ESOL Reading

Reading and related activities focusing on a simplified version of a BBC news article reporting the results of the 2021 Australian Census. Ideal for practising reading strategies including:  relating images to text, using headings, skimming, scanning and using context to predict. My (Australian) students found it challenging but were engaged in the content. Lots of possible ways it could lead into other written and oral activities. Numbers and a graph involved so can also be used to revise numeracy concepts such as percentages and extracting information from graphs.

The first page of this resource will help students to identify consonants and vowels, which then leads onto CVC word building and reading skills.

Pages 2 & 3 have two short texts that my students enjoyed very much. These help students practise reading and identifying the structure of CVC words. They will then be able to answer simple comprehension questions.

You may want to cut up the passages and set up a jigsaw reading activity. Can be used with lower level students.

These lesson activities are based on scenes from David Lean’s 1984 film, A Passage to India. Topics relating to culture, integration, separation, race, ethnicity, identity and humanity can easily be raised and discussed via the materials and the film scenes. There are many ways of using this original material and the suggestions are just activities that have worked with L2 and [even] L1 students.

I use this in my ESOL Functional Maths classes. I know there are already excellent measures / postal charges resources on Skillsworkshop, but I wanted to do a matching type exercise, which ESOL students are very familiar with.

A 12-question test, designed for an Adult Numeracy class consisting largely of ESOL speakers.
Covers the terms “import” and “export”, since these often crop up in exams. Also mean, mode, median and range, and the meanings of “discount”, “under”, “approximately”, “difference” and “enlarged”. A little fraction revision, too: students have to identify 1/3 as “one-third”.

Ideal preparation for the Cambridge E1 ESOL reading exam. Based on a short job advert, the questions cover suitable job, abbreviations used in job adverts, and personalities.

Set of interactive activities based on living room furniture. Would make a good group activity on an interactive whiteboard or use on individual computers

To run, unzip the file (select “Extract all files”) into a new folder and click on hot potatoes living room to run. You may be asked by your web browser if you wish to allow ActviveX components – select “Yes, allow blocked content”.

The worksheets can be used as seems appropriate for your learners. My method was for learners to identify the seasons and write the names beneath the pictures – I had put them on the board in a random order for learners to be able to use first and second letter recognition to match the words and pictures.

The days of the week sheet was used as a recapping tool – learners insert the first letter, then fold at the dotted line and write them out again. This was followed by a Q and A session on ‘what do you do on…’ to get learners talkiing about activities.

A humorous E2-3 story accompanied by E3-L1 comprehension, grammar, spelling and vocabulary questions (making it ideal for mixed ability classes).

Pet Centipede is a humorous E1-2 story accompanied by comprehension, simple past tense and contractions questions.