6–18 month wait-times
As of February 2026, major cities across the UK such as Birmingham & Liverpool are closed to new ESOL intakes.
Over 1 million people in the UK cannot speak English well.
We are on a mission to help them.
The Problem
165,000 people are unable to find a job in the UK because their English isn't good enough.
Employment rate among general population vs. those with limited English
General population 72% employed
People with limited English 50% employed
1,041,000 people cannot speak English well or at all (ONS Census 2021), approximately 750,000 are of working age (Bell Foundation, June 2025). 72% of proficient speakers are employed, whereas 50% of those that cannot speak English well or at all are employed (ONS Census 2021).
The Problem
English is the only thing between 75,000 skilled workers and the careers they're qualified for.
Degree-level employment rate among degree-holders by English proficiency
Degree-holders with proficient English 91% in degree-level jobs
Degree-holders with limited English 67% in degree-level jobs
Based on Migration Observatory analysis showing 33% of degree-holders with limited English work in low-skill roles. Estimate assumes approximately 42% of working-age adults with limited English hold university-level qualifications (conservative estimate based on ONS data for migrant populations).
Current Solutions Fail
Traditional classroom-based ESOL is failing the people who need it most.
No vocational English support
ESOL levels test and train general English competence, not allowing learners to focus on what is most impactful for their career & personal situation.
No transparency on effectiveness
Our FOI requests to UK local authorities on success of ESOL programs received metrics on attendance and achievement rate. There is no reporting on real world outcomes.
The Solution
Our vocational language training tech develops employable English skills in weeks, not years.
Testimonials
Case Studies
"In five weeks Mustafa did four times the hours he'd have done in a weekly ESOL class and no longer needs Google Translate for our sessions."
Ryan Clayton
Operations Manager, Rochdale Employment Links Partnership
4x
Participants gave 4x longer English responses, moving from one-word answers to full sentences.
98%
Drop in meeting length once participants no longer needed Google Translate in adviser sessions.
Read Rochdale case study
17 jobseekers in Bradford are now employed after using Lingly
"It helped me become a senior carer. Now I can handle more reports, leadership, and supervision."
Agatha
Bradford care worker
Read case study
How one participant transformed his workplace English within 24 days
"Everyday at 10, I complete the daily activity. I've learned so many British words and the care language."
Tooh
Manchester care worker
Read case study
The Opportunity
Solving this problem could help hundreds of thousands of immigrants build a better life in the UK, unlocking over £6.6bn for the UK economy.
Getting 165,000 people into work and moving 54,000 degree-holders into appropriate roles would add £6.6bn annually to the UK economy—not to mention multiplier effects as newly employed people spend their earnings locally, public service savings from reduced interpreter costs and better health outcomes, and intergenerational benefits as children of English-proficient parents perform better in school and earn more over their lifetimes.
Meet the Founders
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Harry Bendix-Lewis
Tech Lead
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Henry Popiolek
Language Lead
We've both lived abroad as immigrants and felt the firsthand frustration at how traditional language teaching fails to prepare you for the workplace.
For 7 years we've obsessively been improving Lingly, first for ourselves and then for our friends and today for thousands of immigrants like us. Our goal is to scale this positive impact across the UK.
You've read this far, why not say hello? We'd love to hear from you on hello@lingly.ai