ESOL Learner Materials - Level 2, Unit 1
ESOL Learner Materials - Level 2, Unit 1
ESOL Learner Materials - Level 2, Unit 1
These are the skills you will practise. Which are the most useful to you?
Tick the boxes.
Skill
Skill code
Listen to presentations
Lr/L2.1a, 2c, 2e
Skill
Skill code
Wt/L2.1b
Write essays
Project work
At the end of the unit you will prepare and give a group presentation on a topic of
your choice.
L2
ESOL
Unit 1 Page 1
Preparing a presentation
Activity A
4 Listen again. Which of these problems do they (or individual members of the
group) have?
5 At the end of the discussion Sulav suggests making a plan. Work in pairs.
Make a list of the things you think the students should do to prepare for their
presentation. Then decide what order they should do them in.
Example
Look at their diaries and arrange a series of meetings.
Page 2 Unit 1
L2
ESOL
Activity B
1 These are the phrases the students used to introduce their suggestions. Listen
and note what they say to finish each suggestion. Who makes each suggestion?
Donata
Anita
Sulav
Miran
Maybe we need to include
something on
2 Work in groups of four. Your teacher will give you some cards with topics and
ideas for presentations. Discuss a plan for the presentations. Using the cards, go
round the group taking it in turns to make suggestions. Practise using the
phrases from task 1.
Activity C
When is each of us
going to speak?
Remember
L2
ESOL
Unit 1 Page 3
1 Work in pairs. How do you think marriage today is different from in the past?
2 Read the article below.
Page 4 Unit 1
L2
ESOL
3 Work in pairs. Using the information in the article on page 4, decide whether
the sentences below are true or false.
a The rate of divorce now is the highest it has ever been.
b There are more people now who live together without marrying than people
who get married.
c Marriages do not last as long as they used to in the past.
d Most people live together before they marry.
e Less than half of the adult population is married.
f The majority of divorces are between couples with children.
g 30% of couples living with their children are not married.
4 The students need some information for their presentation. Look through the
article again. Underline any information which would be useful for the
introductory overview on marriage.
5 In pairs, discuss how this information could be presented most clearly using a
visual aid. Choose from the following:
PowerPoint
Overhead projector
flipchart
diagrams
pictures
graphs
6 Listen to the students discussing how to make use of this article. What visual
aids and ways of presenting the information do they discuss?
Activity B
1 Work in pairs. Design a visual aid for a presentation on marriage, using the
information in the article on page 4.
2 Work in groups. Talk for one minute about marriage in front of the rest of your
group, using your visual aid.
3 Why is it important to use visual aids?
L2
ESOL
Unit 1 Page 5
.....................................
Activity B
1 Look at these two extracts. Which one is from a scientists official presentation,
and which is from an informal conversation with a colleague? How are they
different?
Well, we did a number of experiments and then analysed the results.
They showed that the bacteria were definitely not the same strain.
A number of experiments were carried out and the results were analysed.
It was proved conclusively that the bacteria were of a different strain.
2 Rewrite this extract from a conversation so that it sounds more formal.
We need to do some more tests to work out what kind of bacteria this is. And
if we really want to be sure our results are accurate, we need to use more
sophisticated equipment.
Page 6 Unit 1
L2
ESOL
Learning styles
Activity A
Activity B
Listen to a radio discussion about how to study, and answer the questions.
a Is there one way of studying which works for everyone?
b When do larks like to study?
c How did Simon like to study?
d What are the three sensory preferences mentioned?
e What study advice is given for each of the three learning styles?
f What will the programme include next week?
Activity C
1 Work in pairs. Ask your partner questions to find out about their learning style.
Ask about these points:
lark/night owl
desk/armchair or sofa
quiet/noise
sensory preference.
2 Listen again to the radio discussion. What advice is given to learners with the
same sensory preference as your partner?
3 Prepare some advice for your partner about the best way to study to suit their
learning style. Add any other ideas of your own.
L2
ESOL
Unit 1 Page 7
Presentations
Activity A
Understanding notes
The set of notes below was taken from a presentation on childcare. In pairs,
discuss what the presentation was about.
Remember
When making notes:
Childcare
revolutionary new gov campaign to recruit men
4 mill
childcare trad womens job (low pay, trad role) BUT
mens jobs disappearing
Why government wants men?
ids need male role models, esp boys (sing parents
use abbreviations
usu. mums)
1/50 nursery sta men; 1/10 ater school helpers
childcare growing 21% since 1998 possible career
Mens attitude to childcare
1 in 5 men would lie wor childcare
survey men carers happy in job
Actions to attract men
ino to be made avail rom job centres, colls etc
Activity B
Listening to a presentation
Page 8 Unit 1
L2
ESOL
Activity C
1 The speaker also used connecting words to highlight the relationship between
her different points. Read the words below.
also
Consequently,
Because of this,
But
In addition,
Because
as a result,
Moreover,
so
However,
Therefore,
More importantly,
2 Listen again. Which of these connecting words did the speaker use?
3 Work in pairs. Put the words into three groups. Choose a suitable heading for
them.
