Contextual Resources

Displaying 1 - 10 of 28 resources:

Staying Safe Online - Fake News and Scams

Various activities based around the subject of staying safe online, fake news and online scams. Practise and preparation for the reading exams with questions to practise alphabetical order, features of text, purpose, style, reading comprehension and alphabetical order.

Editor's note

Such a useful  and topical resource! Written for Entry 3 ESOL but also ideal for Functional Skills English and Digital Literacy. The reading text on page looks deceptively simple but some of the exam-style questions are challenging and would also be suitable for Level 1.

Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
English
FE E2.12 Use illustrations, images & captions to locate information
FE E3.9 Identify, understand & extract main points & ideas in/from texts
FE E3.10 Identify different purposes of straightforward texts
FE E3.11 Use strategies to find meaning of words e.g. dictionary, context, word types
FE E3.12 Understand organisational features & use them to locate relevant information
FE E2.15 Use 1st & 2nd letters to sequence words alphabetically
FE E3.16 Use 1st, 2nd & 3rd letters to sequence words alphabetically
ESOL
ESOL Rt/E3.2a Distinguish between different purposes of texts at this level
ESOL Rt/E3.4a Extract the main points and ideas, and predict words from context.
ESOL Rt/E3.6a Skim read key textual features (title, heading and illustrations) for different purposes
ESOL Rt/E3.7a Scan different parts of texts to locate information
ESOL Rt/E3.8a Read every word to obtain specific information
ESOL Rw/E3.3a Use a dictionary to find the meaning of unfamiliar words
ESOL Rw/E3.4a Alphabetical order 1st & 2nd place letters
ICT
Protecting privacy - Entry Level
Protecting data - Entry Level
Being responsible online - Entry Level
Digital wellbeing - Entry Level
General
Study Skills and General Teaching
Context
Health and safety
Electrical, Electronics & Technology

Read, plan and write a leaflet

Read a sample leaflet about taking children to the dentist. Use it as a model for planning and writing your own leaflet about neighbourhood safety.
Suitable for Entry 3 through to Level 2 English Functional Skills.

Editor's note

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. 

 

Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
English
FE E3.12 Understand organisational features & use them to locate relevant information
FE L1.14 Understand organisational / structural features use to locate relevant information
FE L2.16 Understand organisational features & use to locate relevant information in a range of sources
FE E3.20 Use appropriate format & structure inc. appropriate use of headings & bullet points
FE L1.24 Use format, structure & language appropriate for audience & purpose
FE L2.25 Organise writing for different purposes using appropriate format & structure e.g. standard templates, paragraphs, bullet points, tables
Context
Health, Social care, Early years
Health and safety

Reading and writing an article

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.

Level
Level 1
Level 2
English
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 L2.14 Understand how textual features/devices can shape meaning for different audiences/purposes
FE L2.16 Understand organisational features & use to locate relevant information in a range of sources
FE L1.24 Use format, structure & language appropriate for audience & purpose
FE L2.25 Organise writing for different purposes using appropriate format & structure e.g. standard templates, paragraphs, bullet points, tables
FE L1.23 Write text of appropriate level of detail & length to meet needs of purpose & audience
FE L2.24 Write text of appropriate level of detail & length to meet needs of purpose & audience
ESOL
ESOL Rt/L1.2a Know how language and other textual features are used to achieve different purposes
ESOL Rt/L2.2a Identify the purposes of a wide range of texts, whether inferred or explicitly stated
ESOL Rt/L1.1a Understand how meaning is built up in paragraphed texts
ESOL Rt/L2.1a Identify different ways meaning is built up in a range of texts of varying genres
Context
Retail Hospitality Customer service
Voluntary, Charity and Community
Health, Social care, Early years
Family and relationships

Pearson Edexcel exemplar L2 Eyewitness Report task

Eye witness accounts can now pop up in the L2 assessments and there is very little guidance or examples of this genre. This useful task comes with a sample written response (of a strong pass) and examiner feedback which really helps the learner (and their teachers!) understand what is required.

Download help

Upon following the link, select “Resources” not “Sample assessment material”. Then scroll down until you see the download file (which is a zip file).

Level
Level 2
English
FE L2.27 Use language & register (e.g. persuasive techniques, supporting evidence, specialist words) to suit audience & purpose
FE L2.23 Communicate information, ideas and opinions clearly, coherently and effectively
FE L2.24 Write text of appropriate level of detail & length to meet needs of purpose & audience
FE L2.26 Convey clear meaning & establish cohesion using organisational markers effectively
FE L2.28 Construct complex sentences consistently & accurately, using paragraphs where appropriate
FE Writing composition
Context
Health and safety

Our Street

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.

Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
English
Poetry
Functional English - speaking, listening & communicating
FE READING and understanding words
ESOL
ESOL Speak clearly & with appropriate register
ESOL: Follow/participate in exchanges or discussions
ESOL Engage in discussion (Sd)
ESOL Trace and understand main events of a text
ESOL Rw/E2.3a Use context & range of phonic / graphic knowledge to decode words
ESOL Rw/E3.1a Recognise and understand relevant specialist key words
ESOL Rw/E3.3a Use a dictionary to find the meaning of unfamiliar words
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
ESOL Rw/L2.2a Use reference material to find the meanings of unfamiliar words
ESOL Rw/L2.3a Recognise & understand vocabulary associated with different text types
Context
Motor vehicles & Transport
Family and relationships

My Busy Day v3 additional E1 reading activities

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).

