12 November 2025
How Tooh transformed his workplace English in 24 days
Tooh needed job-ready English for care work but had no access to traditional ESOL provision. He started using Lingly immediately. Within 24 days, he'd completed what would take months in a classroom, all on his phone, around his own schedule.
- Daily Engagement
- 100%
- Hours in 24 Days
- 35.5
- Outcome Window Saved
- 6-8 weeks
- Time to Access
- Immediate
Every day at 10:00, I have a notification, I go to do my test. I complete the daily activity. I go there every morning to learn many things about the care sector.
The Problem
When waitlists block employment
Tooh lost his visa sponsorship and needed to find new care work quickly. Despite speaking English his whole life, he needed support with UK care language: British colloquialisms, professional documentation, and confident communication with residents and families.
Traditional ESOL wasn't an option. Classes had 6–8 week waitlists minimum, cost £2,000+ per term, and ran at fixed times that wouldn't work for active job searching. Even if he could get a place, the content would be generic: essay writing and textbook grammar, not the workplace English he actually needed.
The Solution
Immediate access, intensive engagement
Tooh started using Lingly the same day. No enrolment process, no waiting list, no fixed schedule. Every morning at 10am, he practised English through his phone, learning British vocabulary, care documentation skills, and professional communication.
What made it work
Immediate start, zero friction
"From the first day I knew what to do. You go step by step. You cannot skip and go to a lesson without doing the other one." – Tooh
Daily habit formation
"Every day at 10:00, I have a notification, I go to do my test. I complete the daily activity." – Tooh
Job-specific content
"I learned the care language. When you want to do your care notes, you need to use language that somebody taking over from me can understand." – Tooh
Self-directed intensity
While traditional ESOL offers 3–4 hours per week, Tooh practised 1.5 hours every single day. In 24 days, he completed more guided learning hours than a full term of weekly classes.
The Numbers
Daily practice without prompting
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Daily engagement rate | 100% |
| Average daily practice | 1.5 hours |
| Total hours (24 days) | 35.5 |
| Words spoken | 6,362 |
| Vocabulary mastered | 923 |
| Care notes completed | 52 |
| Practice conversations | 92 |
| Tech support required | 0 |
Tooh vs. traditional ESOL: a timeline comparison
With Lingly | With traditional ESOL | |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting for a place | 0 days | 42–56 days (6–8 weeks minimum) |
| First session | Day 1 | Week 6+ |
| Hours practised (Week 4) | 35.5 hours | ~12 hours |
| Cost (first month) | £33 | £500–700 (pro-rated) |
| Schedule flexibility | | |
| Content relevance | Care-specific | Generic curriculum |
| Completion rate | Ongoing (100+ days later) | ~45% complete full term |
What this proves for employment programmes
1. Participants will actually use digital ESOL
The concern with digital tools: "Will participants actually engage, or will licences sit unused?"
Tooh's 100% daily engagement over 24 days proves participants will use digital ESOL when:
- Content is relevant to their job search
- Platform is genuinely accessible (mobile-first, native language support)
- There's a clear progression system they can follow independently
2. Digital fills the waitlist gap immediately
Traditional ESOL has 6–18 month waitlists in many areas. That's 6–18 months of "enforced inactivity" where participants can't progress towards employment outcomes.
Tooh started learning on day one. By the time a traditional ESOL place would have become available (8 weeks), he'd already completed 35.5 hours of job-specific practice.
For employment advisers managing participants with English barriers, this isn't a nice-to-have. It's the difference between "wait 6 months then start learning" and "start learning today."
3. Self-directed doesn't mean low-intensity
Some providers worry that self-directed digital tools mean participants will do 10 minutes a week and call it done.
Tooh averaged 1.5 hours per day. That's more intensive than traditional ESOL (3–4 hours per week) and entirely self-motivated. No adviser had to chase him. No mandatory attendance requirements. He engaged because the platform worked and he could see progress.
"The app is very good to use. Even somebody that cannot use it will easily get along because you have all the instructions to follow. From the first day I knew what to do. You go step by step. I've learned so many British words and the care language. The app is 100% perfect."