ESOL 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.

I use this in my ESOL Functional Maths classes. I know there are already excellent measures / postal charges resources on Skillsworkshop, but I wanted to do a matching type exercise, which ESOL students are very familiar with.

Very useful, clear handout for E1-E2 ESOL – with examples.

This is an interactive Smart Notebook exercise that assesses learners’ understanding of the demonstrative pronouns this, that, these, those. It’s really designed as a means of assessment following teaching the this bit of language but could also be used as an introduction or a revision exercise (depending on the level of the class).

On the first slide it is the arrows which the learner needs to know about. Long arrows means further away and short arrows means near(by). The remaining slides ask the learner to choose (or drag) the correct pronoun.

Using a diary and a timeline to consolidate the use of past and future tense.
Answering and forming questions. What did she do yesterday? She went…
What is she going to do tomorrow? She’s going to ….
Good for practising the day before / after.
Includes answer sheet, other suggested activities and a ‘make your own’ blank diary.
Editor’s note
Page 1 of the resource should be printed in colour if at all possible (or display on a large screen) as colour is cleverly used to distinguish between past, present and future.

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’.

Using this resource, learners at E1-2 level learn to recognise vowels and consonants, spell the days of the week and identify these spellings with everyday activities and calendar usage. At E2-3 level learners can use the resource to develop their ideas into sentences that incorporate days of the week.

11 page document with 8 sets of very useful scripts and prompts.
Includes:

• Asking for personal information
• Phoning about a job
• Cancelling and changing appointments
• On the bus
• Shopping (includes post office, butchers, etc.)
• At the bank
• Reporting an absence
• Calling for an application form

A straightforward word matching/writing resource for Entry 1 ESOL.

Editor’s note
Also ideal for prompting discussion about local council services.

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”).
.