The Core Curriculum and Functions Skills Progression Overview side-by-side. Editor’s note
The print quality of this resource may be low as it is a cut, pasted and scanned (very useful) document. It is not available, even to contributors, as a Word document. Richard has also posted a link to an interactive version of this document.
Photos and pictures to match with accounts of real emergency situations. All in the present tense. All the accounts are true. Accounts can be cut in to strips and given to pairs of learners who can put them in to a sequence to tell a story. Leads to discussion on how we tell a story, and how we sequence sentences to make sense.
Lots of new, real life vocabulary to provoke discussion.
Some stories shorter and simpler than others to allow for differentiation in group.
Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 1
English
AL Rt/E2.1 Follow main points of short texts
AL Rt/E1.1 Read short familiar texts
Functional English reading
ESOL
ESOL Rt/E2.1a Use a range of strategies to trace & understand main events
This is a resource for mixed ability groups. It can act as an ice breaker and will help students ot think about word choice and context. It is useful in writing sessions.
This can be played by 4 or more players. If you have more than 8, you may want to print out the “things” cards twice.
This is a great session starter. Students will work on their sentence construction and vocabulary with a card game that allows them to experiment with word order and effective word choice. Students have to put the words into a sensible order, even if the subject of their film is far from sensible.
In this game, students compete to make the scariest film title, or to sabotage other people’s film titles. It is a light hearted and fun game. The film titles created can also become writing prompts.
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.
Level
Entry Level 3
English
Functional English - writing
Functional English - speaking, listening & communicating
This is great as a warm-up activity or a bit of end-of-term fun. It is suitable for a mixed ability group of numeracy learners, or indeed literacy or ESOL learners. This quiz tests learners’ knowledge of how old someone has to be in order to do certain things legally, e.g. be a blood donor. It can be used in small group or pair work (which worked well for me) as well as individually.
A recap exercise where Functional English learners match the correct aspects of formal letter writing together and lay them out in letter format.
This could be printed out and laminated but I usually give my students a printout of the first pages and they cut out the text boxes and arrange them appropriately. I have included some red herrings such as incorrect text alignment and unsuitable salutations and closures.
I have included my suggestion of the correct layout on the third page.
Level
Level 2
Level 1
English
Functional English - writing
Functional English reading
General literacy / English
ICT
Functional Skills ICT: Developing, presenting and communicating information
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.
Level
Level 1
Entry Level 3
Entry Level 2
English
Functional English - speaking, listening & communicating