9 Best Places to Find Advanced English Classes Online

Where are all the advanced English lessons online?There are so many beginner and intermediate English lessons on the web. But what about resources for advanced English learners like you?

Let’s look at where to find opportunities for you to learn advanced English online—I promise there are plenty!

You just need to know where to find them.

Keep reading for advanced English lessons and courses, tutoring platforms, online study groups and more!

Contents

• 1. English Language Apps for Advanced Learners
• 2. English Learning Websites for Advanced Learners
• 3. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC)
• 4. Traditional Online English Classes for Advanced Learners
• 5. Online English Tutors
• 6. Advanced English Video Lessons on YouTube
• 7. Social Media in English
• 8. Online English Study Groups
• 9. Authentic English Language Materials Online
• How to Know if You’re Ready to Learn Advanced English

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1. English Language Apps for Advanced Learners

Sometimes, when your English is truly advanced, you don’t actually need to attend an English course. (As a professional English teacher, I hate to admit this. But it’s true!)

Some of you just need a tool that will allow you to get your daily dose of advanced English when you want it, how you want it, and the best tool to do that is a language app.

Magoosh

One way to get advanced English lessons online without actually hiring a teacher is Magoosh.

Magoosh offers a few excellent apps for learners. You can find the iOS apps here and the Android apps here. These apps are especially useful if you’re studying for an English exam.

Advanced English learners will find the vocabulary builder app especially useful. We never stop learning new words, and the Magoosh vocab app includes words that would be challenging even for native speakers!

FluentU

Another great option for advanced learners (and learners at all levels) is FluentU. This language learning website and iOS/Android app is designed to get you comfortable with everyday English by combining all the benefits of complete immersion and native-level conversations.

Its lessons are based around authentic videos—everything from movie trailers to inspiring talks to news reports—with added learning tools like interactive subtitles.

Learning this way exposes you to English in a way that you might not get from text books or even formal courses. You’ll be able to pick up things like correct pronunciation and common slang, while also learning about culture and improving your listening skills, resulting in much more natural speech.

Other features of the program include full transcripts of each video, personal vocabulary lists, multimedia flashcards, a contextual dictionary and personalized quizzes which even include speaking questions.

This all works together to make learning seamless, and more effective than learning with authentic content on your own.

Blinkist

So… you’re an advanced English student. You like reading, especially non-fiction. You don’t have time to read whole books. But you still want to read! 

Oh, and maybe you commute to work or school.

What do you do? You “fit learning into your life” (that’s Blinkist slogan).

Blinkist is one of my personal obsessions. It takes non-fiction books and condenses them into a 15- or 20-minute read for you. Just like that!

You’ll be able to get the most important concepts of books in a few minutes. Isn’t that amazing?

Blinkist has summarized books on many different categories, including science, parenting, entrepreneurship, psychology, politics and education, just to name a few of the 27 categories available.

To top it all, each summary has its own native audio available! So if you don’t feel like reading but still want to know why everybody’s reading “Make Your Bed” by William H. McRaven, just press play and close your eyes.

Blinkit offers a 7-day free trial. After that, you can subscribe to their premium plan. In my personal opinion, it’s totally worth it!

Go Correct

Imagine having your own native English teacher on your phone. With Go Correct, it’s possible!

It might sound crazy, but it’s true. Go Correct will send you one question every day (from Monday to Friday). You have to answer it by using 60 words or less, and a language teacher will correct your answer and send you feedback.

You can choose to get intermediate, advanced or business-related questions, and if you don’t make many mistakes, the number of words you can write goes up to 80.

There are two types of subscriptions. With the basic one, you’ll get all of the above, while the second one will allow you to tap on your mistakes and read grammar explanations as well as get personalized feedback on areas to improve and expressions you tend to use wrong.

2. English Learning Websites for Advanced Learners

Some websites offer a series of advanced English lessons, and sometimes even an entire virtual English course.

These courses can be very challenging. They’re generally designed for serious students who want to study English at an advanced level. But they can also be very engaging and fun if you find the right website for you.

The following are two websites I love to use with my advanced students. I hope you like the two as much as they do.

