Adult Literacy, Functional English, and GCSE Resources

This is a combination of speaking & listening, note taking & writing, that I have used successfully as an ice breaker with new groups. It involves learners talking to several people and finding out about their food likes & dislikes (plus allergies, religious considerations etc) before planning a menu for a dinner party. The menu must be acceptable to all the guests! Finally each learner produces their menu presented in a conventional style.

This resource arose from a conversation with a learner who had lost their debit card a number of times in the cash machine because they couldn’t read the screen fast enough.

I used it by discussing each of the screens with learners and then having them work through the reading text and the accompanying exercises. Even better, if you have access to the internet, you can show different images of ATM screens and discuss them.

A list of passport prices (converted into £ January 2012) and a set of associated questions.
Useful in Functional English as a discussion or research prompt, especially just before the summer holiday season.

Based on an hilarious Comics Relief YouTube clip. A great way to get students to look at conversations in speaking and listening or to look at humour, irony and sarcasm.

You can vary the questions or just use them as a discussion prompt. I have found it works well with lower level learners and with higher ones as well. Even students who don’t like the shows or the people will have some comments

Writing, discussion and research prompts particularly useful for sport students at all levels. Inspired by Carrie Bray’s “Giving beauty/hair advice” resource (see below).

You could cut out scenarios and use them to start a discussion, which could lead into individual or paired research and written responses. I’ve also used them to prompt email and letter writing with templates / frames for lower level learners.

Many of these common spellings used to crop up regularly in the former Level 1 literacy tests. They will also be useful for Level 1 and Level 2 Functional Skills students.

They have been categorised to make learning more manageable for learners, but some spellings will fit into more than one group.

An original resource to generate discussion, practise reading comprehension and writing skills (formal letter). Ideal for Functional Skills Motor Vehicle students. Aimed at L1-2 although the discussion is also suitable for Entry Level.

A mingling exercise to get students talking to one another. Great as an induction activity for new classes or for ESOL learners to practise speaking and listening.

I developed this simple resource initially as a speaking and listening exercise but quickly discovered I could extend it into a writing activity. The questions are designed not to be too personal. I have used it several times and it has worked well with learners from Entry 1 to Level 2. I particularly like the fact that learners have produced some really excellent writing, which is usually what they find the most difficult.

Predicting words from context in a text about youth clubs. It then opens up discussion for how they might help reduce youth crime.

Editor’s note: cloze exercise with opportunities for writing / commenting. With answer sheet.