English communication skills - for life and work (level 1)

What is the course about?

The course is designed to enable you to become a better, more confident communicator in both writing and speaking as well as a better reader and listener. You will learn how to express yourself when speaking and writing in informal situations, in emails to friends, in more formal situations at work, when dealing with the council or your child's school. You will focus on how to organise and structure your writing, construct and link paragraphs and write different types of sentences. You will improve your vocabulary, discover new spelling strategies and learn how to use punctuation accurately. You will develop your reading skills to be able to see the bigger picture, find information and details, identify the purposes and summarise different types of texts. You can do all this without the pressure of an exam, but by the end of this course you will be ready to move to a course with a qualification. You will also learn some digital skills.

What will we cover?

A range of topics will be discussed including items in the news, short stories, important events, culture, entertainment as well as personal stories and events. These topics will provide a context in which you focus on:
• expressing yourself confidently in different situations such as when communicating with people in authority
• joining ideas by writing different types of sentences so the meaning of your writing is clearer
•structuring and drafting longer pieces of writing including letters, emails, stories and articles so they make sense to the reader
•improving your spelling strategies
• writing clearly and expressively by using punctuation accurately
•engaging in formal and informal discussions about important topics
•responding effectively to other's points of view, hearing what they are saying and expressing your opinion constructively
•improving your use of reference materials: dictionary skills, internet searches, recognising trustworthy sites
•reading different types of text so you understand the overall picture
•reading to find details in different types of texts
•making decisions, prioritising and problem-solving based on what you read, research and discuss.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

• express yourself more confidently in different situations such as when communicating with people in authority
• join ideas by writing different types of long and short sentences so your meaning is clear and impacting
•structure longer pieces of writing so they are easy to follow such as letters, emails, stories and articles
•use spelling strategies when spelling common words and predict how to spell less common words
• write clearly and expressively by using punctuation accurately
• express opinions effectively in both writing and speaking across a range of important topics
•engage in discussions in formal and informal situations with confidence
•respond effectively to other's points of view and challenge them constructively
•use reference materials to enhance your reading and writing: dictionary skills and internet searches
•gain an overall picture of what you reading e.g. of forms, website, news articles and short stories
•find details when reading different types of texts
•make decisions, prioritise and problem-solve based on what you read, research and discuss
•be ready to start Functional Skills level 2.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is for people who are fluent speakers of English working towards Level 1. This means you can already write with a degree of confidence and read emails, letters and short articles. The course is particularly good for learners who want to study without the pressure of an exam. However, by the end of these course, you will be ready to move to a course with an qualification.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

You will learn in a supportive and welcoming environment with an emphasis on your discovering how to do and complete tasks, with guidance from the tutor. You will work on your own and with other students on different tasks so you are always practising important in-demand life and work skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, prioritising, negotiating, collaborating and independence. You will learn in a step by step manner so you can complete challenging tasks in enjoyable and relaxing ways. Your tutor will also work with you individually so you know how to improve and how to work in a way that improves your learning. You will need to do work outside the classroom and use Google Classroom to help you.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

You will need a pen, some lined A4 paper and a file to keep your work in. Your tutor will provide handouts and a code for Google classroom so you can access materials, videos etc. online and communicate with classmates.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

When you complete this course, you can join the next part of this course. We have other courses which you can do before, at the same time or afterwards: These include:
• Becoming an environmental citizen: how to read, research and understand data (entry 3-level 1)
•Develop your confidence in English: how to express yourself in speaking and writing inside and outside work (entry 3-level 1)
•Workplace communication skills: how to be confident in meetings and in groups (entry 3-level 1)
•Workplace communication skills: how to be confident writing a CV and applying for jobs (level 1-level 2)
•Workplace communication skills: how to write a successful CV and be confident in interviews (entry 3-level 1)
communication skills: how to be confident and do well in interviews (level 1-level 2)
•English Functional Skills (Level 1) / (Level 2)
• Communication skills: grammar foundation (level 1-2)
• Communication skills: develop your English for social media - blogs, vlogs and TikTok (level 1-level 2)
• Communication skills: develop your English for social media - podcasting (level 1-level 2)
• Develop your confidence in writing: sentences, grammar and punctuation in everyday writing (level 1-2)

There are also many maths and digital skills courses you can do. These include:
• Maths skills for life and work - getting ready for functional skills (foundation 1)
• Discover the maths in the world around you: from nature to buildings (entry 3-level 1)
• Becoming confident with online communication: Zoom (beginner)
• Becoming confident with online communication: Zoom and Teams (beginner)
• Getting started: becoming confident on your computer and online (complete beginner)
• Getting started: becoming confident on Instagram and TikTok (complete beginners)
• Getting started: becoming confident on Facebook and Twitter (complete beginners)

For more details about these courses, ask your tutor or contact: universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 4582 0423.