Skills for Life is a government program focused on improving the education of adult learners in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Skills for Life program includes ESOL education, literacy and mathematics training.
The Skills for Life ESOL program targets second-language learners ages 14 and older. According to the University of Cambridge, these students often come from diverse backgrounds.
The Skills for Life examinations, offered by programs accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, asses adult ESOL learners on topics that relate to everyday life, such as their personal lives and employment.
The Skills for Life ESOL core curriculum is an outgrowth of the National Standards for Adult Literacy. According to Excellence Gateway, the core curriculum includes four sections: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students progress from phases titled "Entry" 1, 2 and 3 to "Levels" 1 and 2. Students learn to speak, write, read and listen in familiar linguistic contexts, at "Entry" 1, and progress to covering the unfamiliar and linguistic nuances.