Activity D
1 Listen to the introduction to the presentation and notice how the speaker uses
stress and pausing to make herself clear. Use the audio script to mark the words
she stresses and put a line where she pauses.
Example.
First, | Ill give you the background to the initiative. | Then | we can look at the governments
reasons for encouraging men into childcare.
Activity E
L2
ESOL
Unit 1 Page 9
Donata read this text about family organisation for one of her assignments.
1 What kind of family is shown in the picture? Quickly read the text to find out.
2 Underline the key sentence in each paragraph.
3 Re-read the text and note the key points. Remember to number your points
and use abbreviations.
4 Work in pairs. Compare your notes to check that you have included all the
main points.
THE FAMILY
they
What do sociologists mean when
The
ly?
talk about different types of fami
as
most basic, primary family unit, known
nts
a nuclear family, consists of two pare
and
ain
Brit
In
ren.
child
e
and two or mor
strial
other modern, western, indu
their
in
live
to
societies people tend
e
leav
ren
child
nuclear family until the
ly.
fami
ear
home and form their own nucl
and
This operates both as an economic
have
social unit and the parents
and
responsibility for the welfare
er
Oth
.
ring
offsp
any
education of
sins
cou
and
ents
dpar
relatives like gran
ly
are recognised as belonging to the fami
or
tical
prac
r
and may occasionally offe
the
financial support, but are not part of
in
with
nuclear family and are likely to live
e.
their own nuclear family unit or alon
In non-western societies, the nuclear
the
family unit is not the norm and
ety.
extended family is the pivot of soci
de
inclu
will
ly
fami
The extended
r
thei
and
ring
grandparents, offsp
all
ren
child
husbands or wives and any
and
living together under one roof
al
soci
functioning as one economic and
be
unit. Other family members may also
on
included. Sons do not leave home
with
s
wive
r
thei
g
brin
marriage, but
the
them to live in the family home. So
and
sons
,
ents
dpar
norm is one of gran
s
their wives and any unmarried daughter
f.
roo
one
living together under
e
Daughters only leave the parental hom
r
thei
on marriage and then join
live
husbands family, with whom they
in
r
defe
t
mus
they
m
and to who
the
not
is
g
arin
d-re
decision-making. Chil
is
sole responsibility of the parents, but
and
ly,
fami
d
shared by the extende
ly.
offspring will be brought up collective
Page 10 Unit 1
L2
ESOL
1 Listen again to part of the students discussion about planning their presentation.
a How well do they work together?
b Do they listen to each others views?
c Is everyone included in the conversation?
2 Below are some phrases the students used in the conversation to agree and disagree.
Remember
In UK culture, it is not
usual to disagree in
a very direct way.
Disagreement is
usually softened in
some way:
I see what you mean,
but I dont really think
that will work.
Listen and note how they finish each phase and give reasons for
agreeing or disagreeing.
3 Practise saying the phrases with good intonation.
4 Work in threes. Take it in turns to give an opinion on one of the
topics. The others in the group should agree or disagree. Remember
to give reasons for your views.
Activity B
1 Work in pairs. Your teacher will give each of you a different text to read. Read your
text and make notes. Check you have included all the main points.
2 In pairs, use your notes and give a two-minute presentation on the text you have read.
Activity C
1 Use what you have read and heard to make notes about different family structures.
2 Work in small groups. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different family
structures and give your opinion about each. Remember to say when you agree or
disagree with other learners, and why. Try to participate as much as possible.
L2
ESOL
Unit 1 Page 11
Working on essays
Activity A
Sulav is writing an essay about Changing patterns of childcare in Britain since the 1950s.
He needs to make some general points and to give an example to support these.
1 Work in pairs. Read the two paragraph. Which of the two presents ideas more
clearly?
2 Read the better paragraph again. Underline the key sentence. Highlight the general
points and examples which support each of the points.
A
50 years,
Patterns of childcare in Britain have changed over the last
and
and this has had a major impact on childrens upbringing
e the
development. In many households now, both parents work outsid
n today
home and childcare is provided by childminders or nannies. Childre
have the
are very carefully supervised by their parents. They do not
ured
struct
freedom they used to have. Their lives are now much more
childcare
than they were in Britain in the 1950s. The amount of paid
s
has increased in Britain and is a large part of many familie
their
spending. In the past, only rich parents could afford to send
free
a
children to nursery school. Now all children have the right to
nursery place from the age of three.
50 years,
Patterns of childcare in Britain have changed over the last
and
and this has had a major impact on childrens up-bringing
they were
than
ured
development. Their lives are now much more struct
carefully
in Britain in the 1950s. For example, children today are very
used to
they
freedom
supervised by their parents and do not have the
s could
have. Another change is that, in the past, only rich parent
children
all
now
but
afford to send their children to nursery school,
In
have the right to a free nursery place from the age of three.
n and
Britai
in
ed
addition, the amount of paid childcare has increas
olds now,
is a large part of many families spending. In many househ
d by
provide
is
re
both parents work outside the home and childca
childminders or nannies.
