Level 1 Speaking and Listening

Course Title: ESOL Level 1 Speaking and Listening

Hours per week: 5

Brief course description:

This is a 17-week, Level 1 Speaking and Listening exam course.

You will develop the skills necessary to confidently engage in everyday conversations in English. In class, you will build your confidence in a supportive environment, learning to ask questions, seek clarification, and effectively respond in various contexts. You will learn to use appropriate language according to formality, ensuring your communication suits different situations. Through group discussions and role-play, you will improve your ability to keep conversations going, share your views clearly, and work with others on tasks. You will also familiarise yourself with exam procedures and the specific tasks required. Additionally, you will improve your listening skills through videos, podcasts, and comprehension exercises.

By the end of the course, you will be able to confidently engage in everyday English conversations. You will be skilled at giving clear details, participating in discussions, and expressing your views. You will also know how to plan and work with others effectively. Outside of class, you will use conversations, media, and other English experiences to build your vocabulary and improve your communication skills. This preparation will help you do well in your Ascentis ESOL Skills for Life exam and confidently manage everyday situations in English.

Objectives:

1. Identify Key Details in Conversations: In discussions about daily activities, such as planning a weekend trip, you will need to identify main topics and specific details. You’ll use simple sentences to state facts and compound sentences to connect related information.
2. Follow Directions Accurately: When given instructions, such as how to navigate a new route or use a device, follow them precisely. You’ll use sequence markers like "first," "then," and "afterwards" to ensure clarity in your response. Prepositional phrases like "at the traffic lights" will help you understand and follow the directions correctly.
3. Use Appropriate Language in Context: Adapt your language depending on the situation. Use formal language in a job interview and informal language with friends.
4. Present Information Clearly: Describe processes or explain how something works, such as giving baking instructions. You will structure your explanation with an introduction, a series of steps, and a conclusion. You’ll use present simple for instructions and past simple for actions already completed.
5. Engage in Group Discussions: Actively participate in group conversations about planning a community event. Share your ideas clearly and listen to others. Use compound and complex sentences to express and connect your ideas, while respecting turn-taking in discussions.
6. Speak Clearly with Correct Intonation: When talking about a recent holiday, make sure your pronunciation and intonation are clear. You’ll use correct stress and intonation patterns to convey your message effectively, with rising intonation for questions and falling intonation for statements.
7. Make Comparisons: Compare different types of traditional dishes from various countries, by explaining which you prefer and why. You’ll use comparative and superlative adjectives to highlight the differences and express your preferences.
8. Negotiate Plans with Others: Discuss and agree on group activities, like organising a class trip. Offer suggestions and alternatives. You’ll use conditional sentences with "if" and "would" to suggest and negotiate plans.
9. Understand and Extract Information from Podcasts: Listen to a podcast episode about local events or a similar topic and summarise the key points. You’ll need to use present perfect and past simple tenses to report recent or past events and summarise main ideas and details.
10. Manage Interruptions in Conversations: Deal with interruptions politely during discussions, such as when someone cuts in while you’re speaking in a meeting. You will use polite phrases to address interruptions and keep the conversation flowing, employing conjunctions and discourse markers to smoothly continue the conversation.

Entry requirements:

This is a Level 1 ESOL class so your English will be at intermediate to more advanced level. You already have a good range of vocabulary and can talk and write about everyday topics as well as your own areas of special interest. You can use a range of tenses and language structures fairly accurately, but need to practice these more, focusing on more complex structures to better express yourself when speaking and improve your confidence.

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 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:

• ESOL Level 1 Reading & Writing Exam Class

• ESOL Level 2 Speaking & Listening Exam Class

• Introduction to 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 ESOLAdvice@towerhamlets.gov.uk

What examination is there:

You will undertake the Ascentis Level 1 Speaking and Listening exam in your classroom with your teacher and sometimes other learners on the course.

There are three main tasks:

Task 1: Listening

The listening part of the speaking and listening exam is assessed through recorded listening tasks. You will listen to three recordings and answer questions based on gist, detail and response to instructions. Written responses are required for the listening tasks.

Task 2: Role Play

You will participate in an informal and formal role play in small groups.

Task 3: Presentation and Discussion

You will give a presentation in a small group. This presentation will describe a process or a sequence of events. After each presentation you will take part in a discussion about the topic. You will have 4 weeks to prepare your presentation before the exam.

The exam tasks are an important part of your course. They will be spread out over the course, so you MUST come to 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 Entry 2 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.