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.
Spring PEDAL begins on January 29, 2025!
Spring 2025 PEDAL
Wednesdays & Fridays
January 29 – April 18, 2025
IN PERSON at 3700 Walnut St.
9–10:30 a.m. ET 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Level 1 • Level 2 Level 3 • Level 4
VIRTUAL on Zoom
9:30–11 a.m. ET
All Levels
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 will open on January 8th and close on January 22nd! PEDAL runs from Wednesday, January 28th, through Friday, April 18th. Please email epoinset@upenn.edu with questions.
PEDAL welcomes adult English language learners of all proficiency levels to join our classes at no cost. Virtual classes meet on Zoom every Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. ET, and in-person classes meet every Wednesday & Friday from 9 to 10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Penn GSE (3700 Walnut Street).
There are 4 different class levels to choose from:
- Level 1 – Beginner (A1–A2)
- Level 2 – Intermediate (B1–B2)
- Level 3 – Advanced (B2–C1)
- Level 4 – High-Advanced (C+, conversation)
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.
Try Level 1 – Beginner (A1–A2) classes if you...
- Can talk about familiar topics (weather, family, friends, yourself) in basic English
- Use mostly basic words or short phrases to communicate in English
- Find it difficult to speak English with and be understood by other English speakers
- Identify with the A1–A2 range of the CEFR
- Score a 10–64 on the Duolingo English Test
- Score 0–4 on the IELTS Academic exam
- Score a 0–23 on TOEFL iBT
Try Level 2 – Intermediate (B1–B2) classes if you...
- Feel somewhat comfortable having short conversations in English about familiar 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 and be understood in English
- Identify with the B1–B2 range of the CEFR
- Score 65–119 on the Duolingo English Test
- Score 4.5–6 on the IELTS Academic exam
- Score 24–86 on TOEFL iBT
Try Level 3 – Advanced (upper B2–C1) classes if you...
- Feel comfortable having longer conversations on new topics, like those related to your social life, education, work, interests, current events, etc. 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
- Identify with the upper B2–C1 range of the CEFR
- Score 120–149 on the Duolingo English Test
- Score 6.5–7.5 on the IELTS Academic exam
- Score 87–116 on TOEFL iBT
Try Level 4 – High-Advanced (C1+) classes if you...
- Feel very comfortable actively participating in conversations on a wide variety of topics with other proficient English speakers, including topics that are new or abstract in nature
- Can adjust your formality, word choice, and tone and negotiate different cultural perspectives depending on your context
- Notice and can react to subtleties, like hyperbole, sarcasm, wordplay, humor, etc.
- Easily understand and are understood by other proficient English speakers
- Identify with the C1–C2 range of the CEFR
- Score a 150–160 on the Duolingo English Test
- Score 8–9 on the IELTS Academic exam
- Score 117–120 on TOEFL iBT
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
Interested in partnering with us? Sign up for our mailing list!
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 may attend one class format for the duration of the PEDAL session. Class format means that the class is taught by the same teacher(s) for the duration of the PEDAL session.
- This includes two class meetings per week (one on Wednesday, one on Friday).
- Students may not attend a mix of virtual and in-person classes. For example, if a student attends Virtual Level 2 class on Wednesdays, they are NOT permitted to attend the In-person Level 2 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 for in-person classes at https://upenn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0NS1LvZ5mdrZ7dc.
- Register online for virtual classes at https://upenn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y7JindT7l2w7j0.
When are classes held?
Wednesdays & Fridays
January 29 – April 18, 2025
IN PERSON at 3700 Walnut St.
9–10:30 a.m. ET 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Level 1 • Level 2 Level 3 • Level 4
VIRTUAL on Zoom
9:30–11 a.m. ET
All Levels
Contact Us
Practical English for Daily Living (PEDAL)
gsepedal@gse.upenn.edu
Sign up for our mailing list!