ESOL Rt/E3.1a Understand how meaning is built up in a variety texts of more than one paragraph

Understand and identify how meaning is built up in chronological, continuous descriptive and explanatory texts of more than one paragraph, in a range of genres (i) Use a range of strategies to understand how meaning is built up in longer texts of more than one paragraph, including knowledge of context, subject, genre and cultural understanding to help get meaning from text Example: Use experience of bringing up children to understand a child-care text. Read a college prospectus using knowledge of the British education system to aid understanding. (ii) Know that texts of the same genre are likely to have a similar structure and lexis, and use this knowledge to help with understanding (iii) Recognise the common structure of paragraphs, and how paragraphs link together to develop meaning through a text, e.g. how the final sentence in a paragraph may lead on to the subject of the next paragraph (iv) Make use of key discourse markers, such as In the last paragraph... Later on we will go on to show... to aid understanding of the whole text (v) Recognise and make use of topic sentences to aid understanding of the whole text Example: The community outreach project began in the summer of 1999. Workers contacted all the families on the estate in order to ask them what type of support they required. (vi) Recognise the significance of organisational structure and the different uses of paragraphs to build up meaning in texts (vii) Use knowledge of the way texts from a variety of genres are structured to help reading for meaning Examples: Chronological texts: 1. Often use opening paragraph to outline main purpose and final paragraph to summarise importance of events described 2. Structure different paragraphs to deal with particular stages in time period: He didn't have an easy life, and this perhaps explains some of his artistic preoccupations. Born in 1929 into a period of great economic uncertainty, he grew up in a small mining village… Continuous descriptive texts: 1. Often use opening paragraph to introduce subject of description 2. Set the scene, and final paragraph to express the author's feelings: It was the ultimate celebrity wedding: guests arriving by private jet and helicopter clutching gold-plated invitations, dodging paparazzi as they made their way to the exclusive beachfront hideaway that had been redesigned as a chapel… Explanatory texts: 1. Often use opening paragraph to introduce subject and possible definitions of key terms, and final paragraph to sum up key issues or conclusion 2. May outline or deal with different aspects of a problem, give reasons and explanations in the middle paragraph(s) 3. Interact with texts such as short reports, to monitor understanding of main points as well as the overall sense and main ideas: Our skin has numerous functions. Its main function is to protect our bodies.

22/01/2023 22:30 (GMT) Errors fixed on page 1 and PDF file replaced

Worksheets to practise zero, first and second conditionals while using the language of social media. Can be used as an introduction to conditionals or a revision exercise. Then a reading text using conditionals in context of a social media site to practise reading comprehension, purpose, tone, features of text and dictionary skills.

Editor's notes

Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
English
FE E3.9 Identify, understand & extract main points & ideas in/from texts
FE E3.10 Identify different purposes of straightforward texts
FE L1.9 Identify & understand the main points, ideas & details
FE L1.12 Recognise that language & other textual features can be varied to suit different audiences & purposes
FE L1.14 Understand organisational / structural features use to locate relevant information
FE L2.19 Identify different styles of writing & writer’s voice
ESOL
ESOL Rt/E3.1a Understand how meaning is built up in a variety texts of more than one paragraph
ESOL Rt/E3.2a Distinguish between different purposes of texts at this level
ESOL Ws/E3.1a Write using complex sentences
ESOL Ws/L1.1a Write using complex sentences
ESOL Ws/L2.1a Use a range of sentence structure which is fit for purpose
ESOL Rs/L1.1a Use implicit & explicit grammatical knowledge to predict meaning & check for sense
ESOL Rs/L2.1a Use implicit & explicit grammatical knowledge to help follow meaning and purpose of different texts
ESOL Sc/L2.4a Express statements of fact
Context
Art Film Media Music Radio TV

A set of tasks to practise reading and writing skills. Read about a student and his work and college life.

