You can learn English for free with PEDAL, which stands for Practical English for Daily Living. The program offers free English classes for adult English language learners anywhere in the world. All you need is an internet connection and a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Fall PEDAL begins on September 20, 2023!
Fall 2023 PEDAL
IN PERSON at 3700 Walnut Street
Level 2 • Level 3+
September 22 – November 17, 2023
Fridays only
9:30 – 11:30 AM ET
Open to friends and family members of the Penn community (17+ years old)
VIRTUAL via Zoom
Level 1 •Level 2 • Level 3+
September 20 – November 17, 2023
Wednesdays & Fridays
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Open to all adults (17+ years old) regardless of location
Students must choose to attend either in-person OR virtual classes. Students cannot attend virtual classes on Wednesdays and in-person classes on Fridays.
Registration opens on Wednesday, August 9, 2023.
PEDAL welcomes adult English language learners of all proficiency levels to join our classes at no cost. Virtual classes meet every Wednesday and Friday from 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM, and in-person classes meet every Friday from 9:30-11:30 AM at 3700 Walnut Street.
There are three different class levels to choose from:
- Level 1 – Beginner (A1-A2)
- Level 2 – Intermediate (B1-B2)
- Level 3+ – Advanced+ (B2-C1)
Your PEDAL teachers are talented graduate students working on their master’s degrees in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at the Penn Graduate School of Education. You want to improve your English skills, and they want to improve their teaching skills — it’s a win-win.
About Us
Practical English for Daily Living — known as PEDAL — was established in August 2012 to foster community engagement through education and to provide our talented teachers-in-training with authentic contexts to develop their teaching skills.
Originally for friends and family members of Penn students, faculty, and staff, PEDAL expanded to the Free Library of Philadelphia in 2014 to allow any adult English language learners in Philadelphia to join and improve their English for free. Since March 2020, we have been able to expand even further and we now invite adult English language learners from all over the world to join our free virtual classes.
PEDAL lessons focus on the types of communication that English learners encounter when navigating daily life in and around Philadelphia and/or in online spaces with other English speakers.
Class Levels
The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages can be found here in 22 different languages.
Level 1 — watch a lesson
Try Level 1 if you…
- Can talk about familiar topics (weather, family, friends, self) in English
- Use mostly basic words or short phrases to communicate in English
- Find it difficult to speak English with and be understood by English speakers
- Identify with the A1-A2 range of the CEFR
Level 2 — watch a lesson
Try Level 2 if you…
- Feel comfortable having short conversations in English about familiar topics
- Feel somewhat comfortable having short conversations in English about unfamiliar topics
- Use full sentences and ask questions to start and continue conversations in English
- Understand and use common vocabulary for general topics, like work, school, or daily life
- Sometimes find it difficult to speak English with and be understood by other English speakers
- Identify with the B1-B2 range of the CEFR.
Level 3+ — watch a lesson
Try Level 3+ if you…
- Feel comfortable having longer conversations on new and familiar concrete topics, like those related to your social life, education, work, and interests) with other proficient English speakers
- Understand and use a wide range of vocabulary for general and specialized topics
- Usually understand and are understood by other proficient English speakers without great effort
- Identify with the B2-C1 range of the CEFR.
Iryna Kozlova
Dr. Iryna Kozlova is a Lecturer of Educational Practice at Penn GSE in the Educational Linguistics Division and serves as the Faculty Advisor for PEDAL. You can read more about Dr. Kozlova’s research here.
Hannah Brenneman
Hannah Brenneman is the Associate Director of Fieldwork & Service Learning for the Penn GSE Educational Linguistics Division and is the PEDAL Program Coordinator. Brenneman is a 2015 alumna of the Penn GSE M.S. Ed. TESOL program. She began teaching for PEDAL in 2013. Brenneman helps manage all aspects of the PEDAL program, from marketing and student registration to teacher hiring and training.
Our Community Partners
Penn GSE Educational Linguistics Division
The Philadelphia Office of Children and Families
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FAQS
What is PEDAL?
- An English language program developed for all adult English language learners to find community and improve their everyday English skills. See our About section for more information.
Who are these classes for?
- Any adult English language learner (17 years or older) who has access to Wi-Fi, a smartphone, tablet, or computer, and a Zoom account.
- Classes are designed for novice, intermediate, advanced, and high-advanced speakers of English. Visit the Class Levels page for more information about each level.
*Penn students, scholars, or faculty are not eligible to attend PEDAL and PEDAL does not provide visa sponsorship.
How much do these classes cost?
- All classes are offered for free.
How many classes can a student attend?
- Students can attend two classes per week for one level (one Wednesday, one Friday).
- Students who attend the 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. class section cannot also attend the 8:00 p.m. -9:30 p.m. class section.
- Students cannot attend different levels each week. For example, you cannot attend the Level 3+ class on Wednesdays and the Level 4 class on Fridays.
Who are the teachers?
- PEDAL teachers are experienced instructors of English who are currently students in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) M.S.Ed. program at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. The program is supervised by a Penn GSE faculty member and the PEDAL Program Coordinator. Visit The PEDAL Team for more information about the PEDAL Team.
How do I register?
- Register online here: https://upenn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1ze0fKyXvGAxtUa
When are classes held?
- Summer 2023 PEDAL offers classes for Level 2 – Intermediate, Level 3+ – Advanced+, and Level 4 – High Advanced
- All summer PEDAL classes will be held on Zoom on Wednesdays and Fridays from 2:30-4:00 p.m. ET.
- Level 1 – Beginner classes will return in September 2023!
Where are classes held?
- All classes are held on Zoom until further notice
Contact Us
Erica Poinsett
Program Assistant
Penn GSE Educational Linguistics Division
epoinset@upenn.edu
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