Learning English for free: classes, libraries and online

Step 1 — Know your starting point and your goal

Before you choose a course, answer two questions.

What can you do in English today? USA Learns, a free online course, suggests a simple way to choose where to start (USA Learns):

• if you know a few English words and can read some English, start with its 1st English Course (beginner);
• if you can speak and read English and know some grammar, choose the 2nd English Course (intermediate);
• if you can speak, read and write and want more practice, choose Practice English and Reading.

You can change your course at any time (USA Learns). When you sign up for a class in person, ask how the program decides your level, so you start in a class that fits you.

Why do you need English? Daily life, a job, your children’s school, a high school credential or, one day, the citizenship test? Your main goal will help you choose a class in Step 4.

Step 2 — Start online today, for free

USA Learns is a free website that helps adults learn English, gain job skills and prepare for U.S. citizenship (USA Learns — The Project). It was built by the Sacramento County Office of Education in California, and its first funding came from the U.S. and California Departments of Education (USA Learns — The Project). It offers (USA Learns — Courses):

• beginner and intermediate video courses that teach listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar;
• Access America, an intermediate course about daily life in the U.S., with topics such as community services, getting a driver’s license, health care and U.S. schools;
• a citizenship course and an English course for future nursing assistants (see Step 4).

You register once, for free, and your work is saved, so you can continue where you stopped (USA Learns). The site shows some ads (USA Learns). You don’t need to click them or buy anything to use the courses.

The LINCS Learner Center is part of a project funded by the U.S. Department of Education (LINCS — FAQ). It is free, needs no login, and sorts free resources by goal, such as Learn English, Get Job Skills and Become a U.S. Citizen (LINCS — FAQ). Its “Learn English” page links to USA Learns, to official USCIS vocabulary lists for the citizenship test and to a directory of local programs (LINCS — Learn English).

Step 3 — Find a free or low-cost class near you

Online lessons are a good start. A class adds a teacher who corrects you and real people to talk to.

“Adult education” is the phrase to search for. A federal law, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), is the largest federal investment in adult education and literacy (U.S. Department of Education). It pays for classes in four areas: basic skills, high school–level classes, English language classes, and “integrated English literacy and civics education” (U.S. Department of Education — fact sheet). Under the law, these programs are meant for people 16 or older who are not enrolled in high school, including adults who are still learning English (U.S. Code, 29 U.S.C. 3272). They can be run by school districts, community or faith-based organizations, volunteer literacy groups, colleges, libraries, public housing authorities and other nonprofits (29 U.S.C. 3272).

Where to look:

• The National Literacy Directory. USA.gov sends people there to find English programs in person (USA.gov). You can search by goal, such as “Learn English”, “Become a U.S. citizen” or “Help my child learn”, and by distance from your home (National Literacy Directory). To speak to a person, call 1-877-389-6874 (National Literacy Directory).
• Your state’s adult education office. Each state has one agency in charge of adult education (29 U.S.C. 3272), such as the Texas Workforce Commission or the California Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education lists every state’s office, with its website (OCTAE — State Contacts).
• Your public library. Local libraries help adults learn English (USA.gov — Libraries), and in some communities they offer English classes and study materials (USA.gov). USA.gov’s libraries page has a link to a tool for finding a library near you.
• Your children’s school. If you have children, ask their school staff about ESL classes in the school district (USA.gov).

When you contact a program, ask: Is it free? Which levels, days and times? Is there a waiting list? What should I bring to sign up?

Step 4 — Pick a class that fits your goal

For work. The law describes “integrated English literacy and civics education” for adult English learners, including professionals with degrees and credentials from their home countries, and says it may include workforce training (29 U.S.C. 3272). It also describes training for a specific job combined with basic skills (“integrated education and training”), and programs run together with an employer, at the workplace or nearby (29 U.S.C. 3272). Ask your local program which of these it offers. Online, USA Learns’ Skills for the Nursing Assistant course teaches English for health care jobs, for learners at a high-intermediate level or above (USA Learns). For the next steps, see our guides on finding a job and on getting a foreign degree recognized.

For your family. The law includes “family literacy activities”, which help parents support their children’s learning (29 U.S.C. 3272), and the National Literacy Directory lets you search for family literacy programs (NLD). One ESL teacher’s tip, shared by USA Learns: if you have young children, read stories aloud to them; it improves your reading and prepares them to read too (USA Learns — Advice from Teachers). For school registration, see enrolling your child in school.

For a high school equivalency credential. Adult education includes high school–level classes (U.S. Department of Education — fact sheet). Depending on where you live, the test is the GED or the HiSET, and the National Literacy Directory can help you find a testing center (NLD — High School Equivalency).

For the citizenship test, later on. If you apply to become a U.S. citizen one day, the naturalization test includes an English part: you show that you can read, write and speak basic English, unless you qualify for an exemption (USCIS). USCIS offers free study resources, including vocabulary lists for the reading and writing tests (USCIS — Study for the Test), and USA Learns has a free citizenship course (USA Learns). Whether and when you can apply is a legal question; see free immigration legal help.

Step 5 — Practice a little every day

Classes work best with daily practice. Experienced ESL teachers, asked by USA Learns, suggest that you (USA Learns — Advice from Teachers):

• watch the same video several times while you read the text;
• read and write in English every day: notes, emails, text messages;
• read what you find around you, including at work, even if you don’t understand every word;
• look up new words, or guess their meaning from the words around them;
• read everything you can: children’s books, magazines, newspapers.

A few more ideas: study at the same time every day, even for 15 minutes; practice the sentences you need before you need them (at the doctor, the bank, the store); and ask people to repeat or speak more slowly. That is normal. Practicing with other people can also help you make friends; see our guide on building your circle.