How is the Certificate in Applied English different from the Certificate in Business English?

Business English is specifically for international business contexts — meetings, negotiations, formal correspondence with corporate emphasis. Applied English is broader — covering business plus customer service, technical and other professional contexts. Choose Business English for corporate focus; Applied English for general workplace English.

Is the Certificate in Applied English suitable for non-business workplaces?

Yes — explicitly. The course covers business contexts alongside customer service, technical and other professional environments. Students from healthcare, education, public sector and creative industries take the Certificate regularly.

Will the Certificate in Applied English help with Cambridge B2 First exams?

Indirectly. The course doesn't follow Cambridge format specifically, but the practical English skills it teaches transfer strongly to Cambridge B2 First (FCE). Students intending to sit Cambridge B2 typically add a short revision week.

Can I take the Certificate in Applied English fully online?

Yes. Live tutored sessions, recorded meeting and presentation practice and structured tutor feedback all adapt naturally to remote delivery.

What level of English do I need to start the Certificate in Applied English?

CEFR B1 (intermediate). Below B1, the Certificate in English Language Studies is a better starting point. A placement test at application stage confirms your level.

Certificate in Applied English in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Certificate in Applied English at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a short UK qualification in practical English for working professional contexts. The course covers the workplace English a non-native speaker uses every day — email, meeting language, telephone and video-call discipline, professional reading and short structured presentation.

Where Academic English focuses on essay-writing conventions and English Language Studies covers all-round language development, this Certificate concentrates on the English a working professional actually deploys outside academic settings.

Key Features

Workplace English module — email, meeting language, telephone and video-call conventions.
Professional reading — reports, briefs, professional articles at working level.
Short presentation skills — structured workplace presentations.
English for Specific Purposes — light coverage of business, technical and customer-service English contexts.
Recorded practice — meetings, presentations and calls with structured feedback.
Three study modes — on-campus, fully online, or distance learning.

What You Will Learn

The Certificate in Applied English is built around the working English an international professional uses every day.

Email conventions — register, structure, common formal errors.
Meeting language — chairing, contributing, agreement and disagreement.
Telephone and video-call English — opening, holding, closing.
Professional reading — reports, briefs, contracts at working level.
Short structured presentations.
English for Specific Purposes — light coverage of business, technical and customer-service contexts.
Cultural conventions of UK and international workplaces.
Self-correction strategies for common professional errors.

Who This Course Is For

International professionals working in English-medium environments.
Non-native English speakers preparing for UK or international relocation.
Career-changers entering English-medium workplaces for the first time.
Adults at B1+ wanting practical workplace English rather than academic English.

Career Pathways

The Certificate in Applied English supports international professional careers. Typical applications include:

International Account Manager (English-medium environment)
Bilingual Sales and Service Roles
International Project Coordinator
Customer Success Manager (international clients)
International Communications Assistant
Continued Study (Diploma in Applied English, Certificate in Business English)

The Certificate articulates into the Diploma in Applied English at LSJHML for students continuing.

Entry Requirements

Minimum age 16.
Secondary school qualification (GCSE/O-Level or international equivalent).
CEFR B1 or above in English (placement test offered).
No prior professional English training required.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.