Courses to improve communication skills  

Communication is essential to everyday life. It helps you builds relationships, and understand the world around you. We can communicate in many ways, from writing to speaking to using sign language. Improving your communication skills helps you connect with other people.  

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Find your voice

Find your voice with one of our adult education courses. From British Sign Languages courses to adult literacy classes - build your skills. Find fun and helpful courses to help reach your goals.  Learning with the WEA is not like school. It’s learning made for adults and you’ll be taught by supportive tutors. 

Boost your literacy

Boost your English skills, and get a better understanding of grammar. Learn the basics to move onto to a Functional English Skills course. Improve your spelling and gain confidence in reading, with an adult literacy course. Improving your reading and writing as an adult is not as hard as you might think.  

Hearing loss and signing

If you are losing your hearing or you know someone who is hearing impaired, you might need to find new ways to communicate. Develop lip-reading skills and find a supportive class to manage hearing loss. Find BSL signing courses for beginners. Learn to sign basic words then build your sign language skills to have conversations.  Whether you want to learn British Sign Language for yourself or so you can talk to others, take a course with us.  

Makaton signing is different to BSL. It is a way to communicate with people with speech difficulties or SEN. Over 100,000 children and adults use Makaton to communicate. It is very useful if you want to work with people with learning difficulties or you are a carer for a child with special needs. Our Makaton courses help reach people who need you most. If you want to learn Makaton signing, sign up for one of our courses today. 

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Communicating Confidently

Would you like to feel more confident in conversations, meetings, or speaking in public? If you struggle to find your voice or get your point across, this communication skills course can help you feel more comfortable in conversation. Improving your communication skills can go a long way towards boosting your confidence in these situations. Learn effective tools and techniques to improve your communication skills. Whether you want to feel more comfortable meeting new people, holding union meetings or participating in community discussions, these confidence-building exercises can help you.
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 09/07/2024 -
Tue 09/07/2024
Times:
12:30pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Health Resource Centre (Newcastle upon T
Adelaide Terrace
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE4 8BE
Tutor:
Maryam Knowles
Course code:
Q00016202
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
2 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £10.50

Beginners British Sign Language (BSL)

If you have contact with deaf people in your day-to-day life, you may want to take a British Sign Language course. Knowing how to sign can make your communication more inclusive for everyone you interact with. This BSL course is suitable for you if you need to communicate with deaf people in a voluntary or community role, or simply through social interactions. This course is aimed at complete beginners. You will start from scratch to learn foundational BSL skills.
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/07/2024 -
Thu 11/07/2024
Times:
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Joanne Liddle
Course code:
Q00017567
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £8.40

Healthy Living; Lipreading and managing hearing loss

Hearing impairments bring a variety of challenges, both to those who lose their hearing and their loved ones. Luckily, there are communication techniques you can learn to be able to maintain healthy interactions. Learn to communicate effectively despite hearing impairments with this beginners’ lip reading course. This course is appropriate for you if you have hearing impairments or if you’d like to communicate with a friend or family member with hearing loss.
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 05/09/2024 -
Thu 03/10/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
The Centre, Newlyn (Penzance)
Chywoone Hill
Newlyn
Penzance
TR18 5AR
Tutor:
Janet Corbett Marston
Course code:
Q00017038
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.40

Beginners British Sign Language (BSL)

If you have contact with deaf people in your day-to-day life, you may want to take a British Sign Language course. Knowing how to sign can make your communication more inclusive for everyone you interact with. This BSL course is suitable for you if you need to communicate with deaf people in a voluntary or community role, or simply through social interactions. This course is aimed at complete beginners. You will start from scratch to learn foundational BSL skills.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 23/09/2024 -
Mon 02/12/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Helen Watson
Course code:
Q00010735
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

WEA Membership

For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
  • Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
  • Attend our members’ annual conference.

Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

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Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
WEA Membership

Lipreading and Managing Hearing Loss

Hearing impairments bring a variety of challenges, both to those who lose their hearing and their loved ones. Luckily, there are communication techniques you can learn to be able to maintain healthy interactions. Learn to communicate effectively despite hearing impairments with this beginners’ lip reading course. This course is appropriate for you if you have hearing impairments or if you’d like to communicate with a friend or family member with hearing loss.
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 07/11/2024 -
Thu 12/12/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Hayle Community Centre
58 Queensway
Hayle
TR27 4NX
Tutor:
Janet Corbett Marston
Course code:
Q00017041
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.40

Personal Development: How to communicate confidently

This unique 6-week course empowers you to build confidence in communication and technology. In weeks 1-3, you'll take the Communication Confidence Masterclass, where you'll learn powerful techniques to express yourself clearly, develop assertiveness, and navigate challenging conversations with ease. In Weeks 4-6, you'll become Tech Savvy for Life & Learning by mastering essential computer skills to boost your study abilities and employability. You'll learn to create an impressive CV, manage online calendars, and use online tools effectively, bridging the digital divide and gaining the confidence to thrive in today's tech-driven world.
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 07/01/2025 -
Tue 11/02/2025
Times:
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
12 sessions
Location:
KCU Ltd at Fuller Church (Kettering)
51 Gold Street
Kettering
NN16 8JB
Tutor:
Caroline Smy
Course code:
Q00016662
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.40

Lipreading and Managing Hearing Loss

Hearing impairments bring a variety of challenges, both to those who lose their hearing and their loved ones. Luckily, there are communication techniques you can learn to be able to maintain healthy interactions. Learn to communicate effectively despite hearing impairments with this beginners’ lip reading course. This course is appropriate for you if you have hearing impairments or if you’d like to communicate with a friend or family member with hearing loss
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 09/01/2025 -
Thu 13/02/2025
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Hayle Community Centre
58 Queensway
Hayle
TR27 4NX
Tutor:
Janet Corbett Marston
Course code:
Q00017043
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.40

Intermediate British Sign Language (BSL)

Knowing how to sign can make your communication more inclusive for everyone you interact with. Build on your skills in British Sign Language to be able to have deeper interactions with deaf people. This BSL course is suitable for you if you need to communicate with deaf people or people with hearing impairments. It can help you in a variety of contexts, for example in a voluntary or community role, or simply through social interactions. This course is aimed at intermediate learners. You will build on your existing BSL skills. If you would like to start from scratch, you can take the beginner’s BSL course.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 13/01/2025 -
Mon 24/03/2025
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Helen Watson
Course code:
Q00012273
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

Personal Development: Beginners British Sign Language

We welcome you to join our friendly and engaging introduction to British Sign Language course at Hayle Community Centre, Hayle. British Sign Language (BSL) is a language used by D/deaf people to communicate using hand shapes, facial expressions, lip patterns, gestures, and body language. It’s an entirely different language to English. BSL is the preferred language of over 87,000 Deaf people in the UK for whom English may be second or third. This course is suitable for beginners
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 05/03/2025 -
Wed 23/04/2025
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Hayle Community Centre
58 Queensway
Hayle
TR27 4NX
Tutor:
Janet Corbett Marston
Course code:
Q00012690
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.40

Lipreading and Managing Hearing Loss

Hearing impairments bring a variety of challenges, both to those who lose their hearing and their loved ones. Luckily, there are communication techniques you can learn to be able to maintain healthy interactions. Learn to communicate effectively despite hearing impairments with this beginners’ lip reading course. This course is appropriate for you if you have hearing impairments or if you’d like to communicate with a friend or family member with hearing loss
View details

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 08/05/2025 -
Thu 19/06/2025
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Hayle Community Centre
58 Queensway
Hayle
TR27 4NX
Tutor:
Janet Corbett Marston
Course code:
Q00017049
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.40