English Functional Skills (Level 2)

What is the course about?

This course will develop all areas of your English: speaking, listening and communication skills, reading and writing. You will take part in formal discussions on various topics and give presentations. In reading, we will examine how ideas are presented, how a writer expresses her point of view, the use of tone and style, as well as how to identify the main points of texts and read for detail. You will be able to use what you learn from your reading to develop your writing skills such as structuring and planning your texts, knowing your audience and purpose, choosing the right language and using grammar and punctuation effectively. You will be preparing for three exams.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

This course prepares you to pass the City and Guilds Functional Skills Level 2 English exam. The course covers speaking and listening to communicate, reading and writing. We will practise:
• communicating information, ideas and opinions clearly and effectively in both discussions and presentations
• expressing opinions and arguments with relevant and persuasive evidence in speech
• following spoken narratives and lines of argument
• responding effectively to detailed or extended questions and feedback
• adapting contributions to discussions to suit audience, purpose and medium
•comparing information, ideas and opinions in different texts, including how they are conveyed
• identifying implicit and inferred meaning in texts
• understanding organisational features and using them to locate relevant information in a range of straightforward and complex sources
• analysing texts of different levels of complexity
•identifying levels of formality and bias in texts
•following an argument, identifying different points of view and distinguishing fact from opinion in texts
•identifying different styles of writing and writer’s voice
•punctuating correctly using e.g. colons, commas, inverted commas, apostrophes and quotation marks
• using grammar effectively in your writing
• spelling words used in work, study and daily life, including a range of specialist words
• communicating information, ideas and opinions clearly, coherently and effectively suitable for the audience and purpose e.g. emails, letters, articles, reports, comment pieces
• organising writing and using appropriate format and structure e.g. standard templates, paragraphs, bullet points, tables
• conveying clear meaning and establish cohesion in your writing
• using different language and register e.g. persuasive techniques, supporting evidence, specialist words), suited to audience and purpose.
• constructing complex sentences consistently and accurately
•using paragraphs appropriately.

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

Pass the L2 English Functional Skills exam. You will be able to:
• communicate information, ideas and opinions clearly and effectively in both discussions and presentations
• express opinions and arguments with relevant and persuasive evidence when speaking
• follow spoken narratives and lines of argument
• respond effectively to detailed or extended questions and feedback
• adapt contributions to discussions to suit audience, purpose and medium
•compare information, ideas and opinions in different texts, including how they are conveyed
• identify implicit and inferred meaning in texts
• understand organisational features and use them to locate relevant information in a range of straightforward and complex sources
• analyse texts, of different levels of complexity, identifying levels of formality and bias
• follow an argument, identifying different points of view and distinguishing fact from opinion in texts
• identify different styles of writing and writer’s voice
•punctuate correctly using e.g. colons, commas, inverted commas, apostrophes and quotation marks
• use grammar effectively to improve your writing
• spell words used in work, study and daily life, including a range of specialist words
• communicate information, ideas and opinions clearly and coherently, suitable for the audience and purpose e.g. emails, letters, articles, reports, comment pieces
• organise writing and use appropriate format and structure e.g. standard templates, paragraphs, bullet points, tables
• convey clear meaning and establish cohesion
• use different language and register e.g. persuasive techniques, supporting evidence, specialist words), suited to audience and purpose.
• construct complex sentences consistently and accurately, using paragraphs where appropriate.

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

This is an accredited course. It is only for learners who want to sit an exam and gain a qualification . You need to attend class every week and have the time, means and dedication to work outside the classroom. You will need to do an initial pre-course assessment before being accepted onto this course and have passed the Getting Ready for English Functional Skills (level 2) course. Those who do not yet have the required skills will be referred to our non-accredited English courses.

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 lined A4 writing pads, pen, a folder for assignments and any other appropriate stationery. You will be expected to maintain a course folder of handouts and your assignments.

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

There are many courses you can do before, during or after this course. These include:
• English language GCSE
• Getting ready for English Functional Skills (level 2)
• Develop your English: grammar foundation (level 1-2)
• A mile in my shoes: how to tell a story (level 1-2)
• Develop your English: reading, thinking, discussing (level 1-2)
• Develop your confidence in writing: sentence formation, grammar and punctuation in everyday writing (level 1-2)
• Develop your confidence in writing through grammar (level 1-2)

There also many maths, employability and digital skills courses you can also do. Ask your tutor or contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) for more detail. These include:
• Business Administration (with digital skills): English communication skills for administrators and office workers (level 1-2)
• Business Administration (with digital skills): English communication skills in a business environment (level 2)
• Professional communication skills: how to make your writing clear, concise and organised (level 2)
• Professional communication skills: reading, analysing, and comparing data and text (level 2)
• Professional communication skills: effective verbal communication in the workplace (level 2)
• Professional communication skills: effective written communication in the workplace (level 2)
• Professional communication skills: business writing from memos to storytelling (level 2)
• Becoming confident in numbers: mental maths (level 1-2)
• Business administration: maths for administrators (level 1-2)
• Becoming data literate: how to understand the data all around you (level 1-2)
• Essential digital skills for work (Level 1).