Adult Literacy, Functional English, and GCSE Resources

A game of language feature bingo, with answers, for L1 and L2 learners.

Editor's notes

I love this! A simple idea perfectly executed (and easily adapted or added to).
Note that although this is a PPT resource you do not need PPT to use it in the classroom.

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.

Mingle activity to use straight after the Christmas holidays to review past simple.
Learners ask each other questions to try to find one name of another learner to fill in each square. First to finish shouts “bingo!”
Review as a group and check questions using past simple.
Give a prize to the winner.

Worksheets and tasks around the theme of emergencies. Written for ESOL but also suitable for adult literacy and Functionakl English.

A 12 piece follow me game where homophones must be matched to the correct sentence. A good mix of common and more unusual homophones such as preys/praise/prays and there/their/they’re. First used in a Motor Vehicles Functional English group but suitable for any L1-2 English / literacy group.

Guaranteed to create promote discussion as learners play the game (best laminated). As usual with Tarsia puzzles, you can choose to print a standard or large puzzle (select Output – large, i.e. 3 pieces per A4 sheet).

Two Tarsia puzzles based around formal and informal language. Guaranteed to prompt discussion as learners solve the puzzles. I suggest that the smaller one (16 piece triangle) is roughly at L1 and the larger on (24 piece hexagon) is at L2. I have duplicated some of my word choices from Imogen Stewart’s excellent ‘Little Britain’ (Language: formal, informal or slang?) resource which was also about formal and informal language (see link below). ‘Cheers’ has ‘regards’ as its synonym because of email sign offs – which I have found to be an interesting topic for discussion.

Great card game that encourages E1 learners to look more deeply into the content of words. For learners who spell phonetically, the game can also be used to develop an awareness of short vowel sounds.
Best laminated. With detailed instructions and extension ideas.

Homophone card game is a lovely kinaesthetic game with differentiation ideas to suit E3-L2. Match homophones to definitions as quickly as you can to be the winning group! 13 pairs of words, 26 definition cards.

Written to accompany the school-based Letters & Sounds reading scheme (which can be adapted and used to teach adults). All the words are based on phase 2 of the scheme (available free – for details see attached teaching notes or visit http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/ and type Letters and Sounds in the search box).
Please also see Margaret Adam’s High Frequency Words (below) which focuses on the 100 most frequent words used in the same reading scheme.