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ESOL First Steps to Learning

Course Title: ESOL First Steps

Hours per week: 2 – 5 hours depending on venue

Brief course description:

This is a year-long course divided up into four 9-week parts. You can join any part over the year.

You will learn how to read social signs, notices, and basic text. You will learn how to write the letters of the alphabet, personal information, simple sentences, and you will develop skills to help you read new words. You will also learn how to identify, read, write numbers, and mathematical signs including money and common calculations. The class is a supportive one and you will be encouraged to work at your own pace with support from your tutor.

Objectives:

  1. Listening and Responding: Learn to listen and respond to familiar people, like family members, friends, and teachers.
  2. Personal Questions: Practice listening to and answering simple questions about yourself, such as your name and age.
  3. Recognising Letters: Learn to identify and name the letters of the alphabet by their shape, sound, and name.
  4. Using Sounds and Letters: Understand how sounds match with letters to help you spell simple words.
  5. Recognising Rhymes: Learn to recognise and understand rhyming words to improve your listening and reading.
  6. Reading Familiar Words: Recognise and read familiar words, signs, and symbols you see every day, like street signs and shop names.
  7. Writing Letters and Words: Practice writing letters of the alphabet and simple words, including your name.
  8. Personal Information: Learn to listen to and respond to requests for personal information, and practice asking for personal details from others.
  9. Basic Punctuation: Write simple sentences using capital letters, full stops, and question marks.
  10. Basic Numeracy Skills: Count up to 100, write numbers in words (one to twenty), recognise shapes, and do basic sums, like counting money when shopping.

Entry requirements:

This is a pre-entry ESOL class for complete beginners aged over 19 years old.

You are just starting to learn English and you may have little to no literacy.

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

  • Feel confident in your English skills.
  • Use a pen to write individual letters.
  • Identify and name letters.

 

Equipment required:

Please bring:

  • 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.

What courses can I go on to:

This is a four-part course over the year, so each semester you can progress onto the next stage.

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

  • ESOL For Life and Work Entry 1
  • ESOL Entry 1 Speaking & Listening/ Reading & Writing Exam Class
  • Becoming Confident in Digital Skills
  • Multiply Maths ESOL Language Support

Please ask your teacher for more information or contact ESOLAdvice@towerhamlets.gov.uk

What examination is there:

There is no examination for this course. You will agree individual learning goals with your tutor which you must achieve by the end of the course.

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% and you will not receive a certificate of completion.

Other info:

You will learn in a friendly and helpful place. The teacher will show you the rules of English. You will work alone and with other students. You will learn step by step, making hard tasks fun and easy. The teacher will also help you one-on-one, so you know how to get better.

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.