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English and Culture for 50+

Category: 

Can be delivered in York or online.

What is the course about?

Our 50+ programme is offered three times per year. It focuses on developing the confidence you need to speak English for everyday situations and conversations. It gives you the opportunity to explore UK culture during your stay in York with excursions organised to places of deep cultural interest as well as social and leisure activities of your choice. You can get to know the rich culture of York and the UK with a focus on history, art, architecture, literature and cuisine.

As a 50+ participant, you will have 15 hours of tuition per week. Lessons are held every morning, and are followed by excursions and activities in the afternoons where you can explore UK culture and practise your English at the same time.

Morning lessons run from 09:00 - 12:15 Monday to Friday. Afternoon activities commence from 13:45. There are 4 afternoon activities per week + 1 weekend activity per week.

We are open for all bank holidays.
We are closed from 21 December 2026 - 1 Jan 2027.

Enquire now!

Frequently Asked Questions

This course is for mature learners who wish to combine learning English with their interest in UK culture.

After registration, participants on this course programme will receive:

  1. a pre-course questionnaire that will help your trainers find out more about your learning needs
  2. a recommended reading list to prepare yourself for various aspects of the course
  3. information about York to prepare yourself for your cultural experience
  4. information about the Europass Mobility Certificate

At the end of the course, you will:

  • have refreshed your knowledge of the English language
  • have more confidence to speak English on topics of general interest
  • have visited and learned about different cultural aspects of the UK
  • have enriched your knowledge of UK culture

Our approach is one of relaxed professionalism.

You can book additional online individual training sessions to consolidate what you have learned during your course in York.
If you are from a country outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you will need a visa. Students from certain countries do not need to apply for a visa before arriving in the UK. You can check if you need to apply for a visa on the UK Visas and Immigration website.
We can recommend a few accommodation options. Find out about them on our accommodation page.

If you need to cancel or defer your course:

  • We understand that your plans may change quickly. If you need to defer your course, we will not charge any fees on tuition, as long as you notify us by 16:00hrs on the Friday before your course begins. We will defer your course and any fees paid for up to 12 months from your original start date.  If you need to cancel your course and are unable to defer to a later date, we regret we will not be able to refund your fees unless you have given us a minimum of 4 weeks’ notice of cancellation.
  • If we have arranged homestay accommodation for you, we will not charge any cancellation fees if you notify us at least 48 hours before you are due to arrive. If you notify us with less than 48 hours’ notice, you will need to pay for three nights’ accommodation
  • If we have arranged hotel or self-catering accommodation for you, the cancellation conditions will vary according to the type and location of the accommodation, and we will confirm them to you individually when we send your accommodation details
  • If you need to leave your course early for any reason, we may be able to offer the following options:
    • You may continue your course online using a combination of virtual lessons with your trainer and self-study
    • In some cases, particularly where the total course duration exceeds four weeks, we may decide to cancel your programme and refund your course fees for any unused weeks
    • In other cases, we will issue a voucher for any unused complete weeks, for you to return to York Associates at a later date
  • If you need to leave your accommodation early, we will require a minimum of 3 days’ notice. After this, all accommodation fees will be refunded to you

Do you have any more questions?

Ask us now.

Fast Facts

Start date(s)
16 February 2026 / 14 September 2026 / 1 December 2026
Max. group size
6
Min. age
49
Minimum CEF level
Starting from B1
Course materials
Included
In York Course Formats
Price
1-week package with weekend excursion
£890
2-week package with weekend excursions
£1700
Booking fee
£70
Enquire now

Testimonials

Meet the trainers

Linda Cockburn

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Andrea Street

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Please note that these trainers might not be the actual trainers delivering your course.

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