ESOL - communication skills for life and work - level 1 (Reading)

What is the course about?

This is the Reading unit of the ESOL course to give you confidence in reading straightforward and some complex texts. You will practice reading different types of text including emails, letters, adverts, posters, books, newspapers, and websites. You will read interesting everyday topics and practice finding information and understanding general meaning of stories, news, descriptions, messages, signs, and notices.

What will we cover?

You will practise reading and if you pass your class assessments you will then prepare for the accredited reading exam. Each class will focus on a certain topic such as life in the UK, the community, work, shopping and consumption, technology, leisure, health, travel, and the future.
You will focus on:
• Reading for information, both quickly for main points and thoroughly for detail (skim, scan, detailed reading)
• Recognising style and structure of text - subheadings, paragraphs, footnotes, index, web links – to approach longer documents and websites
• Recognise how language and other textual features are used to achieve different purposes such as instruct, explain, describe and persuade
• Using reference materials, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, grammar books
• Using your knowledge of grammar and punctuation to understand writing
• Looking up unfamiliar words in dictionaries, know how phonemic symbols are used to show pronunciation
• Recognising specific vocabulary in context and understand how choice of vocabulary changes the effect of a statement
• Increasing your range of words and expressions.

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

• Identify main point and events in a written text
• Use language features to identify meaning in a written text
• Identify the purpose of a written text
• Obtain relevant specific information from a written text.

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

This is a Level 1 course; this course is ideal for you if you can communicate feelings on familiar topics using straightforward information and clear statements of fact and/or opinions, read and understand short, straightforward texts on a range of topics accurately and independently, read and obtain information from everyday sources, and use the common present, past and future tenses confidently. You will need to attend regularly, complete and pass all in class assessments to be entered for the exam.

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 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, a notebook or a file to keep your work in. Your tutor will provide handouts, live media materials such as newspapers/articles and worksheets.

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

You can progress on to the next unit which is speaking and listening or if you have passed all 3 units of the Level 1 course and have the certificates then you can progress to Level 2.