Level
Entry Level 1
Entry Level 2
English
FE E1.9 Read simple sentences containing one clause
FE E1.8 Read correctly words designated for Entry Level 1
FE READING main points & detail
FE E2.11 Read & understand sentences with more than one clause
ESOL
ESOL Rs/E1.1a Read and recognise simple sentence structures:
Context
Independent living
Family and relationships

Heatwave! Functional English tasks for all levels

Written in and inspired by the July 22 heatwave where temperatures in the UK exceeded 40 degrees! 

Three texts about hot weather and its effects on the body. Questions start at Entry Level 1 and progress to Level 2. L1-2 Learners will still need to access the Entry Level texts as the final questions involve comparing two or more texts. 

Level
Entry Level 1
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
English
FE E1.9 Read simple sentences containing one clause
FE E1.10 Understand a short piece of text on a simple subject
FE E1.11 Punctuate simple sentences with capital letter & full stop
FE E2.8 Understand the main points in texts
FE E2.12 Use illustrations, images & captions to locate information
FE E2.14 Form regular plurals
FE E2.15 Use 1st & 2nd letters to sequence words alphabetically
FE E3.9 Identify, understand & extract main points & ideas in/from texts
FE E3.10 Identify different purposes of straightforward texts
FE E3.11 Use strategies to find meaning of words e.g. dictionary, context, word types
FE E3.12 Understand organisational features & use them to locate relevant information
FE E3.16 Use 1st, 2nd & 3rd letters to sequence words alphabetically
FE L1.10 Compare information, ideas & opinions in different texts
FE L1.13 Use reference materials & appropriate strategies for a range of purposes, inc. to find word meanings
FE L1.14 Understand organisational / structural features use to locate relevant information
FE L1.16 Recognise vocabulary typically associated with specific types and purposes of texts (e.g. formal, informal, instructional, descriptive, explanatory and persuasive)
FE L1.17 Read & understand a range of specialist words in context
FE L2.15 Use a range of reference materials & resources (e.g. glossaries, legends/keys) for different purposes
FE L2.12 Compare information, ideas & opinions in different texts, inc. how they are conveyed
FE L2.19 Identify different styles of writing & writer’s voice
Context
Health, Social care, Early years
Health and safety

Mother's Day E1 Reading & Writing Assessments

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. 

Level
Entry Level 1
English
FE E1.8 Read correctly words designated for Entry Level 1
FE E1.9 Read simple sentences containing one clause
FE E1.10 Understand a short piece of text on a simple subject
FE 1.14 Write letters of alphabet in sequence & in upper / lower case
FE E1.11 Punctuate simple sentences with capital letter & full stop
FE E1.12 Use capital letter for pronoun ‘I’ and proper nouns
FE E1.13 Use lower-case letters when there is no reason to use capital letters
FE E1.15 Spell correctly words designated for Entry Level 1
FE 1.16 Communicate information in words, phrases & simple sentences
Context
Family and relationships
Catering Food Nutrition
Retail Hospitality Customer service

English - Gender Roles

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

Level
Level 1
Level 2
English
FE L1.1 Identify relevant information & lines of argument in explanations & presentations
FE L1.6 Follow / understand discussions & make contributions relevant to situation & subject
FE L2.1 Identify relevant information from extended explanations or presentations
FE L2.2 Follow narratives & lines of argument
FE L1.11 Identify meanings in texts & distinguish between fact & opinion
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 L1.15 Infer from images meanings not explicit in the accompanying text
FE L1.17 Read & understand a range of specialist words in context
FE L1.18 Use knowledge of punctuation to aid understanding of texts
FE L1.22 Communicate information, ideas & opinions clearly, coherently & accurately
FE L2.23 Communicate information, ideas and opinions clearly, coherently and effectively
FE L1.24 Use format, structure & language appropriate for audience & purpose
FE L2.20 Punctuate writing correctly using a wide range of punctuation markers e.g. colons, commas, inverted commas, apostrophes, quotation marks
FE L2.27 Use language & register (e.g. persuasive techniques, supporting evidence, specialist words) to suit audience & purpose
Context
Family and relationships

Your family - writing sentences

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.

Level
Entry Level 1
Entry Level 2
English
FE E1.11 Punctuate simple sentences with capital letter & full stop
FE E1.12 Use capital letter for pronoun ‘I’ and proper nouns
FE E1.13 Use lower-case letters when there is no reason to use capital letters
FE E2.13 Use basic punctuation correctly (e.g. full stops, question, exclamation marks)
FE 1.16 Communicate information in words, phrases & simple sentences
FE E2.17 Communicate information using words & phrases appropriate to audience & purpose
FE E2.19 Write in compound sentences, using common conjunctions to connect clauses
ESOL
ESOL Ws/E1.1a Construct a simple sentence, using basic word order & verb form
ESOL Ws/E1.2a Use basic punctuation to show where sentences begin and end
ESOL Ws/E1.3a Use basic punctuation to write about oneself using "I"
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/E2.4a Use a capital letter for proper nouns
Context
Family and relationships