Language courses in Adelaide: free AMEP English at TAFE SA, WEA courses and the School of Languages

Quick answer: In Adelaide, TAFE SA delivers the free Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), with on-site creches at its Adelaide City campus. WEA Adult Learning on Angas Street charges $172–$278 for its language courses, for example $260 for eight two-hour classes, and the State Library of South Australia runs a free English Language Improvement Service.

Free English through TAFE SA

The Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), funded by the Department of Home Affairs, teaches English free to eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants, and free childcare is available for children under school age while you attend face-to-face classes. Since the 510-hour limit was removed, eligible students can keep studying until they reach vocational English. For the eligibility rules, see who can join the Adult Migrant English Program.

TAFE SA delivers the AMEP across South Australia. It says you can study in a classroom full-time or part-time, by day or evening, by distance learning or with a tutor, and that AMEP counsellors help plan your study and next steps. You register at its Adelaide, Salisbury, Noarlunga or Mount Gambier campus, and TAFE SA runs AMEP creches at campuses including Adelaide City, Regency, Elizabeth and Salisbury.

WEA Adult Learning

WEA Adult Learning is Adelaide’s main community college for short courses, based at 223 Angas Street. Its languages courses publish three prices: standard, a discount rate for Full-time Student Card, Government Seniors Card and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders, and a concession rate for Pension Card, Health Care Card, Youth Allowance and Austudy or Abstudy holders.

Course	Format	Standard	Concession
Chinese Mandarin Conversation	8 weeks x 2 hours	$260	$228
French for Fun and Travel	8 weeks x 2 hours	$260	$228
Intensive French for Fun and Travel	5 sessions x 3 hours	$250	$218
French: Conversation	5 weeks x 2 hours	$180	$155
Intensive German for Fun and Travel	6 weeks x 3 hours	$278	$244

WEA also runs introductory Farsi and Filipino courses at the same $260. At about $16 an hour for an eight-week course, WEA is among the cheapest paid options we found in any Australian city.

The School of Languages

South Australia’s government School of Languages, in West Croydon, teaches languages mainly to school students, but it also enrols some adults. Its subject charge for adults is $400 ($180 for adults at an adult re-entry school). The catch: if you are 21 or over and do not need the subject for your SACE, you are ineligible under the Department for Education’s adult education policy, except for Auslan and Pitjantjatjara. For how languages fit into school study, see the Australian Curriculum: Languages.

Cultural institutes

Alliance Française d’Adélaïde runs adult French in five sessions of nine weeks during 2026. We could not find the fees on its course pages. For certificates such as DELF, see DELF, DELE and the Goethe-Zertifikat.

Free language help at the library

The State Library of South Australia runs a free English Language Improvement Service with volunteers, including one-to-one conversation practice and mixed-level conversation groups. It notes that many public libraries in South Australia offer similar services, so check your local branch too.

Find a language course

Free and no obligation. Tell us what you want to learn and how, and we will look for a course provider that suits you.

Course type * Country * Postcode * Town or city Your current level How soon? *

Anything else we should know? (optional)

Your name * Email * Phone (optional) Best way to contact you

I agree that Compare Language Courses may pass my details to a course provider covering my area so they can contact me about this request. Privacy policy.

We are a comparison and referral service, not a course provider. We do not guarantee a quote, a price or a response time.

How to choose a language course in Adelaide

Leisure language classes are not licensed like a trade, so compare providers on what they publish and what they will put in writing:

Level and hours. Ask which level the course starts and finishes at and how many teaching hours it includes. Most providers use the CEFR scale in our guide to CEFR levels A1 to C2.
Price per hour, not per course. Divide the fee by the teaching hours: the courses on this page run from 10 to 30 hours a term.
What is extra. Membership, textbooks, placement tests and exam entry are often charged on top of tuition.
Refunds and minimum numbers. Many classes only run if enough people enrol. Ask for the cancellation and refund policy in writing.
Student visas. If you are coming from overseas to study English full-time, check that the school is registered on CRICOS, the government register of providers allowed to teach overseas students, before you pay.
Concession eligibility. WEA’s discount and concession rates depend on which card you hold, so check which one applies before you enrol.

Language course providers in Adelaide

These providers appear in public business and education listings for Adelaide. We have not checked their teaching, prices or accreditation, and they have not paid to appear.