English refresher course with a native teacher, online and 1 to 1
- One-to-one lessons, 100% personalised
- Native teachers trained in the BIE method
- On Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet
- Programme tailored to your level and goals
- Flexible scheduling 7 days a week
Google rating 4.9 / 5 — 2,000+ students
What is an English refresher course and who is it for?
An English refresher course is designed for adults who studied English at school, in high school or in higher education, but who haven’t practised much since. The foundations are there, somewhere, but they’re buried. Speaking, you hesitate. Writing, the tenses get muddled. In a meeting in English, you grasp the overall meaning but no longer dare to speak up.
At Break Into English, an English refresher course is not about starting from scratch. It’s about reactivating what you already know, filling the specific gaps that hold you back, and rebuilding your confidence when speaking — with a native teacher who adapts to your pace.
The refresher course is aimed at every profile of adult learner, whatever the starting level on the CEFR scale (from A2 false beginner to C1 advanced) and whatever the goal.
- Adults who haven’t practised English since school or university
- Professionals preparing for an international role or project
- Executives who have to take part in meetings in English
- Candidates for the TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS or Linguaskill
- People who want to travel, read or communicate in English with ease
- Seniors and retirees who finally want to get serious about English
An English refresher course that gets you speaking, not reviewing emails
Most English refresher solutions on the market ask you to study the language: a daily email, an app, fill-in-the-blank exercises, rules to memorise. The problem is that the block adults face is not a knowledge block. It’s a usage block.
At Break Into English, your English refresher course takes place out loud, live, with a native teacher who corrects you in real time, tailors the vocabulary to your world and brings out the structures you’re missing as the conversation unfolds. You’re not revising English: you’re putting it back into service.
- You speak from the very first minute of your first lesson
- Natural corrections, without judgement, in real time
- The same native teacher in every session, following your progress
- Vocabulary tuned to your industry and interests
- Measurable progress week after week
Start your English refresher course in 4 steps
No paperwork, no commitment. You book, we take care of the rest.
You book
Pick a time slot online in 2 minutes. Free, no card required, no commitment.We assess your level
During the free 30-minute trial lesson, your native teacher evaluates your CEFR level and identifies your real blocks.Personalised programme
Your teacher builds a bespoke refresher programme, tailored to your goals and your pace.You progress
Weekly lessons with the same teacher, written follow-up after each session, visible and measurable progress.What an English refresher course at BIE covers
Our English refresher programme covers the four essential dimensions of the language: grammar, vocabulary, speaking and listening. Each dimension is revisited in depth, but always in conversational situations — never as disconnected classroom exercises.
The programme is fully personalised. Your teacher identifies what you actually need during the initial assessment, then focuses the work on those specific points, without wasting time on what you already master.
- Grammar and conjugation: tenses and aspects (present simple, present BE+ing, preterit, present perfect, pluperfect), modality (can, must, should, would), reported speech, passive voice, relative clauses, quantifiers, comparatives and superlatives.
- Vocabulary: everyday professional expressions, industry-specific vocabulary (your field), idioms, false friends, logical connectors.
- Speaking: pronunciation, intonation, stress, fluency, speaking up in meetings, presentations, phone calls, debates and argumentation.
- Listening: exposure to British, American, Australian and Irish accents through news clips and real conversations.
Talk to our team before booking your trial lesson
Unsure about the format, the frequency or the right accent? Want to discuss a specific goal (new job, trip, certification) before booking your trial lesson? Our team answers all your questions about the English refresher course and points you towards the package that best fits your situation.
Tell us about your project in a few lines and we’ll come back to you quickly, with concrete answers and personalised advice — with no commitment on your part.
- Quick response to all your questions
- Personalised advice based on your level and goals
- No commitment, no pushy sales follow-ups
- Guidance to the right teacher and the right frequency
Why a 1-to-1 refresher course with a native teacher is more effective
100% speaking time
In a group class, you speak 10 minutes per hour. In 1 to 1, all the time belongs to you. Your English refresher course is four to six times denser than in a group.Native teachers only
All our teachers are English native speakers, trained in-house in the BIE method. Neither a marketplace nor a freelance pool: selected, supported teachers who know you.The same teacher every session
Your English refresher course is guided by a single teacher who prepares every session around your progress. No platforms that change your teacher lesson after lesson.Zoom, Teams or Meet
No proprietary platform to install. Your lessons happen on the video tool you already use every day, with no technical friction.Fully flexible 7 days a week
Morning, midday, evening, weekends. You pick your slots and reschedule them up to 6 hours before the session, free of charge.Measurable progress
Initial level assessment, written follow-up after each lesson, concrete goals reviewed every month. You always know where you stand.Can you refresh your English for free?