The Theory: Grammarist

Grammarist is a website that’s used even by native English speakers and English teachers.

As the name implies, grammar is the main focus of the site, although words are also taught.

Any advanced learner of English looking to reach fluency will benefit from this amazing resource.

The site includes nine main categories:

• Grammar: Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about the parts of speech and English punctuation marks.
• Usage: This section includes tricky words, colloquialisms, differences among varieties of English and words that are undergoing a change in meaning at present, among other subcategories.
• Words and Phrases: This is where you’ll find everything about English words, from redundancies and idioms to loanwords and easily confused words, among others.
• Spelling: This part contains all the blog posts related to homophones and the main spelling differences between American and British English.
• Style: This section focuses on capitalization.
• Glossary: This includes some grammar terms and their definition. It’s the least developed section of the whole site.
• Resources: You can find a long list of English resources and games in this section. 
• Interviews: Here, you’ll be able to read a ton of interviews featuring important personalities related to the field of language, including writers and linguists.
• Index: This is an alphabetical list of everything included on the website. It’s the fastest way to find what you’re looking for.

The Practice: The New York Times’ Learning Activities for Students

The New York Times’ learning activities for students is a huge site with hundreds of exercises for upper-intermediate and advanced English learners.

Based on articles, videos, pictures and images from the newspaper’s site, the exercises are divided into several categories so you can choose what you want to do during your learning session.

The exercises you’ll find on the site are, among others:

• Writing prompts and picture prompts: You’ll get a question or a picture and will have to write about it.
• Lesson of the day: Guided English lessons based on newspaper articles with plenty of exercises for advanced students. 
• Quizzes, crosswords and weekly news quizzes: You can test your knowledge of the English language with quizzes and even take part in monthly challenges which include words of the day.
• What’s going on in this picture? Guess what’s going on in an image and check how close (or far) you were from what was really happening.
• What’s going on in this graph? Become a master at analyzing and describing complex and not-so-complex charts and graphs.
• Country of the week quiz: Learn about several countries around the world by answering questions related to them.

3. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC)

So we teachers aren’t always necessary. But sometimes, a teacher is just the person you need if you want to push your advanced English to the next level.

If all you want is light guidance from a teacher, you can take a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to learn English. 

MOOCs are online courses made available by institutes and companies from all over the world. They’re usually similar to traditional courses but completely available online, and they’re often free.

As you can see below, there are many different MOOC resources for advanced English learning. With so many choices out there, you’ll definitely find some that suit your needs.

Coursera

Coursera is a MOOC platform that lets you learn at your own pace (as fast or slow as you want). You can complete courses as they take place, or just look over the material when they’re over.

Each course has instructional videos, followed by quizzes and exercises you can take to make sure you understand the materials.

Recommended course:

• Speak English Professionally is a high-level business English course. It’s wonderful for advanced English learners who need English for their jobs.

FutureLearn

FutureLearn is a global platform for online courses. Courses are offered in two-week blocks, and courses are split into a series of steps per week. 

You go through the courses by watching videos, reading articles and listening to audio. You’ll also have a series of quizzes along the way to check your understanding.

Recommended course:

• Exploring English: Shakespeare lets you explore the English language at a very advanced reading level with the plays of Shakespeare. He was a very influential writer who many agree had a big impact on the way we speak English today!

Udemy

Udemy is an online learning platform that houses over 45,000 courses taught by expert instructors. Be aware that not all the courses are free. However, their content makes the price worth it.

Udemy uses video lectures, written materials and quizzes to help you learn. You can watch a video or read a lesson, then test yourself to make sure you understood. Like with many other MOOCs, you decide the speed at which you learn.

Recommended course:

• Advanced English Grammar is the perfect course for advanced English learners who want to bring their grammar to the next level.

4. Traditional Online English Classes for Advanced Learners

If you want more guidance, there are ways to take more “traditional” advanced English classes online. Below are a few ideas to get you learning quickly!

English Learning Websites

There are many websites that allow you to take live virtual classes without needing to leave home. 

