Most of an ESOL learner's week happens away from the classroom, and what happens in that gap often decides whether new vocabulary and grammar stick. This guide sets out practical, mostly low-cost ways providers can extend support between sessions, with a short section on how to judge any digital or AI tool you're considering adding to the mix. None of this requires new funding to start; most of it can begin with a decision by a single tutor or programme lead.
Why the gap between classes matters
Adult ESOL learners often have only a few contact hours a week. Between sessions, many are working, caring for family or managing a household in a second language, with little structured time to consolidate what they've just learned. Some form of between-class support means learners get to practise before the next class rather than starting it cold. It also gives quieter learners, who may say little in a group setting, a way to work through material at their own pace.
This matters most at pre-entry and entry levels, where a single missed week of practice can mean starting the next class from further behind, and where confidence, not just vocabulary, is often the main barrier to speaking up.
Non-digital ideas that cost little or nothing
- A short “practice sheet” at the end of each session, three to five items tied directly to what was just taught, so learners know exactly what to revisit.
- Peer study pairs, or a messaging group learners set up themselves on whichever app they already use, with a light-touch prompt from the tutor rather than a formal platform.
- A weekly drop-in hour, even unstaffed, in a library or community space learners already use.
- Simple audio recordings of key phrases, saved and shared as voice notes, for learners who read less confidently than they speak.
- Encouraging learners to keep a small notebook of words and phrases they meet outside class, then bringing it in the following week.
- A short “real world task” for the week, such as reading a bus timetable or a letter from school, that ties classroom language to something learners will actually encounter.
- Pairing newer learners with a slightly more advanced learner or a volunteer for a regular, informal conversation, in person or by phone.
Where digital tools can help, and where they can't
A phone-based tool can give learners something to return to outside class hours, particularly for practice and repetition, and for explaining a point in a learner's first language when English alone hasn't landed. It cannot replace a tutor's judgement about a learner's progress, cannot fix attendance or motivation problems on its own, and works best when it is tied to what the class is actually covering rather than generic content. Treat it as one more channel alongside the ideas above, not a replacement for any of them.
A short checklist for judging any AI tool
Before adopting an AI tool for between-class support, it's worth asking the provider:
- Can it be configured to our own scheme of work and materials, or is it fixed, generic content?
- Which languages does it actually support, and has that been tested with speakers of those languages, not just claimed?
- Does it work on a basic smartphone over a slow connection, without an app to install?
- What does it do with learner data, and will the provider support your data protection impact assessment?
- What topics will it discuss, and what happens if a learner raises something outside its scope, or a safeguarding concern?
- What would a short pilot look like, and what would you need to see from it before rolling it out further?
- What is the actual cost for a single class or cohort, not just a headline price?
Bringing it together
Between-class support works best as a mix: something low-cost and immediate (a practice sheet, a peer group), something that reaches learners individually (a phone-based tool, if you use one), and a regular, low-pressure space to return to (a drop-in session). None of it needs to be elaborate to make a difference. Start with whichever is easiest to run consistently, and add to it once it's embedded, rather than trying to launch everything on this list at once.
If you do add a digital or AI element, treat the first few weeks as a trial: ask learners directly whether they're using it and whether it's helping, and be ready to drop it if it isn't. The goal is steady practice between classes, by whatever means gets learners actually doing it.