General English

Flexible group courses for everyday communication and fluency.

Academic English

Prepare for university study with advanced academic language skills.

Business English

English for professional communication in corporate and workplace settings.

Private Lessons

One-to-one lessons tailored to your goals, schedule and interests.

Language Excursions

Learn English while exploring Cape Town with your teacher as your guide.

IELTS Preparation

Get the score you need with targeted strategies and expert support.

Cambridge Exams

Prepare for the FCE or CAE with structured, high-quality training.

TOEFL Preparation

Build confidence and test skills to succeed in the TOEFL exam.

Private Lessons

Personalised one-to-one English lessons delivered online, on your schedule.

Corporate Groups

Live online training for teams, customised to your organisation’s needs.

English for Tech Professionals

Self-paced English course designed for developers, engineers, and IT teams.

Hiddingh Campus

Learn in a historic university campus right in the city centre.

Tours and Activities

Explore Cape Town and make friends through weekly excursions.

Social Programme

Join our schedule of fun events, outings and conversations.

Getting Around

Tips and tools for navigating the city like a local.

Social and Digital

Stay connected online and through our vibrant student community.

The Yellow House

A friendly, sociable student house just a short walk from school.

Adderley Studios

Modern, secure apartments in the heart of Cape Town.

Homestay

Live with a local family and experience South African culture.

Hotels & Aparthotels

Independent options for comfort, privacy and flexibility.

Price List

All tuition and accommodation fees in one clear table.

Booking Information

What to expect before, during and after you book.

Instalment Plans

Flexible payment options for long-term bookings.

User Login

View your bookings, make payments, and manage your details.

Visa Information

Visa options and support for international students coming to South Africa.

Insurance & Travel

What you need to know about travel, insurance and staying safe.

MyELC App

Access your timetable, progress and more on the student app.

Arrival and Orientation

How we help you settle in on your first day in Cape Town.

Certificates and Transcripts

How to request certificates, transcripts, or proof of enrolment.

Terms & Conditions

The small print — bookings, cancellations, and more.

Contact Us

Get in touch with the ELC team by email, phone or WhatsApp.

Privacy Policy

How we protect your data and respect your privacy.

Why Choose Us?

What makes ELC and UCT a great place to learn English.

About the University of Cape Town

South Africa’s leading university and home to the ELC.

About the English Language Centre

Who we are, what we offer, and how we teach.

Our Team

Meet the teachers, support staff and leadership team behind ELC.

Accreditations

Our international quality standards and endorsements.

Media & Press

News coverage, interviews and media mentions of ELC.

Testimonials

What our students, partners and teachers say about us.

Blog

Updates, stories and insights from the ELC community.


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General English

Flexible group courses for everyday communication and fluency.

Academic English

Prepare for university study with advanced academic language skills.

Business English

English for professional communication in corporate and workplace settings.

Private Lessons

One-to-one lessons tailored to your goals, schedule and interests.

Language Excursions

Learn English while exploring Cape Town with your teacher as your guide.

IELTS Preparation

Get the score you need with targeted strategies and expert support.

Cambridge Exams

Prepare for the FCE or CAE with structured, high-quality training.

TOEFL Preparation

Build confidence and test skills to succeed in the TOEFL exam.

Private Lessons

Personalised one-to-one English lessons delivered online, on your schedule.

Corporate Groups

Live online training for teams, customised to your organisation’s needs.

English for Tech Professionals

Self-paced English course designed for developers, engineers, and IT teams.

Hiddingh Campus

Learn in a historic university campus right in the city centre.

Tours and Activities

Explore Cape Town and make friends through weekly excursions.

Social Programme

Join our schedule of fun events, outings and conversations.

Getting Around

Tips and tools for navigating the city like a local.

Social and Digital

Stay connected online and through our vibrant student community.

The Yellow House

A friendly, sociable student house just a short walk from school.

Adderley Studios

Modern, secure apartments in the heart of Cape Town.

Homestay

Live with a local family and experience South African culture.

