Contextual Resources

Read an exemplar answer to a writing question about Disappearing High Streets. Then plan and write your own article. Choice of two writing tasks (for Level 1-2 Functional Skills English). 

• Gambling and the National Lottery 
• How to get children off their computers and more active 

Editor's notes

This is just what other Functional English teachers need: I think it’s so important for learners to have realistic exemplar/model pieces of writing so they know what they’re aiming for. Also useful for ESOL.

Various activities to practise travel and transport themes and ideas. Read about a journey to college, answer comprehension questions and exam style questions,  form questions, use adverbs of frequency and conjunctions, along with speaking, listening  and writing practice - all on the subject of a journey to college. 

Editor's notes

Engaging and relevant! Written for E3 ESOL but the reading text and several of the exercises (for example: conjunctions) also provide useful and relevant practice for E2-L1 Functional Skills English. 

A poem on the theme of neighbourhoods.  Can be used as a reading and pronunciation exercise or may be extended to include a discussion around housing, traffic, local communities or recycling.

Editor's notes

Super for many levels and situations - includes suggested questions and discussion prompts.

Additional DARTs (directed activities related to text) developed to be used with the My Busy Day/Housework  E1/2 reading text written by Laurence Fletcher in 2010 and further adaptations by Nafisah Graham-Brown in 2012.

Editor's notes

 Three delightful E1 worksheets with a focus on sentence structure (rearranging sentences and splitting sentences up into individual words).

Cut and order word sort based on transport, money and grammar terms.  Tasks and extension tasks on the same sheet. Scissors needed for separating the cards. Works best with students working in pairs.

Editor's notes

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best! With useful extension ideas. Laminate for repeated use. Also handy for Functional English alphabetical order work.

A short information text is followed by several pages of cloze exercises for Motor Vehicle students. To support subject knowledge, working out the meanings of technical vocabulary and learning subject specific spellings.

Editor's note

A cloze exercise for Motor Vehicle students. To support subject knowledge, working out the meanings of technical vocabulary and learning subject specific spellings.

Editor's note

Updated 24/3/22 10.30pm the writing resource is now available for download again. Apologies for any frustration. 11/3/22 3.00pm (typo fixed, page 3 question 8 writing assessment paper)

Two mega-sized Entry Level 1 Functional English assessments with a Mother's Day theme. Modelled closely on the Pearson-Edexcel assessments (but 1.5 times the size! ) but ideal pre-exam practice for any Awarding Organisation. 

What are gender roles and how do they impact our daily lives? What changes can we make, and how? Slides for L1 and L2 English learners to find out more about gender roles and their wider impact while building their English skills.

Editor's note

Use the family tree to help write simple and compound sentences about your family. Written for E1-2 ESOL  but also suitable for E1-2 Functional English.

Editor's notes

A lovely way to reinforce sentence structure and basic punctuation, and (for ESOL) teach key family words such as cousin, grandmother, nephew, etc. Worksheet with detailed mapping and sample answers available in a  separate document.