Adult Literacy, Functional English, and GCSE Resources

These lesson activities are based on scenes from David Lean’s 1984 film, A Passage to India. Topics relating to culture, integration, separation, race, ethnicity, identity and humanity can easily be raised and discussed via the materials and the film scenes. There are many ways of using this original material and the suggestions are just activities that have worked with L2 and [even] L1 students.

A reading based on a news item. Includes comprehension questions, wordsearch puzzle, crossword, putting words in order to make sentences.

Editor’s note
Aimed at E2-E3 but some parts are suitable for E1 (with support). With Functional Skills mapping.

A simplified version of a newspaper article. The reading is followed by comprehension questions, a meaning match, a word find, and a scanning for correct spelling exercise. Developed for an adult student with Asperger’s, as well as dyslexia, who needs lots of motivation and exercises easy enough for him to be able to be successful without too much help.

Adapted from a Level 1 resource What happens to Ice Falling from planes
from Dave Norgate (2010).

A quick paper based quiz on the EU adapted from the on-screen version on the uk.gov site at: www.eureferendum.gov.uk
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It isn’t directly about the referendum but might be useful to spark debates. Multiple choice, questions such as ‘how many countries are in the EU’ etc…..

8 pictures and words to teach the vocabulary of things in a living room. Can be cut up and used as a picture / word match activity for groups or as a whole class activity. Can also be used to practise alphabetical ordering. There is also
a worksheet, a labelling exercise and short simple writing activity to practise the structure ‘there is / there are’.

A game of bingo to practise reading (not listening to) the names of classroom objects. There are 16 different bingo cards and a page of word cards to be held up by the teacher. (Alternatively the teacher could write the words (one at a time) on the class whiteboard.
For a different take on this game (where names are called out) see Classroom Objects & Numbers bingo game written by Jacqui’s colleague Sian Evans (scroll down to “See also”).
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An E3- L2 Set of ‘follow-me’ cards that can be used by a group of learners or as a domino card match ‘loop’ for an individual learner. Serves as a supplementary / plenary resource to identifying and defining common phrases/sayings.

An interactive presentation to explain the meaning of nouns, verbs and adjectives and an accompanying hands-on activity to sort words into nouns, verbs and adjectives. This is good to use early in a course as it is fun and gets learners working in groups,

A L1/2 Functional English Card match activity. Serves as a tactile supplement/plenary to identifying the contrasts in the tone of language used in factual, opinionated and biased statements.

A L1/L2 Functional English card match resource. Serves as a tactile supplement/plenary for the recognition of text and layout features assessed at Level 1/2. Colour coded to aid learners in organising the columns, this resource allows learners to place the layout feature next to its descriptor and layout effect.