General Resources

Various activities based around the subject of staying safe online, fake news and online scams. Practise and preparation for the reading exams with questions to practise alphabetical order, features of text, purpose, style, reading comprehension and alphabetical order.

Editor's note

Such a useful  and topical resource! Written for Entry 3 ESOL but also ideal for Functional Skills English and Digital Literacy. The reading text on page looks deceptively simple but some of the exam-style questions are challenging and would also be suitable for Level 1.

Update 24/2/22: written by Sharon Roberts and Alexandra Bates, both of Essex ACL. 
This is a fun activity which encourages ESOL learners to engage with digital technology and transacting online. It provides opportunity to explore vocabulary related to shopping while also discussing the advantages of shopping for food online. It can be adapted to all levels and can be extended for a longer activity if required.

Editor's note

An ESOL lesson embedding numeracy, diversity and British values, centred on the Spring Equinox and three festivals which happen around / on this day - Purim, Holi and Shunbun No Hi. Learners collect unfamiliar words on a vocabulary sheet and ask and answer questions to elicit meaning / explanation. There is a powerpoint to introduce the topic, using acronyms eg 7DIAW  - Seven Days In A Week to elicit key words, and lead to an explanation of what the Vernal Equinox is and when it is.

This is a basic editable word wheel which you can print, cut out and attach together with a brass paper fastener.
Learners can concentrate on one word at a time. Word wheels can be used for building vocabulary, spelling practice and much more. Suitable for all levels of Functional Skills and ESOL.
Instructions and ideas are included within the PPT. For example:
Stretchy:

• Write positive or negative words in the table
• Look up words that are unfamiliar

Stretchier:

A picture PPT first used to introduce the 2014 L1-2 Blood Swept Lands L1-2 Functional Maths tasks (see link below).
A great discussion prompt that can also be used or adapted to introduce any Remembrance Day activities.

Simulation of completing an online CV. Very easy to use, fill in the boxes and print after completion.

PPT slides with common errors.
Originally designed for a GCSE class, it can also be used with L1/L2 learners.

Editor’s note: covers a range of common errors found at E3-L2. Easily adapted to suit your students’ levels and/or to
include real mistakes from your students’ work.

Learners must choose the next manager of the England football team. Using the task sheet to guide them, they must research, collate and present information for five candidates and then make the final choice.

There is scope for plenty of lively discussion around the choices made and also about what the manager’s job entails.

A Power Point presentation is included as an example, but can also be printed out to use in some of the additional activities described.

A demonstration of how not to make a PowerPoint. This has been used for all levels as an extreme example of the worst PowerPoint ever.

I have developed this to help me explain the process of answering open questions in Functional Maths to my L1 / L2 ESOL Foundation students (Entry 3 ESOL). However, it is suitable for any group of E3-L2 Functional Maths students.

I’m hoping it’s better than trying to read through a lot of text in a book.
Practical examples will quickly follow the slides (not included here)

Practical examples (not included here) should quickly follow these slides.
Slide 9 can be printed for student reference.