral presentation. It focuses on

1. Creating clear and understandable English.

2. Being more accustomed to hearing quickly spoken English.

3. Picking up frequent sayings, idioms, and gambits used in both official and casual settings.

On the downside, high dropout rates are a disadvantage of MOOCs classes. Because students don't have to pay fees sometimes need more motivation to complete the course. Another reason the students don't finish the course is that they aren't encouraged to because they don't get college credit.

Choosing the right online ESL course for you

Taking an online course in English as a Second Language (ESL) gives you many skills that are very useful in your life, as English is the primary language of business communication in many parts of the world. 

Students who are good at communicating in English have more job options and can earn more money. By studying English online, you will still gain knowledge and improve your language skills.

Frequently Asked Questions About ESL Classes Online

What kinds of jobs can you get after taking an ESL course?

Most jobs in English-speaking countries require that you speak English. The type of jobs a student can get depends on how much education and training they have. These classes are suitable for jobs that don't require a degree but could also help someone with a degree prepare to get a higher-paying job. 

The English language is used in many professional and educational settings worldwide. If you don't speak English as your first language, you should learn if you're going to work in an international field or study abroad. 

How long does the typical ESL course take to complete online?

Although most of these classes need between three and four hours each week for a couple of months, the schedules for each are very different. You can complete the longest course in around four and a half months, while the shortest courses can be done in only a few hours. 

All online ESL courses provide students with flexible scheduling, which enables them to finish the sessions at whatever rate is most comfortable for them. Because of the vast number of options, picking a class suitable for any schedule is simple.

How can I speed up the process of learning English?

Active learning is the only proven method for acquiring a second language in a short amount of time. This requires a significant investment of both time and effort. Read as many books as you possibly can.

But only some people are good at learning online. ESL classes online without a good teacher have a high rate of people dropping out because most of them are self-led. 

Here are some tips that will help you choose a good class and make the most of your time:

• Plan a time and day to learn.

• Take a course at a level that you feel comfortable with

• Join an English conversation group to stay motivated.

You could also improve your fluency by using language learning programs. Taking a course with a live teacher from the Weaver School can help you get used to using English in real-life situations. 

Sign up for a free account at Weaver School when you're ready to learn English on the internet's most complete language-learning platform. With our expert teachers and course structures based on the most proven science of language learning, you'll start making progress you can see FAST.

If you decide that free online English lessons are the best way to go right now, think about your options carefully, but once you make your choice, stick with it! 

Want to see how you can best improve your English? Join us today!