A new online English language course launched by the British Council has attracted more than 70,000 students from around the world.
The programme, Exploring English: Language and Culture, is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and is being delivered through Futurelearn, a UK-based Mooc platform.
The course has attracted the largest number of students for a Futurelearn course to date.
The six-week course aims to improve students' English vocabulary, reading and writing skills through a series of videos, short quizzes and online discussions.
Particular emphasis will be placed on natural speech, and students will be encouraged to think about how they can improve their own use of English.
The students will be able to contact teachers and course moderators directly, and students will be able to review and mark each others’ work through social media.
The British Council has taught English around the world for more than 80 years as part of its efforts to promote UK education globally.