English | British Council

A lecture theatre full of students studying

The impact of textual features in academic journals on learner engagement

Improving sentence structure and flow, not just vocabulary, can boost how well engineering students understand academic texts

A group of adults sat in a circle having a conversation

Exploring the potential for assessing interactional and pragmatic competence in semi-direct speaking tests

Explore how a semi-direct speaking test can capture a broader range of real-world communication skills

Two women and a man sat in a circle having a conversation while doing work.

How bilingual schooling affects students from different socio-economic backgrounds: the student perspective

Discover how bilingual education can help bridge socio-economic gaps in English language learning.

A woman talking on the phone, walking along a bridge with textbooks in her hands.

Advanced speech fluency measurement: innovations and applications

This research tests a new way to measure fluency in second language speech without manual transcription, and looks at how it could support language assessment.

Five teenagers are interacting with a teacher in a classroom

The Comprehensive Learning System

For learning programmes to succeed, they should be seen as a system where curriculum, delivery and assessment work together.

Three adults are sitting at desks completing assessments

Language testing as cultural relations

Explore how the British Council’s work in testing and assessment has contributed to the organisation’s cultural relations agenda.

A girl and three boys smiling and looking at some schoolwork

Scoring second language spoken and written performance: issues, options and directions

Speaking and writing are key skills in language learning, but scoring these performances is complex and has attracted a lot of attention in both first and second language learning contexts.

British Council image of two people at a 2 metre distance with the words keeping our distance but staying connected

How we are adapting our work during COVID-19

During this public health crisis, the British Council is innovating at a pace you might not expect from an 86-year old organisation.

British Council celebrates 85 years as the UK’s cultural relations organisation

The British Council turns 85 this month. From humble beginnings in 1934, we now have offices in 108 countries, creating opportunities, making connections, and building trust for the UK.

‘English is the currency!’

British poet Dr Benjamin Zephaniah opened the British Council ELTons Awards for Innovation in English Language Teaching with a poem to mark our 85th anniversary.