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

What is the course about?

This is the second half of a year long course which will help you develop the English you need to participate actively in UK life both at home, in the street, with friends and at work. You will develop your English language skills in writing, reading, speaking and listening but focus more on reading and writing ready to take English Speaking Board Level 1 reading and writing exams in July. Throughout the course you will develop your fluency in conversations about everyday topics and interpersonal issues. You will practise how to exchange opinions, and ask and answer questions on a range of topics such as the news, current affairs, music, sports etc. Your ability to understand details and respond appropriately to a variety of conversations and recordings e.g. radio programmes will improve. You will develop your use of a range of tenses including continuous forms in both active and passive voice. You will practise writing opinion essays and articles with clear arguments and evidence on a range of topics. You will write formal and informal letters and emails with grammatical accuracy and correct layout and structure and complete forms with appropriate levels of detail and correct conventions. You will also learn how to write reports or leaflets with appropriate language and conventions. You will practise how to write coherent paragraphs with a clear structure which link to other paragraphs and improve your spelling of non-everyday topics. You will practise reading for gist and practise summarising the mains points plus extracting details. You will also practise identifying the purpose and tone of different texts and distinguishing opinion from fact.

What will we cover?

You will practise reading, writing and speaking and listening but you will focus more on reading and writing in order to prepare for the exam. Each class will focus on a certain topic such as the news, current affairs, music, sports, employment, or cultural values. You will focus on:

• speaking more fluently in conversations about everyday topics and interpersonal issues by learning how to link your words and stress the right syllable
• exchanging opinions and asking and answering questions on a range of topics such as the news, current affairs, music, sports etc.
• understanding details and responding appropriately to a variety of conversations and recordings e.g. radio programmes
• using a range of tenses especially perfect forms both simple and continuous
• developing your use of the passive voice
• writing opinion essays and articles with clear arguments and evidence on a range of topics
• writing formal and informal letters and emails with grammatical accuracy and correct layout and structure
• completing forms with appropriate levels of detail and correct conventions
• writing reports or leaflets with appropriate language and conventions
• writing coherent paragraphs with a clear structure which link to other paragraphs
• improving your spelling of non-everyday topics
• reading for gist and summarising the mains points and extracting details from a range of texts
• identifying the purpose and tone of different texts and distinguishing opinion from fact.

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

• use your English to participate actively and confidently in most situations in everyday life – at home, in the street and at work
• pass the English Speaking Board ESOL Level 1 Reading and Writing exams
• speak more fluently in conversations about everyday topics and interpersonal issues
• exchange opinions and ask and answering questions on a range of topics such as the news, current affairs, music, sports etc. with good pronunciation of auxiliaries
• write opinion essays and articles with clear arguments and evidence on a range of topics
• use a range of discourse markers to organise your writing
• write formal and informal letters and emails with grammatical accuracy and correct layout and structure
• complete forms with appropriate levels of detail and correct conventions
• write reports or leaflets with appropriate language and conventions
• write coherent paragraphs with a clear structure which link to other paragraphs
• spelling a range of words relating to non-everyday topics
• read for gist, summarise the mains points and extract details from a range of texts
• identify the purpose and tone of different texts and distinguish opinion from fact
• use a range of tenses especially perfect forms both simple and continuous
• use the passive voice accurately
• use compound and complex sentences with more than two clauses including relative clauses, reported speech and question tags
• use a range of phrasal verbs and use particle order correctly
• develop the correct use of indefinite, definite and zero articles

By the end of this course you will also have improved your digital skills through use of Google Classroom, the internet and Microsoft Word/PowerPoint or Google docs.

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

This is a Level 1 intermediate to upper-intermediate course (B2). This course is ideal for you if you are comfortable using English in everyday life but now need to become more accurate, increase your vocabulary, do well at work and express your ideas and opinions.
You will need to do a pre-course assessment.

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 communicate with classmates and access materials, videos etc. online.

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

There are many courses you can do before, at the same time or after this course. These include:
• ESOL - communication skills for life and work (level 2 speaking and listening)
• Workplace communication skills: customer care and front of house hospitality (ESOL level 1-level 2)
• Develop your writing and language skills (level 1-level 2)
• A mile in my shoes: how to tell a story (level 1-2)
• ESOL pronunciation: stage 1 (level 1-2)
• Communication skills: read well, write well (level 1-level 2)
• English dialogue: speaking, listening, pronunciation, performance (level 1-2)
• Matters of opinion (level 2)
• Grammar in practice: upper intermediate (level 1-2)
• Writing skills in practice: upper intermediate (level 1-2)
• ESOL and making podcasts: pronunciation, presentation, expression (level 1-2)
• Workplace communication skills: formal, informal and being polite (level 1)
• ESOL: communication skills for work and life - formal, informal, polite, challenging conversation and writing (level 1-2)


You can also do classes in the maths and digital skills areas. These include:
• Maths skills for life and work - getting ready for functional skills (foundation 1)
• Maths for life and work (level 1)
• Discover the maths in the world around you: from nature to buildings (entry 3-level 1)
• Bitesize maths: becoming confident with numbers and calculations (level 1-2)
• Bitesize maths: becoming confident with shapes, space and measuring (level 1-2)
• Bitesize maths: becoming confident with algebra, problem-solving and equations (level 1-2)
• Becoming confident with digital skills: on your computer and online (beginner)
• Business administration with digital skill: how to be an administrator (foundation)
For more information, talk with your tutor or contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 4582 0423.