Websites such as Open English and Lingoda offer classes where you can interact directly with your teacher and learn alongside other classmates. These are excellent options if you want to study in a small classroom setting but don’t want (or can’t) find a local option to do so in person.

Online English Courses

Did you know that you can take a college course online?

Online English courses are getting more and more common at American universities. These days, you can study English at a top American school from the comfort of your own home.

You can enroll in online advanced English courses at schools like California State University and Arizona State University. In the future, it seems likely that more and more campuses will offer these kinds of web-based advanced English classes.

These options are often much more expensive. Plus, since they usually offer college credit or even entire degrees, they’re recommended for more serious students who plan to make a living with English or live in a place that speaks the language.

5. Online English Tutors

Another great way to “up your game” and become more advanced in English is with an online English tutor. Not only will you get lessons personalized to your advanced needs, but you’ll also have a valuable resource when you have questions.

There are many websites to find a live tutor who can give you this individualized experience.

Most of these websites are international. English learners from around the world can study English on ESL Gold, Preply and Myngle.

Other websites are made for students of a specific native language. For example, Moxon English gives you the option of asking for an English teacher who also speaks Italian, while TutorABC works with native Mandarin-speaking customers.

Regardless of the tutor you find, be specific about your language needs. You’re an advanced learner and you don’t want to spend time on material and lessons you’ve already mastered!

6. Advanced English Video Lessons on YouTube

In your quest for quality advanced English learning online, don’t overlook video-sharing websites such as YouTube.

You can find some advanced English material on this list of awesome channels to learn English on YouTube.

In addition to that list, I have some extra recommendations for advanced English lessons on YouTube.

These lessons may not be in a classroom setting, but they’re geared to learners at your level, and you have the ability to pick and choose what you want to view.

EnglishAnyone

EnglishAnyone provides an ongoing course in fluent, advanced English conversation. They’ll give you lessons on specific language concepts or expressions, as well as advice on how to study English more effectively.

Rachel’s English

Rachel’s English is one of my favorite resources for advanced English lessons on pronunciation.

Rachel is a professionally trained opera singer. She uses her unique training to help you get the perfect English sound. Check out her advanced English lessons online!

engVid

engVid teaches English to a variety of levels. They offer over 120 free online English video lessons for advanced English learners. The following, for example, is a lesson that’ll teach you how to use adjectives as nouns in under 10 minutes:

7. Social Media in English

So maybe you want to supplement your formal lessons with more “real world” practice, but you like sharing the learning experience with others who are studying English.

As an advanced English learner, you can take advantage of the world wide web and harness the power of social media!

As a blogger, I really appreciate the power of social networking. Social media isn’t just a place to share cat pictures and personal thoughts. It’s also a place to meet with fellow advanced English learners.

There are so many options out there, though. Where can you start looking for advanced English lessons on social media?

A good place to start is this list of top social media websites for English learning. As you get started, you may also want to check out the best ways to use social media when you study English.

Now that you’ve started, though, how do you find social media resources that are truly targeted to your advanced level? Doing this may seem overwhelming, but it’s easier than you think.

You can often just search Google for advanced English on social media. Do this by putting in the name of the social media website and the phrase “advanced English.”

Here’s an example of what you can find with a search for advanced English on Facebook:

• Learn Advanced English: This group posts difficult English words, idioms and expressions, among other very interesting stuff.
• C2 – Proficiency English: This study group page posts interesting videos, slideshows, tips and other material related to advanced English vocabulary and grammar.

Using the internal search engine of a social media website also works well, of course.

The content on social media web pages offers English material at many different levels. Advanced learners are sure to find something they can use.

8. Online English Study Groups

Perhaps you’re following advanced English pages now, but it’s still not specific enough for your needs. Take a leap and join a study group!

It’s common for English learners to form their own online communities for advanced English learning. You can search sites like Facebook, VK and Baidu for online English study groups.

Don’t see the advanced English study group you need? No problem. You can always start your own advanced English study group.

As an advanced learner, you want to make your own path for your online English study. Social media gives you and your fellow learners many ways to do that. As a group, you can discuss a particular issue you’re having with English and recommend resources that you’ve found useful.