Hotels and Aparthotels

Independent options for comfort, privacy and flexibility.

Find the Right Course

Use our Course Wizard to match your goals and level to the best option

Course Wizard

Take the Level Test

Not sure what level you are? Take the test and find out

Level Test

Price List

All tuition and accommodation fees in one clear table.

Booking Information

What to expect before, during and after you book.

Instalment Plans

Flexible payment options for long-term bookings.

User Login

View your bookings, make payments, and manage your details.

Visa Information

Visa options and support for international students coming to South Africa.

Insurance & Travel

What you need to know about travel, insurance and staying safe.

MyELC App

Access your timetable, progress and more on the student app.

Arrival and Orientation

How we help you settle in on your first day in Cape Town.

Certificates and Transcripts

How to request certificates, transcripts, or proof of enrolment.

Terms & Conditions

The small print — bookings, cancellations, and more.

Contact Us

Get in touch with the ELC team by email, phone or WhatsApp.

Privacy Policy

How we protect your data and respect your privacy.

Why Choose Us?

What makes ELC and UCT a great place to learn English.

About the University of Cape Town

South Africa’s leading university and home to the ELC.

About the English Language Centre

Who we are, what we offer, and how we teach.

Our Team

Meet the teachers, support staff and leadership team behind ELC.

Accreditations

Our international quality standards and endorsements.

Media & Press

News coverage, interviews and media mentions of ELC.

Testimonials

What our students, partners and teachers say about us.

Blog

Updates, stories and insights from the ELC community.

ELC Blog

Articles and insights on learning English and academic life in Cape Town

Filter by topic to get the most relevant content for you

Insights into Language Education



Our blog features articles on English language learning, study tips, and academic skills, as well as reflections on teaching, communication, and the wider role of English in today’s world.

Whether you're a student, a teacher, or simply interested in language, you'll find useful perspectives grounded in our day-to-day work at the UCT English Language Centre.

Improve your Writing

3 min read

Paraphrase like a Pro

Paraphrase like a Pro Did you hear? Hip-song singer Nicki Minaj was fined a whopping $450,000 after being found guilty of plagiarising a song by...

3 min read

Mastering topic sentences

Mastering topic sentences Have you ever been to a new country where you couldn’t understand the road signs? Perhaps you were somewhere remote with no...

2 min read

How to Write an Opinion Based Essay

How to Write an Opinion Based Essay The UCT English Language Centre runs a Cambridge Advanced Certificate (CAE) exam preparation course. In the CAE...

4 min read

Common Transition Signal Errors & How to Fix Them

Common Transition Signal Errors and How to Fix Them If you ever have the chance, google the band Modest Mouse and listen to their music. Just so that...

1 min read

Strategies for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 (part 1/2)

Strategies for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 (part 1/2) Students on our IELTS preparation course are often overwhelmed when approaching the IELTS...

2 min read

Writing Paragraphs

Writing paragraphs I always tell students that the best essay I have ever read was written by a Pre-Intermediate student. ‘How is that possible?’...

3 min read

How to Write a CV That Gets You Noticed: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Write a CV That Gets You Noticed: A Step-by-Step Guide “CV” stands for Curriculum Vitae, which loosely translates from Latin as ‘the course of...

4 min read

How to Express Degrees of Probability

How to Express Degrees of Probability They say nothing in life is certain except death and taxes. For everything else on the spectrum of probability,...

2 min read

How to Write a Great Cover Letter

How to Write a Great Cover Letter Applying for a job can be stressful and often people spend a lot of time working on their CV and then just write a...

3 min read

Writing Professional Emails

Writing Professional Emails Even with the increased use of chat messaging services like Slack and MS Teams, email remains the key form of...

2 min read

Strategies for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 (2/2)

Strategies for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 (2/2) In our last post we looked at how to introduce, plan and structure your IELTS academic writing...

2 min read

English Idioms about Happiness

English Idioms about Happiness Smile! The 20th of March is the International Day of Happiness. In honour of this cheerful occasion, we’ll be looking...

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