Technically, yes. YouTube, BBC Learning English, British Council, mobile apps, podcasts: the free resources for learning English are endless. For brushing up on a specific grammar rule or expanding your vocabulary on a topic, they’re excellent.
However, a serious English refresher course requires three things that free resources can’t deliver: a precise diagnosis of your actual gaps, immediate correction of your pronunciation and spoken mistakes, and a regular commitment that prevents you from giving up. That’s exactly what a 1-to-1 private lesson with a native teacher provides — and it’s why our free 30-minute trial lesson is the best place to start.
- Free works well for brushing up on a specific point you already have
- Free doesn’t correct your pronunciation or your spoken errors
- Free doesn’t diagnose what’s actually blocking you
- Free doesn’t enforce regularity — hence the high drop-off rate
- A free trial lesson with a native teacher gives you a real diagnosis, for free
Everything you need to know about English refresher courses
What exactly is an English refresher course?
An English refresher course is a structured programme designed for adults who studied English in the past but haven’t practised it for several years. The goal is not to start over from scratch, but to reactivate buried knowledge, fill the specific gaps that block expression, and rebuild real fluency both spoken and written. At Break Into English, this refresher takes place in 1-to-1 private lessons with a native teacher, at your pace and according to your goals.
How long does an English refresher course take?
The duration of an English refresher course depends on your starting level and your target level. Based on the Common European Framework (CEFR), it typically takes 100 to 200 hours to move from level A2 to level B1, and another 100 to 300 hours to reach B2. Our refresher packages usually start at 20-30 hours to unlock spoken English, and go up to 60-100 hours for a complete programme with a certification at the end.
How much does an English refresher course cost?
The price of an English refresher course varies with the format and volume you choose. Our private lessons start from €25 per hour, depending on the number of lessons booked. The 30-minute trial lesson with a native teacher is entirely free and with no commitment, so you can assess your level and try the method before signing up.
Can you refresh your English for free?
You can revise for free with many online resources (BBC Learning English, British Council, YouTube, apps). But a serious refresher requires a diagnosis of your gaps, live correction of your pronunciation and the regularity that free resources don’t guarantee. Our free 30-minute trial lesson with a native teacher gives you a real diagnosis, with no commitment and no credit card.
What level of English do you need to start a refresher course?
Our English refresher courses are aimed at levels A2 to C1 on the CEFR. If you understand simple sentences, have some school-era grammar basics even if they’re distant, and want to unlock your spoken English, you’re in the right place. For true beginners (full A1 level), we offer dedicated beginner pathways.
Online or in-person — which should you choose?
Recent studies show that online private lessons are just as effective as in-person ones, with three decisive advantages: flexible scheduling, no travel time, and access to native teachers anywhere in the world. At Break Into English, our entire English refresher course runs online on Zoom, Teams or Google Meet, with the same quality of interaction as face-to-face.
Private lessons or group lessons — which is better?
For an English refresher course, 1-to-1 private lessons are clearly superior to group classes. In a group of four, you speak on average ten minutes per hour and have to keep pace with the others. In 1 to 1, 100% of the speaking time is yours, correction is immediate and the content is tailored to your specific goals. Progress is typically four to six times faster.
How often should you take lessons to make progress?
Regularity matters more than volume. One hour a week over several months produces better results than ten hours crammed into one week. For an effective English refresher course, we recommend at least one session per week, ideally two. During an acceleration phase (an upcoming trip, interview or certification), it’s perfectly possible to shift to an intensive pace of 3 to 5 sessions per week.
Which certification can you take after an English refresher course?
Several certifications are accessible after a refresher course: the TOEIC (business standard, widely recognised in companies), the Linguaskill (formerly BULATS, flexible and fast), the TOEFL (Anglo-Saxon academic world), the IELTS (studies and immigration), or the Cambridge exams (B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced). Your teacher helps you choose the certification most relevant to your professional or personal goal.
Can you pick up English again at 40, 50 or 60?
Absolutely. Age is not an obstacle to learning a language. Mature adults even have several advantages over younger learners: a greater capacity for concentration, a better grasp of their own mother tongue (useful for comparative grammar), and a clearer motivation. A large share of our students start their English refresher course between the ages of 40 and 65, often with striking results within the first few months.
Start your English refresher course this week
First free 30-minute lesson with a native teacher. CEFR level assessment included, personalised programme to follow. No commitment, no credit card.
Book my free trial lessonGoogle rating 4.9 / 5 — 2,000+ students — 100+ native teachers