Skip to main content

British Council

  • Home
  • Learn English
    • Learn English Online
    • English for adults
    • English for kids and teens
    • Websites for learners
    • Website for teachers
    • Study English in the UK
  • Exams
    • IELTS
    • English Exams
    • Global Exams Services
    • International School Qualifications
  • Study and work abroad
    • Study and train in the UK
    • Study and work outside the UK
    • Alumni UK
    • Coronavirus (Covid-19) – the response from our Study and Work Abroad programmes
  • School and teacher resources
    • Find classroom resources
    • Partner with a school
    • Support for language teaching
    • Learning Sectors
    • Employ a language assistant at your school, college or university
    • Get accreditation for your school
    • Develop your skills
    • International Education Week
    • Stories from the classroom
    • Schools Connect
    • COP climate negotiation simulation events
  • English, education and arts
    • Our work in arts
    • Our work in education
    • Our work in English and assessment
    • Research and insight
    • Contact us
  • Show search
    Close search
A woman with long curly hair speaks, gesturing with her hands. A colourful gradient background shows the text "90 YEARS" in the upper-right corner.

We connect. We inspire.

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.

Watch this video to learn more about us

December highlights

The British Council House many years ago. A very grand building with flags draped outside and a busy street scene out front

Our 90-year history

Explore how we've positively impacted millions worldwide and shaped brighter futures through connections, understanding, and trust.

Two young women sitting on a hill overlooking a river, with their arms raised in the air

Become an English Language Assistant

Your opportunity to travel and work abroad, and gain invaluable teaching experience.

The image is a collage of these words: Buzzword, Vibes, Graffiti, Curry, Google, Queer, Cool, Emoji, Vegan, Punk, Sustainability, Virtual

The 90 words project

As we celebrate our 90th anniversary, let's explore 90 English words that have come to define the last nine decades.

We are global

We bring the best the UK has to offer, to the world.

600 million

People we reached in 2022–23

100 countries

We are
present on the ground

90 years

Building connections since 1934

Research and insight

Sharing new knowledge and the latest thinking on international cultural relations through arts, education and the English language.

Explore
Faces of oral history interviewees in rhombus shapes and audio wave in the background
Interviews

Oral histories: the British Council in action

Who better to reflect on our 90-year journey than those who have been part of it? We’ve interviewed artists, educators and colleagues from the UK and around the world to create a new oral history audio archive, capturing authentic, unscripted and inspiring accounts of our work.

Young man
Research series

Next Generation UK 2024

This study offers insights into the lives of young people in the UK. It explores the hopes that they hold for themselves, the most pressing issues they see in the UK, and globally, and how they view their place in the world.

Our World, Connected. Global Conversations with the British Council. Podcast series.
Podcast series

Our World, Connected podcast

In each episode, we explore the transformative power of arts, culture, language, and education amidst global challenges like peacebuilding, sustainable development, climate change, and the growth of AI.

Woman stacking sugar cubes into building-like structures, forming a small city on a tabletop.
Research report

Understanding young Ukrainian's current concerns, needs, and hopes

Report examining how the war in Ukraine is impacting young people's daily lives and shaping their perceptions of the future.

Voices Magazine

Take a closer look at the people, communities, and ideas that ignite our world; one story at a time.

Dive in

Twenty-six interviews. One living history.

Man holding out his arm, which is surrounded by circles of dotted yellow lights.

Ten trends and innovations in English Language Teaching 2024

Students in graduation robes walk through a stone archway holding umbrellas.

From carpenter in rural China to University of Cambridge professor - how education can change a life

More from the British Council

Learn English

Teaching English

IELTS

English Online

Study UK

Corporate English Solutions

Global Exams Services

UK Agents & Counsellors hub

British Council Worldwide

  • Afghanistan
  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Brunei
  • Bulgaria
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Caribbean
  • Chile
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Egypt
  • England
  • Estonia
  • Ethiopia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Greece
  • Hong Kong, SAR of China
  • Hungary
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iraq
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Korea, Republic of
  • Kosovo
  • Kuwait
  • Laos
  • Latvia
  • Lebanon
  • Libya
  • Lithuania
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Malta
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Montenegro
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Myanmar (Burma)
  • Namibia
  • Nepal
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Nigeria
  • North Macedonia
  • Northern Ireland
  • Norway
  • Occupied Palestinian Territories
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Qatar
  • Romania
  • Rwanda
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Scotland
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Sierra Leone
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Africa
  • South Sudan
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sudan
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Syria
  • Taiwan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United States of America
  • Uruguay
  • Uzbekistan
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Wales
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
  • About us
    • How we work
    • How we are run
    • Our values
    • Our history
    • Our Patron
  • Work with us
    • Careers
    • Partner with us
    • Staff and alumni associations
    • Affiliate programme
  • Voices Magazine
    • Partnership stories
  • Contact us
    • Press office
    • Contact your local British Council office
    • Make a freedom of information request
    • Make a complaint
Connect with us
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • TikTok

  • Terms of use
  • Terms and conditions of sale
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy and cookies
  • Statement on modern slavery
  • Site map
© 2024 British Council

The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland).