ALERT (Adult Literacy ESOL Resources Training) is a website that provides free adult education resources. There are ESOL, literacy and ICT resources available from levels E1 to L2. Please feel free to download any resources you may find helpful - and of course, please free to add your own!
Editor's notes
There are some wonderful resources here - especially for Entry ESOL and Literacy. Resources include interesting topics such as Chinese New Year, St Patrick's Day, The Great Famine, etc. Well worth a browse.
Scroll down the English for Action page until you reach section 6. Here you can find the download link to this superb 76 page toolkit, along with a brief overview. I don't know why I have only just come across this resource! IMO, it makes inspiring and fascinating reading for all teachers, not just ESOL specialists.
Level
Entry Level 1
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
English
General literacy / English
ESOL
General ESOL
General
Staff development
Study Skills and General Teaching
Generic resources for literacy, numeracy and beyond
I am absolutely fascinated by this blog written by Lauren Piovesan, the founder of ESL Reads. Despite spending two decades simplifying texts - a task that I enjoy and sometimes find a challenge - I've never really analysed what I'm doing.
Although written for EAL (English as an Additional Language) teachers this is a useful guide for both experienced and new teachers of ESOL, adult literacy (Functional Skills English) and indeed vocational subjects.
Since the demise of the Excellence Gateway (EG) on September 30 2023, there is no official Government backed website where the old Skills for Life core curricula are available. The EG has (partially) migrated to the Education & Training Foundation (ETF) at https://www.et-foundation.co.uk/ but there is no sign of these classic documents.
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
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
This scaffold has been designed to be used either as as a diary for use in class and / or as a way for students to record and reflect on their literacy/language experiences outside of the classroom.
Emojis are used to try to encourage them to consider and record their feelings.
Fourteen questions related to Remembrance Day (topics include WW1, WW2 ration books, Korean War, war poetry, etc.). Use as a traditional paper-based quiz or an IT based investigation. Learners could work individually or in teams / small groups.One way of approaching the quiz would be to see what the class as a whole can answer from their general knowledge befor
Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
English
General literacy / English
ICT
Functional Skills ICT: Finding and selecting information
General
Generic resources for literacy, numeracy and beyond
Learners use a gap-fill to complete positive and negative restaurant reviews.
I designed this resource to encourage learners to use a thesaurus to help improve their vocabulary and use more interesting adjectives.
I’ve used it with Entry level and Level 1/2 learners.
Editor's note
Fully mapped to the new 2018 Functional English content which comes into effect September 2019.
Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
English
FE E2.17 Communicate information using words & phrases appropriate to audience & purpose
FS English E2.20 Use adjectives and simple linking words
FE E2.19 Write in compound sentences, using common conjunctions to connect clauses
FE E3.22 Use language appropriate for purpose & audience
FE L1.24 Use format, structure & language appropriate for audience & purpose
