English as a Foreign Language courses in Johannesburg, South Africa

Your success in the academic and business worlds, both internationally and in South Africa, is largely dependent on your degree of proficiency in English. The Wits Language School (WLS) courses in English as a Foreign Language will develop your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills to the level of proficiency required for further academic studies or entry into the business environment. Learn to speak English fluently and to interact with confidence in all social contexts.

The course is divided into six levels of English proficiency, namely Beginner, Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate and Advanced.

It should be noted that this is not a literacy course, nor does it focus specifically on English for Business Purposes.

There is no minimum admission requirement, other than literacy in your own language. Learners ranging in proficiency from absolute beginners to those who are fairly proficient will be admitted to the course. All applicants are required to write a placement test to assess their level of English proficiency before admission.

This course is aimed at foreign language users of English who want to improve their passive and active knowledge in all areas of English. The course helps learners to build the competence and confidence they need to use English on a daily basis in all aspects of their lives.

This is the ideal course for learners who believe that their spoken and/or written English will not meet the requirements of tertiary study or the workplace, as well as for those who simply want to be able to socialise with confidence in English-speaking environments. The course aims at improving reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in addition to providing a thorough grasp of English grammar, developing vocabulary and broadening your understanding of the language used in a range of formal and informal social contexts.

Students who successfully complete the course, having attended a minimum of 90% of the classes, are awarded a WLS certificate of competence.

Learners are not assessed on the basis of an end of course test. Instead, assessment of the learner's progress in all skills is continuous and is based on written work, communicative ability and participation in class. Our courses prepare students for Cambridge exams such as the FCE and CAE.

The duration of each level is seven weeks, with class attendance required for four hours per day, from 09h00 to 13h00 (140 hours). In addition, afternoon classes on reading, writing and listening skills as well as pronunciation and conversation practice are offered Monday to Thursday from 13h30 to 15h00 (an additional 30 hours).