A boy studying English online with our MOOC

The British Council offers a variety of free massive open online courses (MOOCs) for English language teachers and learners. One course hosted on FutureLearn helps learners and teachers around the world explore British culture, while the courses for English teachers on TeachingEnglish support teachers in their professional development through accessible, practical training opportunities.

It is not necessary to do a placement test or contact us to access these free courses.

Registration is now open for the following courses:

For teachers and students

Exploring English: language and culture (you can join now)

Learning about British culture is a great way to learn English, and vice versa! So, if you’re sick of traditional syllabi, raise your level with authentic English in context, from linguistics to literature, science to scenery, and entertainment to entrepreneurship. Each week you’ll learn about modern Britain and what it means to us, and, of course, to you! 

For teachers

The British Council TeachingEnglish website offers a wide range of free, open-access massive open online courses (MOOCs) designed to support English language teachers and teacher educators at every stage of their professional development. Developed by experts in English language teaching, these practical and flexible courses are accessible to educators worldwide and aligned with the British Council’s professional practices and professional development framework

Each course typically takes 9–12 hours to complete and is available for 3 to 12 months, covering a variety of topics, including multilingualism, assessment, the teaching of skills, and key themes such as inclusive teaching practices, integrating ICT and exploring global issues such as climate change through English.

Upon successful completion of a course, participants receive a certificate, providing recognition of their professional development.

Start learning today and take the next step in your teaching journey with TeachingEnglish.