  • Practise using conjunctions.
  • Learn synonyms
  • Practise using punctuation correctly.
  • Write about your own experience of studying and working

Editor's notes

So practical and down to earth! Find out about Joseph's day to day college life and his busy job with Deliveroo. Also very useful for E2-E3 Functional Skills English students.

Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
English
General literacy / English
FE E2.13 Use basic punctuation correctly (e.g. full stops, question, exclamation marks)
FE E3.13 Use a range of punctuation correctly (e.g. full stops, question marks, exclamation marks, commas)
FE E2.8 Understand the main points in texts
FE E3.9 Identify, understand & extract main points & ideas in/from texts
FE E2.19 Write in compound sentences, using common conjunctions to connect clauses
ESOL
ESOL Rt/E2.1a Use a range of strategies to trace & understand main events
ESOL Rw/E2.2a Recognise a range of familiar words
ESOL Rt/E3.1a Understand how meaning is built up in a variety texts of more than one paragraph
ESOL Ws/E2.1a Construct simple and compound sentences
ESOL Ws/E2.3a Use correct punctuation, e.g. capital letters, full stops, question marks
ESOL Ws/E2.1a Construct simple and compound sentences
ESOL Ws/E3.3a Use punctuation to aid clarity in relation to beginnings and ends of sentences
ESOL Ws/E3.2a Use basic sentence grammar accurately
Context
Education and teaching
Employment skills & Public services
Independent living

Entry 3 activity to reinforce the importance of good attendance and punctuality in college. First activity asks students to choose and circle the correct word and further activities practise spelling, grammar, vocabulary and punctuation at Entry 3 level. 

Editor's notes

A brilliant idea and excellent practice for ESOL students - especially at the start of the academic year. 

Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
English
Use knowledge of punctuation and capitalisation
ESOL
General ESOL
ESOL Rs/E3.2a Recognise function of CLs, full stops, commas, question- exclamation- and speech marks, bullet points /numbering
ESOL Rs/L1.2a Use punctuation to help understanding
ESOL Rs/E3.1b Use knowledge of syntax and grammar to work out meaning
ESOL Rs/L1.1a Use implicit & explicit grammatical knowledge to predict meaning & check for sense
ESOL Ww/E3.1a Apply spelling knowledge to a wide range of common & special-interest words
ESOL Ww/E3.1b Apply knowledge of strategies to aid with spelling
ESOL Ww/L1.1a Apply knowledge about vocabulary to aid accurate spelling
ESOL Ww/L1.1b Use strategies to aid accurate spelling
ESOL Rw/E3.5a Use variety of reading strategies to read/understand unfamiliar words
ESOL Rt/E3.1a Understand how meaning is built up in a variety texts of more than one paragraph
ESOL Rt/L1.5a Use skimming, scanning and detailed reading in different ways for different purposes
Context
Education and teaching

A simplified version of a news report taken from ABC's Behind the News. Dating from 2020 it talks bout US Gun Laws from an Australian perspective. The reading text also comes with comprehension questions, a cloze passage, dictionary activities and a writing prompt. There are related tasks at two levels E3/L1 and L1/2.

Editor's notes

Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
English
FE E3.9 Identify, understand & extract main points & ideas in/from texts
FE L1.9 Identify & understand the main points, ideas & details
FE L2.11 Identify when main points are sufficient & when specific details are important
FE E3.11 Use strategies to find meaning of words e.g. dictionary, context, word types
FE L1.13 Use reference materials & appropriate strategies for a range of purposes, inc. to find word meanings
FE L1.24 Use format, structure & language appropriate for audience & purpose
FE L2.27 Use language & register (e.g. persuasive techniques, supporting evidence, specialist words) to suit audience & purpose
ESOL
ESOL Rt/E3.1a Understand how meaning is built up in a variety texts of more than one paragraph
ESOL Rt/E3.4a Extract the main points and ideas, and predict words from context.
ESOL Rt/L1.3a Understand how main points and specific detail are presented and linked
ESOL Rw/E3.5a Use variety of reading strategies to read/understand unfamiliar words
ESOL: Writing - text focus (composition)
ESOL Rw/L1.1a Use reference material to find the meaning of unfamiliar words
ESOL Rw/L1.3a Recognise and understand an increasing range of vocabulary
Context
News, Politics & Government items

A short description of the famous Australian horse race followed by comprehension questions. Includes suggested answers.

