ESOL Reading

Simplified news article about a bus crash in Australia. Reading activity with DARTs. Can be extended into a speaking and listening and writing activity.

Editor's notes

A very sad story.  Ideal for E2-E3 reading and discussion (and equivalent Australian levels). Dictionary/vocabulary work, T/F questions, sentences, cloze exercise and discussion prompt.

Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
English
FE E2.6 Make appropriate contributions to simple group discussions with others about a straightforward topic
FE E3.6 Make relevant contributions to group discussions about straightforward topics
FE E2.10 Use effective strategies to find words meanings & check spelling e.g. simple dictionary, spell-checker
FE E3.11 Use strategies to find meaning of words e.g. dictionary, context, word types
FE E2.8 Understand the main points in texts
FE E3.9 Identify, understand & extract main points & ideas in/from texts
FE E2.11 Read & understand sentences with more than one clause
ESOL
ESOL Reading
Context
News, Politics & Government items
Leisure, Hobbies, Travel & Tourism

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.

Level
Level 1
Level 2
English
General literacy / English
FE READING main points & detail
FE L1.13 Use reference materials & appropriate strategies for a range of purposes, inc. to find word meanings
FE L2.15 Use a range of reference materials & resources (e.g. glossaries, legends/keys) for different purposes
Maths
General numeracy / maths
ESOL
ESOL Reading
Context
History, culture, museums, libraries

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.

Level
Entry Level 1
Entry Level 2
English
Functional English - writing
Wt/E2.1
Wt/E1.1
AL Rw/E1.2 Decode simple, regular words
AL Rt/E1.1 Read short familiar texts
Functional English reading
ESOL
ESOL Reading
ESOL Rw/E1.2a Use basic sound-letter correspondence to sound out words
Context
Animals, animal care, farming & equine

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.

Level
Level 1
Level 2
English
General literacy / English
ESOL
ESOL Reading
ESOL Speaking
ESOL Listen and respond
Context
Art Film Media Music Radio TV

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.

Level
Level 1
Entry Level 3
Maths
Functional Maths - measures, shape & space
Functional Maths - handling information and data
ESOL
ESOL Reading
Context
Retail Hospitality Customer service
Business & Money management

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”.

Level
Level 2
Level 1
Maths
General numeracy / maths
Functional Maths
ESOL
ESOL Reading
General
Generic resources for literacy, numeracy and beyond

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.

Level
Entry Level 1
ESOL
ESOL Reading

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”.

Level
Entry Level 1
ESOL
ESOL Reading
ICT
Entry 1 and 2 ICT

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.

Level
M8
Entry Level 1
Pre-entry
pre-Entry Rtc/M8.3 When working with texts communicate about persons, characters, events, objects
pre-Entry Rs/M8.1 Understand that words are grouped together to convey meaning, using rules & structure
pre-Entry Rw/M8.2 Associate sounds with patterns in letters, syllables, words,
pre-Entry Rw/M8.3 Recognise & read a growing no. of words signs symbols
pre-Entry Wt/M8.4 Use words, letters, signs, symbols & images in supported writing for simple purposes
pre-Entry Ws/M8.1 Understand that words are grouped together to convey meaning, using rules & structure
pre-Entry Ww/M8.1 Write with appropriate grip making many controlled letter shapes & using a conventional sequence of letters
pre-Entry Ww/M8.2 Associate sounds with patterns in some letters, syllables. words, rhymes, songs
ESOL
ESOL Writing
ESOL Reading

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

Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
English
Fiction
Reading
ESOL
ESOL Reading