Adult Literacy, Functional English, and GCSE Resources

Updated Apr 19 2024 (corrections made to pages 1&3 of the main PDF and page 2 of "Your Budget")

This resources uses the Spring 2024 budget and makes it accessible for learners on L1 and L2 English courses. The resource gives them the budget break down and some comprehension questions based on L1 and L2 reading exams. 

Learners are then asked to design their own budget and think about why they would give money to certain areas outlined in the budget. 

Topic: Fitness and giving opinions on a Joe Wicks fitness app after watching a video clip.

Uses NCFE spec for task 1 in listening and speaking exam. Teacher created content following NCFE guidance documents. I hope it is accurate and welcome feedback in case this does not represent the criteria. 

Created for a student who needs a lot of support around speaking and listening. Can be adapted to much freer discussion with more cognitively able students. 

Editor's note

Two add-on tasks for Susanne Jones's E3-L1 Hobbies and Free Time resource.

1. Plan and deliver a 3 minute presentation for a recruitment fair, encouraging attendees to sign up for a course at Hanley College.
2. Write an article about Hanley College for your local newspaper.

Editor's notes

This lesson gives students the opportunity to discuss fundraising and practise reading skills (scanning and reading for detail). The reading text focuses on Mick Cullen, also known as ‘SpeedoMick’, and his long distance walks for charity. The lesson encourages students to try to empathise with Mick and better understand his background, character and motivations. Themes of mental health are also prominent and so it is advised you check with your learners first/use your own professional judgement before doing the optional video task.

A reflective iceberg (integrated, collaborative, engaging, balanced, economical, reflective and gradual) structure sheet for learners to complete. Six sections, each with prompts/exemplification: remembering, understanding, applying, analysing, evaluating and creating.

This scaffold has been designed to be used either as as a diary for use in class and / or as a way for students to record and reflect on their literacy/language experiences outside of the classroom.

Emojis are used to try to encourage them to consider and record their feelings.

Short set of slides about different poppies used for Remembrance Day, to be used as a discussion prompt covering the British Values of Mutual Respect and Tolerance, and Individual Liberty.

Editor's notes

Super discussion prompt for the time around Nov 11th. Includes information about red, white, purple and black poppies - along with a link to a thought-provoking video from Benjamin Zephaniah. For Functional English, ESOL and wider use.

This is a resource designed for an EL3/L1 class who still find it hard to keep their sentences under control. Having spent a year approaching building sentences from components and with rules for structure (must make sense, must have one main topic, must have a subject and a verb etc) some learners still don't have a sense of where their sentences should begin and end. They are getting the idea of planning writing and paragraphing but this is still shaky, and we are just starting to use commas.