ESOL - communication skills for life and work - level 2 (Reading)

What is the course about?

This is the Reading unit of the ESOL course to give you confidence in reading and understanding a range of texts of varying complexity accurately and independently and obtaining information of varying length and detail from different sources. You will practice reading and analysing different types of text including emails, newspapers, recipes, journals, reports, poems, formal letters, articles, websites, books and reviews. You will practice extracting and communicating factual and opinionated statements about a range of topics.

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 the news, technology & social media, the world – the UK and other countries, food and health, employment, community – local and global issues, education, consumerism, the arts & leisure time, and travel.
You will focus on:
• Tracing and understanding the main events of continuous descriptive, explanatory or persuasive texts
• Identifying the purpose of a text and inferring meaning which is not explicit
• Identifying the main points and specific detail
• Reading an argument and identifying the points of view
• Reading critically to evaluate information, and compare information, ideas and opinions from different sources
• Using organisational features and systems to locate texts and information
• Using reference material to find the meaning of unfamiliar words
• Using different reading strategies to find and obtain information (such as skimming, scanning, detailed reading)
• Summarising information from longer documents
• Reading and understanding technical vocabulary
• Using reference material to find the meaning of unfamiliar words in a range of text types.

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

• Identify purpose and author’s intentions of a wide range of text
• Read and obtain information from a range of sources
• Read and summarise information
• Read and recognise simple, compound and complex sentence structures
• Extend understanding and use of vocabulary, structure of words and phonics.

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

This is a Level 2 course; this course is ideal for you if you can communicate information, narratives, accounts, events, ideas and opinions in familiar and unfamiliar situations considering the listener and context. You will also confidently be able to use various tenses in the past, present and future. 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 you 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 and/or a file to keep your work in. Your tutor will provide handouts, worksheets and live media materials such as newspapers and articles.

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

If you do not have the qualification already, you can progress on to the next unit, which is speaking and listening, Level 2.