Adult Literacy, Functional English, and GCSE Resources

An A5 handout resource that acts as scaffolding for learners during the writing process at L1 and L2. The handout includes a proof-reading checklist, handy hints and tips and quick reminders of the elements of writing they must remember to include to ensure success. 

Editor's note

Beautiful and incredibly useful. 

Based on Maggie Harnew's Halloween Complex Sentences resource, this resource is aimed at Entry 3 ESOL students working towards the City and Guilds ESOL writing assessment, but may also be useful for Level 1 students.  Students look at examples of complex sentences and answer some questions about them. Finally they are asked to complete some complex sentences, as in Task 1 of the C&G assessment. 

Functional skills Level 1 English writing. This is an example I have written for students who find it difficult to think of ideas. Enclosed are notes about Global Warming, that the students can get ideas from, and a sample answer.

Editor's note

Wonderful idea to provide scaffolding by way of notes, ideas and a sample answer that learners can refer to.  Without the scaffolding, this resource also makes an ideal practice question for Level 2.

AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2 style exam practice. Source A is from a contemporary memoir "Life As A Unicorn" by Amrou Al-Kadhi. Source B is adapted from a Victorian article about aquariums. The questions mimic AQA Paper 2; questions 1 to 5. Question 5 asks students to write an article about gender roles. The whole paper reflects the advance information given by AQA about the summer 2022 exams; a memoir paired with a Victorian essay and an article writing task. 

Editor's notes

A visually appealing double-sided A4 handout to aid L1 and L2 learners in their revision of language features and organisational features they will need to know for Edexcel FS exams.

Editor's note

Just beautiful! And very useful for end of year consolidation and revision.

A short information text is followed by several pages of cloze exercises for Motor Vehicle students. To support subject knowledge, working out the meanings of technical vocabulary and learning subject specific spellings.

Editor's note

A cloze exercise for Motor Vehicle students. To support subject knowledge, working out the meanings of technical vocabulary and learning subject specific spellings.

Editor's note

Set of differentiated (pre)E1-E2 reading comprehension worksheets based on the quiz show Supermarket Sweep. If your learners are not familiar with the quiz game Alex suggests playing the introduction and then the 'trolley round' (17m40-20m) of this YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FESeyvQHjTQ to introduce the lesson and stimulate discussion.

Editor's notes

Updated 24/3/22 10.30pm the writing resource is now available for download again. Apologies for any frustration. 11/3/22 3.00pm (typo fixed, page 3 question 8 writing assessment paper)

Two mega-sized Entry Level 1 Functional English assessments with a Mother's Day theme. Modelled closely on the Pearson-Edexcel assessments (but 1.5 times the size! ) but ideal pre-exam practice for any Awarding Organisation. 

What is the International Day of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination? Why is it important and what can we learn from it?
Slides for L1 and L2 English learners to find out more about the importance of racial equality while building their English skills.