Level 2 Speaking and Listening

Course Title: ESOL Level 2 Speaking and Listening

Hours per week: 5

Brief course description:

This is a 17-week, Level 2 Speaking and Listening exam course.

You will develop advanced communication skills for a variety of contexts, including formal and informal settings. The course will help you identify main ideas, secondary ideas, and specific details in conversations and narratives. You will practice listening to and extracting information from extended explanations, such as workplace briefings or community meetings, and respond appropriately. You will also learn to follow and give multi-step instructions accurately, using appropriate response markers to engage in discussions. Additionally, the course will focus on improving your pronunciation, intonation, and stress patterns to convey meaning and nuances clearly.

By the end of the course, you will be proficient in using a wide range of grammatical structures, including passive voice and modal verbs, to express possibility, certainty, and obligation. You will be able to present information, explanations, and ideas logically, using discourse markers and connectives. The course will also equip you with the skills to participate actively in discussions, make relevant contributions, and handle difficult interactions, such as negotiating or responding to criticism, using appropriate language and register. You will be able to express views, opinions, and feelings clearly, support arguments with evidence, and use strategies to reassure and move discussions forward constructively. This comprehensive course will prepare you to communicate effectively and confidently in diverse and challenging situations and help you prepare for your Ascentis Level 2 ESOL Skills for Life exam.

Objectives:

Plan and Deliver a Presentation: Choose a topic you're passionate about and prepare a presentation. Practice using a variety of verb tenses and complex sentences to clearly explain your ideas, and use visual aids like slides or posters to support your points.
Participate in Formal Discussions: Engage in discussions on important social issues, such as climate change or public health. Share your opinions and listen to others, using phrases like "I take your point" and "But perhaps we could think about..." to keep the conversation moving forward.
Record Learning Experiences: Maintain a learning diary where you write about your learning experiences outside the classroom. Use past perfect and present perfect tenses to reflect on what you’ve learned and how it has helped you.
Summarise Radio Discussions: Listen to a radio discussion on a current affairs issue, like a political debate. Summarise the main points, attitudes, and opinions of the speakers, using reported speech to convey their messages accurately.
Identify Main Ideas and Details: Read and understand various texts, such as workplace memos or news articles. Identify the main ideas and specific details by recognising key verbs and sequence markers like "first," "then," and "finally."
Understand Implied Meanings: Interpret both stated and implied meanings in short texts. Use context clues and word order to understand nuances, distinguishing between direct statements and implied suggestions or warnings.
Follow Multi-step Instructions: Accurately follow instructions for tasks like assembling furniture or navigating a new route. Use prepositional phrases like "at the traffic lights" and sequence markers like "afterwards" to ensure clarity.
Adapt Language for Different Situations: Use formal language for professional contexts, like a job interview, and informal language with friends. Practice phrases like "Do you mind if we...?" for formal settings and "Can we...?" for informal ones.
Express and Support Opinions: Participate in group discussions and express your views clearly. Use a range of lexical phrases and complex sentences to agree, disagree, and support your opinions with evidence.
Handle Difficult Interactions: Deal with challenging situations, such as making a complaint or negotiating a solution. Use polite phrases and modal verbs like "It might be better if..." to navigate these interactions smoothly and effectively.

Entry requirements:

You will need to have completed an ESOL Level 1 Reading and Writing or be able to demonstrate language at the required level. This means you will be able to compose a range of texts, both formal and informal, give a structured presentation, take part in formal and informal discussions, read or listen and understand a wide range of real-world texts (e.g. radio programmes, newspaper articles), and use a range of advanced grammatical structures in your speech.

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 2 Reading & Writing 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 2 Speaking and Listening exam in your classroom with your teacher and other learners.

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: Presentation

You will give an individual structured account with an introduction, development and conclusion in a small group. You will have 4 weeks to prepare your presentation before the exam.

Task 3: Discussion

You will take part in a discussion with other learners and the assessor. You will be briefed up to four weeks prior to taking the assessment to prepare the topic for discussion.

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