FAQs Language Courses UK

Our evening courses are for adults of all ages (min 16 years old) and nationalities and, where offered, for all levels from beginners upwards. For most courses, the average age range will be mid 20s to mid 40s. However many younger and older students also take these courses.

The earlier the better, to allow us to plan the classes and numbers efficiently. If we don’t receive enough bookings for a course, we will regrettably have to cancel it and the course you wanted may be removed from the site.

Yes, if there is space in the classes we can take bookings for students to join the class in the second week, although there will be no discount to the price. You will need to call us to check availability. After the second week we do not allow any students to join the course as this is too disruptive to the learning program.

All courses with dates showing have spaces left. If there are no spaces left on a course, a date will not show up next to it.

The minimum class size refers to the number of students required to run a group course. This number varies depending on the course and location. The minimum class size is usually 4 students. When there are 3 students in a group the course will usually run for 8 weeks. The vast majority of our courses meet this requirement, but on occasion some course variations do not. In these instances, it is at Cactus’ discretion whether the course will run. We always aim to run all courses as advertised, but cannot guarantee that this will be possible where the minimum class size is not met.

What happens if the minimum class size is not set?

Should your course be affected, we will contact you directly to discuss your options, which may include:

• Moving onto an equivalent course in a different location.
• Re-configuring your original course to an intensive course, taught in a smaller group. The course duration in this instance will be reduced, due to the significantly intensified learning experience and progress achieved in such small groups, which will mean that you will cover the course material in a much shorter amount of time. The reduction of hours due to reduced class size works as follows: 3 students – 8 weeks.
• Deferring a term and starting your course at a later intake date.
• Converting your course fee to a Cactus credit, which can be used as full or part payment for any of our products worldwide.
• A refund of your course fee in line with our general refund policy.

No, we cannot offer such letters as all our courses are part time and are not eligible for this process.
If you have further questions regarding Booking & Availability please email us.

Please visit our booking page to see all courses, prices and start dates.

People learn languages for a number of reasons: some for work or business, some for education or to put on their CV’s, and some merely for the pleasure of being able to communicate with different people and cultures. Any trip abroad is greatly enhanced if you can say a few words, let alone if you can actually have a conversation with the locals!

What will I learn?

Our Course Outlines give an overview of the content and learning framework of Cactus part-time group courses and include themes, grammar and vocabulary you can typically expect to cover. These are intended as a guide only and our teachers may at times adapt the course content to suit the specific level, aims and interests of the class.

What progress will I have made by the end of the level?

Our ‘Can Do’ Statements provide a guide as to what you can expect to achieve at each level and also show what progress you can expect to make if you stick with it and carry on studying subsequent levels. These are guides only and other factors will affect your rate of progress, e.g. your prior language skills and base level, how proficient you are at picking up new languages, your level of participation in class and revision (and homework) outside of class. It will partially also depend on how difficult (or dissimilar) the language you are learning is (from your native language).

All our teachers are native speakers or have native-speaker fluency in the language they teach. They have specialist qualifications and experience in Teaching a Foreign Language to Adults.

Very rarely, because the most effective way to learn or improve your language skills is through complete immersion in the language. However, the occasional explanation or vocabulary term may be explained in English, and teachers are very used to teaching – and making themselves understood by – students who may have little or no prior knowledge of the language.

At the end of your course you receive a certificate of participation, sent to you by email. This confirms the language and level of course you have taken. Our course levels are based on two internationally recognised systems, so you have a universally accepted reference for your studies. Read more about our levels. (Important: Please note that you must complete the online end of course questionnaire sent to you in order to get your certificate! This will also be sent to you by email at the end of your course.)

Your teacher will give you approximately one hour’s worth of formal homework per week but we would recommend you do ten minutes per day of self study in order to assimilate and retain the information you are learning.

You will need a course book to accompany your course. Course books are not included in the course fees, and we therefore ask that you purchase your own course book separately before your course starts. We will let you know which course book you will require and advise where you can purchase this.
Please note that a course book often covers more than one level. So if you progress to the next course, you may not necessarily need to buy a new book. Again, we will advise you of this at the time.
The course book is chosen by our teachers and academic team based on which book is most suitable for the level of the class whilst offering the most communicative approach.

If you have just completed your first lesson and are feeling a little overwhelmed, then don’t worry. Cactus language courses are taught in the target language, as full immersion is widely recognised as the most effective way to learn a language. You may find this a little daunting at first, especially if you have previously been used to bi-lingual tuition.
However, if you are attending a 10-week or 5-week course and find that you are really struggling to keep up, or finding the course content too easy, you can switch classes up until your 2nd lesson. Please speak to your teacher and contact us via email prior to your third lesson. We will assess the situation and look to move you to a class more suited to your ability (subject to availability).

No, our coursebook CDs are designed to be used in class and with a teacher; they are not designed for self study. However, if you would like to buy a copy of the listening material that goes with your coursebook, you can either order online or at the European Bookshop in London www.europeanbookshop.com. You will get a 10% discount on books and dictionaries if you mention that you are a Cactus student!

If you are unable to attend a lesson, please send a direct message to your tutor through MyCactus (our online platform for evening language students) so they are informed about it. By accessing MyCactus, you will also be able to check your teacher’s notes regarding the missed lesson and any homework set. In the interests of course continuity, please note you will not be able to take an alternative lesson with another class at another centre.

You can let your teacher know by sending them a message through MyCactus (our online platform for evening language students) and you will be able to check the first lesson notes on MyCactus as well.

If your teacher is ill during the term we will organise a cover teacher to take your lesson. If no cover teacher is available, we will either reschedule the lesson to take place on a different day or give you a refund for the class (depending on the circumstances).

To ensure optimal course quality and enjoyment, our maximum class size is 12 students per class for face-to-face courses. If our group course takes place online the maximum class size is 10. Note: Cactus cannot offer any lessons on a trial basis.

If you are unsure where to start or progress to, take our online level test and read our level descriptions for guidance.

Mouse over the ‘UK Locations’ tab in the top menu to see the locations where we offer language courses. You can then click on your preferred location to see courses that are running.

For full information on cancellations and refunds, please refer to our Terms and Conditions.

We do not offer a discount for bookings for two people / courses but we do offer regular discounts on our courses throughout the year. Please see our Discounts page for current offers.

No we do not offer any NUS discount.

No, you must pay the entire amount by card at time of booking.

We offer regular discounts on our courses throughout the year. Please see our Discounts page for current offers.

Please do tell your teacher if you would like to continue with them in the next term and we’ll do our best to assign them to your next level. We can’t guarantee that your teacher will be available though, as it does depend on their availability

We do try and include all relevant information on the website. However, if you cannot find the information you are looking for please call +44 (0)1273 830 960 or email info@languagecoursesuk.co.uk for a response within 24 hours.

When you book your course online you will receive all of the course details by email, including the school address.

The following schools are accessible by wheelchair: Brighton, Manchester, Oxford, Islington, and Kings Cross. If you require wheelchair access please inform Cactus in writing at the time of booking. Some schools only have one classroom that is wheelchair accessible. The following schools are not accessible by wheelchair: Cambridge, Leeds, Liverpool, Holborn, Victoria, and Wimbledon. If you need wheelchair access unfortunately you will not be able to book a course at these locations.