Functional Skills English Level 2

Course Title: Functional Skills English Level 2

Brief course description:

This is a 7-week, Level 2 Functional Skills English exam course.

(This course will take place three times a week)

In this course, you will learn a range of practical skills in English that are essential for everyday life, work, and further education. You'll learn how to read and understand different types of texts, such as articles, instructions, and reports. You'll also learn how to write clearly and effectively for different purposes, such as letters, emails, or reports. The course will help you become familiar with punctuation, technical vocabulary, and literary devices like similes and metaphors. You'll explore how to participate in discussions, express your views, and respond to others.

By the end of the course, you should feel more confident and capable in handling essential tasks and challenges of everyday life. You’ll use the skills you have learned on the course to help you progress further into work, college, university or life progression.

Objectives:

Identify and interpret relevant information from extended explanations and presentations and effectively follow narratives and lines of argument.
Communicate information, ideas, and opinions clearly and effectively, responding to detailed questions and feedback, and supporting arguments with relevant evidence.
Make detailed and pertinent requests for information, contribute constructively to discussions, adapt contributions to suit different contexts and audiences, and manage discussions using appropriate language and register.
Identify when to focus on key points or details, such as in summarizing a news article or comparing product reviews.
Analyse texts like advertisements or opinion pieces to uncover hidden messages, assess tone, and detect bias.
Use writing techniques to craft messages for different audiences, like writing a persuasive email to a manager or explaining a new concept to a friend or colleague.
Clearly express ideas and opinions in conversations or presentations, using language that suits the situation, like in a job interview or a debate.
Write effectively, whether crafting a detailed report for work or a concise social media post, ensuring the format and structure fit the purpose.
Organise writing for clarity and cohesion by constructing complex sentences and using appropriate organizational markers, formats, and paragraphs.
Use a wide range of punctuation marks correctly, including colons, commas, inverted commas, apostrophes, and quotation marks.
Apply correct grammar rules, including subject-verb agreement, consistent tense usage, and appropriate use of definite and indefinite articles.
Spell commonly used and specialist words accurately, and demonstrate consistent application of spelling, punctuation, and grammar rules across various types of writing.

Entry requirements:

You will need to have completed a Level 1 qualification or be able to demonstrate the skills and language at the required level. This means you will be able to compose a range of texts, both formal and informal, give a presentation, take part in discussions, read or listen and understand a wide range of real-world texts.

Equipment required:

Please bring to every lesson:

A folder
Pens & pencils
Lined A4 paper
A smartphone (if you have one)
A reusable water bottle

We will give you the WIFI details in the first lesson.

If you do not have access to a smart phone or a computer, speak to your tutor.

You will also need a personal Gmail account to access the Google classroom, which will be used for submitting coursework and accessing course materials. If you do not have a Gmail account speak to your tutor.

What courses can I go on to:

There are other courses you can do after or at the same time as this course:

Getting ready for Functional Skills English Level 1 / 2
Functional Skills English Level 1/2
Functional Skills Maths Level 1/2
Becoming Confident in Digital Skills
Digital Skills Entry 3/Level 1
Digital Skills for creating: How to organise a community event
Digital Skills in the workplace: Promoting and Selling your product or business online
Digital Skills in the workplace: Using Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

Please ask your teacher for more information or contact Functional Skills email: functionalskills@towerhamlets.gov.uk

What examination is there:

You will undertake the Pearson Edexcel Functional Skills Qualification in English at Level 2.

There are four components that you must pass to gain the qualification.

Speaking and Listening: make requests, ask pertinent questions, and clearly communicate ideas and opinions, providing additional detail as needed. Express opinions with persuasive evidence, using appropriate language for various contexts, contributing constructively to discussions, adapting communication to different audiences and purposes, and effectively interjecting and redirect discussions.

Reading: Identify implicit meanings, understand how textual features shape meaning, and use reference materials to clarify complex sources. Learn to navigate and analyse texts, recognise vocabulary, levels of formality, and bias, follow arguments by distinguishing fact from opinion, and identify different writing styles and the writer's voice.

Writing: Organise writing using appropriate formats and structures, ensure cohesion with effective organizational markers, and use language and register suited to the audience. Develop the ability to construct complex sentences accurately and use paragraphs effectively, with guidance on adhering to word count ranges in assessments. during assessments.

Spelling, punctuation, and grammar: Correctly use a wide range of punctuation marks, apply proper grammar including subject-verb agreement and tense consistency, and accurately spell commonly used and specialized words relevant to work, study, and daily life.

The exam is taken at The Shadwell Centre at the end of the course. You MUST attend all your classes.

How will I know I am making progress:

At the start of the course, your tutor will talk with you about which parts of your English you need to practise most and help you create an individual learning plan. Throughout the course, you will have a tutorial meeting to discuss your strengths, areas for improvement, and any problems you may have. You will keep a folder with your work, which will help you review your learning outside of class. Your tutor will give you regular feedback on your class work and homework to help you improve. To make progress, you need to attend all your classes and do work outside of class.

You will lose your place if your attendance is less than 80%.

Other info:

One of our aims is to help you make progress in work or future studies. We also want to help you participate in your communities and become an active citizen. In our classes, you will develop important skills that employers value and that will help you in everyday life. Here’s what you will learn:

Communication Skills: You will learn to speak and write more clearly and confidently. This includes practising conversations for work, writing emails, and filling out forms.
Decision-Making: You will learn how to make good choices by evaluating different options and thinking critically about situations.
Teamwork: You will learn how to work well with others.
Problem-Solving: You will develop the ability to identify problems and find effective solutions, useful in both work and daily life.
Time Management: You will practice managing your time effectively, including setting goals and meeting deadlines.

By improving these skills, you will increase your chances of finding a job, advancing in your career, and becoming an active member of your community.

Extra support

We can help you if you tell us you have a learning difficulty, disability or other support needs. Please tell us when you enrol or in your first class.