Level
Entry Level 3
Entry Level 2
English
AL Rt/E3.1 Understand longer texts
AL Rt/E2.1 Follow main points of short texts
Functional English reading
ESOL
ESOL Rt/E3.1a Understand how meaning is built up in a variety texts of more than one paragraph
ESOL Rt/E2.1b Use reading strategies to obtain information from texts
Context
Sport and fitness
Leisure, Hobbies, Travel & Tourism
Animals, animal care, farming & equine

This is an activity on New Year. It was written for an E3 ESOL class but could be adapted for E2 fairly easily too. There is a reading comprehension, a group activity, writing practice and also an optional cut-up “top Ten” resolutions activity.

I haven’t done a lesson plan to go with the resources as I think they could be easily adapted and used in different ways.

Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
English
Adult Literacy: writing composition (Wt)
AL Rt/L1.1 Understand continuous texts
AL Rt/E3.1 Understand longer texts
ESOL
ESOL Rt/L1.1a Understand how meaning is built up in paragraphed texts
ESOL Rt/E3.1a Understand how meaning is built up in a variety texts of more than one paragraph
ESOL: Writing - text focus (composition)
Context
History, culture, museums, libraries

A first person autobiographical account of life in outback Australia.
Exercises include comprehension questions using when, where etc.
A revision of past tense verbs – regular and irregular.
A fill the gap using the correct verb tense.
A writing prompt for students to write about themselves – emphasising the use of conjunctions and short paragraphs.
A Wordsearch.
Includes a glossary of Australian words used in the text.

Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
English
Adult Lit Wt/L1.1 Plan and draft writing
Wt/E3.2
AL Wt/E3.1 Plan & draft writing
Ws/L1.2
Adult Lit Ws/L1.1 Write in complete sentences
Ws/E3.2
Ws/E3.1
AL Rt/L1.1 Understand continuous texts
AL Rt/E3.1 Understand longer texts
ESOL
ESOL Wt/L1.1a Apply genre-specific planning strategies as appropriate
ESOL Wt/E3.2a
ESOL Wt/E3.1a Recognise the process of planning and drafting
ESOL Ws/L1.2a
ESOL Ws/L1.1a Write using complex sentences
ESOL Ws/E3.2a Use basic sentence grammar accurately
ESOL Ws/E3.1a Write using complex sentences
ESOL Rt/L1.1a Understand how meaning is built up in paragraphed texts
ESOL Rt/E3.1a Understand how meaning is built up in a variety texts of more than one paragraph
Context
History, culture, museums, libraries

An adaptation of the text originally contributed by Amanda Burgess. I’ve simplified it for ESOL E2-E3 learners and added a vocab box as well – either for learners to investigate themselves or to be taught by the tutor ( Eg,What other charities do you know about….What other ways do charities use to raise money…etc).

From an ESOL point of view, the resource ties in with the core curriculum reading descriptors as well as the ‘Getting Involved in the Community’ part of the Citizenship syllabus.

Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
ESOL
ESOL Rt/E3.8a Read every word to obtain specific information
ESOL Rt/E3.4a Extract the main points and ideas, and predict words from context.
ESOL Rt/E3.1a Understand how meaning is built up in a variety texts of more than one paragraph
ESOL Rt/E2.1b Use reading strategies to obtain information from texts
ESOL Rt/E2.1a Use a range of strategies to trace & understand main events
Context
Voluntary, Charity and Community