How can you form your own study group? There are two common ways to do this:

• One way to make your own English study group on social media is to go onto an existing English learner’s page. On that page, make a public post saying that you want to start a new study group for advanced English. Ask interested fellow English learners to contact you for more details.
• Most social media websites also allow users to start their own new groups and pages. You may need to search the site’s help page to find the process. But once you do, you can create a study group page. From there, you can promote your page on other English learner groups in the social network.

There are even a few social networks designed specifically for online group study. In addition to the more famous social media websites, consider options such as Schoology or GoConqr if you want to make your own online advanced English study group.

9. Authentic English Language Materials Online

At this point, you have an idea of the advanced English classes you want to take and you know where to find a tutor. You’re also on your way to finding advanced English videos, pages and groups that are at your level.

Now it’s time to supplement those lessons and discussions with online materials that native speakers use on a daily basis.

While you’re on those social media pages, take the time to browse fun, interesting online content that happens to be in English.

If you like news and politics, seek out web-based news content for advanced English learning.

But it doesn’t have to be news. You can learn advanced English through pop songs, movies or anything else that interests you.

You can also use learning tools like LingQ, which allows you to get yourself immersed in English by using the native content you like to watch, read and listen to. 

Another resource my advanced English students love is the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary browser extension for Chrome. Whenever you see a word you don’t understand, just right-click on it to read its definition (in English, of course!).

All in all, advanced students should be independent enough to pick any native English content and turn it into English learning material. Anything, even a generic millennial ad, can become a powerful language lesson if you’re creative enough and use the appropriate tool.

How to Know if You’re Ready to Learn Advanced English

So you’re great at English. But are you really ready for the advanced learning experience? Before you check out those advanced English lessons online, you’ll want to know for sure.

What is advanced English?

It can be hard to know what “advanced English” really means. How much English does an advanced learner know?

You may wonder if there’s some way you could just read a description of what advanced English is, and then see if you fit that description.

And you know what? There is! In fact, there are quite a few different ways to do this.

I always recommend using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The CEFR is used to describe abilities in any second language, including English.

CEFR level descriptions are publicly available. Check the CEFR Wikipedia page to reference English language levels quickly in an easy-to-read chart.

English skills tests online

Online English tests are a great way to see if you’re truly ready for advanced English classes. There are a number of places to find web-based level tests.

• Nonprofit organizations such as Cambridge and the British Council give free English level tests online.
• University websites sometimes offer level exams. This Grammar Placement Test from the University of Michigan is one good example. Other schools, like the University of Washington, have similar online English level tests.
• Educational organizations also have these tests online. Kaplan, Education First and BridgePathways are just a few examples.
• English exam websites are an obvious option. The International English Testing System (IELTS) offers free question sets online.
• And, of course, English learning websites have their own online tests. There are honestly too many of these to list here. But a quick Google search of “English language test online” will bring up tons of choices.

If you score well in tests like the ones above, you might just be ready for advanced English lessons.

What to Expect from an Advanced English Class

Before attending an advanced English class, you have to find the right one for you, since not all classes are going to be equally beneficial for every student. 

There are classes that focus on one specific language skill. If you want to reach a C2 level of English as a whole, focusing just on grammar or speaking isn’t going to do it for you and it can slow down your progress.

So before you choose any class at all, analyze your needs and goals and search for tools that’ll help you meet them.

Something else that you should consider is the methodology used during the class.

Does the teacher allow students to participate in class? Do they use appropriate material that really allows students to progress? Are all the major language skills taken care of? 

Many advanced language learners have reached a point when they’re hitting a wall and can’t go further. The teacher’s mission should be to help students break that wall and take them to their final language destination.

An advanced English course should challenge the learner. It should push you forward in your studies and really help you start to sound more natural.

In general, advanced classes should have all the necessary ingredients for you to move forward and perfect your English skills. If you don’t feel that a class is doing that, then it might not be the right option for you.

In many ways, the internet is a perfect place for advanced English students. It gives high-level English learners a chance to study anything they want, in any way they want.

So don’t hesitate to explore these advanced English lessons online. The only limit to your advanced English learning options is your own preferences… and your imagination.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)