Contextual Resources

What is International Men's day? Why is it important and what can we learn from it?

Slides for L1 and L2 English learners to find out more about the importance of gender equality while building their English skills.

Editor's note

I put this together when I found so many of my learners trying to hone their employability skills did not know what a lot of the words on job descriptions meant. 

Resource 1 (Definition matching cards: job skills and attributes): I laminated these and cut them up and they worked in pairs or threes to match them up.

There are two other linked resources, as below, to help students with getting to grips with the keywords used in Job Descriptions and Person Specifications. 

This is a scheme of work I have used in EBD schools to get the pupils engaged with English. It is a 7 week scheme of work aimed at between E3-L2, as it can be differentiated. I have also included the lesson plans that go with the scheme.

Editor’s note
Although written for a Key Stage 3/4 school setting this would work well as a way of embedding Functional English into a vocational childcare course or a family learning situation.

Everything you need for embedding literacy / Functional English into a teaching session that looks at drugs.

Learners explore the types types of drugs and also some of the origins of the problem. It covers types of text and some reading and spelling, including segmenting. There is also a ‘DARTs’ type exercise that explores how to treat a person who may become ill, instructions to re-order, and posters to laminate and discuss.

Some of the posters are quite powerful and may require discretion with their use, but are good illustrations of this type of text.

A 16 piece triangular jigsaw puzzle where pairs or small groups of learners must match 18 words to their correct definitions. Use as an ice breaker or plenary activity. Guaranteed to create promote discussion as learners solve puzzle (best laminated). As usual with Tarsia puzzles, you can choose to print a standard or large puzzle (select Output – large, i.e. 3 pieces per A4 sheet).

A super, complete E2-E3 lesson plan (and resources) originally written for e2e students looking at healthy eating, but great for any group. The lesson plan pays particular attention to equality and diversity.
Includes detailed plan, quiz answer sheet, illustrated fill-in tables and adjective ideas. You will need a selection of exotic fruit and also, if following the entire lesson plan, our Describing Foods resource (see below).

Florence was not just a famous nurse, she was also a very good mathematician. Use this resource to introduce pie charts, promote class discussion and learn some history!