ESOL Resources

A simplified and adapted version of Carrie Bray’s 2011 New Year’s Eve Functional English practice test (which is aimed at E3). This version is aimed at E2 and includes: reading comprehension questions based on New Year superstitions, a cloze exercise, form filling, writing task, and speakign & listening actvities. Great as an introductory topic to spring term sessions.

To find the original higher level resource scroll down to See also and select New Year’s Eve E3 English tasks.

A simplified and adapted version of Laura Bell’s New Year Resource (which is aimed at E3-L2).
This version is aimed at E2-E3 and is a reading comprehension based on a BBC website report of New Year round the world. Great as an introductory topic to spring term sessions.

To find the original higher level resource scroll down to See also.

Editor’s note
Updated Sept 17. Errors corrected and minor layout changes.

A handout and exercise sheets for using direct and reported speech. Gives several example of each and the exercises work by switching the same message between direct and reported speech.

I have used this as a speaking/listing exercise as well as writing for grammar/punctuation. Target group is really L1 /L2 but can work well with high E3 too.

Three very useful sets of scripts and prompts.

• Using polite language when out and about
• Having someone around to your house
• Asking questions at school (e.g. parents chatting in the playground)

This is a comprehensive 35 week Scheme of Work for Level 2 ESOL learners covering speaking and listening, reading and writing. Fully referenced to the adult ESOL curriculum. Each session could cover 2 hours or be adapted for shorter or longer sessions.

This resource uses a flow chart to help guide learners to the correct use of apostrophes.

Editor’s note
Updated Aug 2016. now includes irregular plurals such as ‘children’.

A fun starter or plenary activity for the Christmas season to revise spelling of cardinal numbers. The worksheet contains a version of the traditional Christmas lyrics with all the cardinal numbers replaced by gaps for students to complete, thus gaining practice in spelling the numbers 1 to 12, as required by Cambridge Progression Entry Level 1 Sentence Unit. Students are then prompted to write the remaining numbers up to 20, as required by Cambridge Progression Entry Level 2 Sentence Unit.

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.

A short handout explaining the difference between “I come from …” and “I came from…”.

Uses the call-and-response song “Knock on Wood” from “Casablanca” to discuss superstitions (touch wood), opposites, emotions, and contracted words.

Two pages, the first of which has the vocabulary and song lyrics printed out for students, the second is the teacher’s lesson plan. Teachers will either need a “Casablanca” DVD or access the song clip from YouTube.