Functional Skills English

A huge and extremely comprehensive pack of resources. Written for ESOL learners but many parts are also suitable for Functional English and/or Job Skills groups. Includes:

Reading, writing and discussion tasks based on an email about a charity event. Discuss the email with a friend, design a poster, complete compound sentences, and answer a wide range of reading questions. Its wide appeal makes it ideal for mixed ability Entry groups.
With detailed E1-E2 Functional English curriculum mapping.

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.

A text based around Ramadan to practise E3 -L1 English reading in detail / skimming & scanning for information.
There is also a related form filling exercise (E2-E3), dictionary work, and a discussion prompt (all levels)

The letter-writing task focuses on charity, so it could also tie in to employability qualifications if you are teaching community project modules or similar.

Editor’s note
With answers and curriculum mapping

Level 2 reading comprehension and writing activities based on three different texts (article, blog and cartoon).

• Pack 1 – reading comprehension, Text B (blog post) and a discussion idea.
• Pack 2 – reading comprehension, Text C (news article) and a writing idea. You need Text A (available separately – see below)

Note that Text A (which is carton based) can also be cut up and used as a sequencing activity for lower levels – not as easy as it looks!

A reading comprehension and writing activity based on a Cadbury’s Easter Brand Fact Sheet. Ideal for Level 1 Functional English.

Editor’s note
Fully mapped with answer sheet and S&L idea.

This integrated set of worksheet tasks develops speaking, listening & communication; reading and writing skills in relation to a topic of individual interest to the learner and also encourages independent research and planning.

Updated June 2017
New Entry 3 reading and writing tasks added. Available below as a separate PDF file. You will also need to download the L1-2 version as it uses the same text.

The Core Curriculum and Functions Skills Progression Overview side-by-side.
Editor’s note
The print quality of this resource may be low as it is a cut, pasted and scanned (very useful) document. It is not available, even to contributors, as a Word document.
Richard has also posted a link to an interactive version of this document.

Some games to play with literacy or Functional English groups for revision.
Ideal for Entry 3-Level 2

Editor’s note
The students make the games, play them and then discuss them. A great combination!