3 What are the differences between the two paragraphs in terms of organisation
of ideas, the complexity of sentences and the way ideas are linked?
Activity B
Page 12 Unit 1
L2
ESOL
Improving style
Anita is drafting the first paragraph of her essay on The role of body language in
communication.
1 Look at these two drafts. In which one is the style more appropriate?
2 In which version:
a is the language more personal?
b look at
...............
c thing
...............
d show
...............
e work out
f lots
...............
...............
convey
maintain
respected
it is considered
maintain
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
5 Work in pairs. Your teacher will give you the third paragraph from the essay.
Your task is to make the style more appropriate. If possible, work on a
computer.
L2
ESOL
Unit 1 Page 13
Project
Your task is to prepare and give a group presentation on a topic of your choice.
Activity A
2 List what you need to do and draw up a plan of when you will do it.
Activity B
1 Research information for your presentation using, for example, library books,
the Internet and personal contacts. Make notes.
2 Plan your presentation in detail and prepare any visuals you need to help you
give the presentation.
3 Practise giving your presentation, both individually and as a group.
Activity C
Practice
On the day
Page 14 Unit 1
Structure the talk clearly and allocate roles for the group.
Be confident!
L2
ESOL
Check it
Activity A
Make these sentences sound more formal by putting them into the passive.
Be careful with the tenses.
Example
They asked us to leave.
Activity B
Phrasal verbs
Read the advice below about making a presentation. Make this text more formal
by replacing the phrasal verbs with words from the box.
PREPARING A PRESENTATION
When you are planning a presentation it is
important to sort out everything you need
to do. Check out your sources of information
and ask for books and other resources you
need. Read up on the subject and jot down
some notes about the key points you want
to put over. If necessary, make up clear
visual aids. Go through your notes and
practise speaking from them before you do
your presentation. Good luck!
research
organise
identify
write
present
design
organise
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
request
review
L2
ESOL
Unit 1 Page 15
Mini-projects
Activity A
1 Find out some more about different learning styles. Use the library or the
Internet if you have access to it. Make notes on your findings.
2 Design a questionnaire to find out about the learning style of people in your
class. Find out about:
Activity B
1 Find out about Howard Gardners theory of multiple intelligences. Use the
library or Internet if you have access to it. Make some notes about each of the
different intelligences.
2 Find out the best way to use each of the different intelligences to study.
3 Tell the rest of the class what you found out.
How am I doing?
Look back at the skills listed on page 1.
Now finish the sentences below.
I am confident with
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Date
Page 16 Unit 1
L2
ESOL
.....................................
Audio scripts
Pages 2 and 3 Preparing a presentation
Activity A1/3
Anita:
Anita:
Activity B1
Anita: OK. Ive got an idea. Lets do something on
wedding ceremonies in different countries
That would be really interesting. We could
each talk about the traditions in our own
country.
Sulav: I think thats right. How about starting with
some kind of overview of marriage to give
people the general picture, then perhaps talk
about what people do in different societies?
Anita: Yes, and we could talk about some of the
different traditions at that point. What
about you, Donata? You havent said much.
What do you think?
Donata: Well, I like all those ideas, but maybe we
need to include something on divorce too.
L2
ESOL
Unit 1 Page 17
Rachel:
Presenter:
Melanie:
Presenter:
Simon:
Rachel:
Presenter:
Page 18 Unit 1
L2
ESOL
Presenter:
Rachel:
Presenter:
Rachel:
Presenter:
Simon:
Presenter:
Rachel:
Presenter:
Rachel:
Presenter:
Melanie:
Presenter:
Melanie:
Rachel:
Presenter:
L2
ESOL
Unit 1 Page 19
Page 20 Unit 1
L2
ESOL
Answers
a marriage
b overview of marriage, marriages in different
societies, e.g. different ceremonies/traditions
divorce
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Activity A4
Sulav doesnt like speaking in front of an audience.
No real problems of communication.
They dont really have a clear plan of the
presentation.
Activity B1
Anita: Ive got an idea. Lets do something on
wedding ceremonies
Sulav:
Activity C2
what we are going to talk about
how we are going to organise it
when each of us is going to speak
Activity C3
Suggested answers:
We have to decide what kind of visual aids well use.
We have to decide what well say in the conclusion.
We should discuss when well meet to plan.
We have to decide whether we can talk about our
personal experiences.
We must think about whether we should use the
Internet.
was embarrassed
found or have found
were committed
were analysed
were interviewed
have
will be published
were committed
prompted / has prompted
Activity B2
Suggested answer:
Further tests will need to be done/carried out in order
to establish what kind/type the bacteria are. More
sophisticated equipment should be/will need to be
used to guarantee accurate results.
L2
ESOL
Unit 1 Page 21
A
Activity B3
a Id like to talk to you today about an exciting new
government initiative that could radically change
the child care profession in this country.
b See underlined phrases in the audio script.
Activity C2
as a result, Because, But, In addition, Because of this,
so, However, also
Activity A2
See the audio script.
Activity C3
Additionality
and also
In addition
Moreover
More importantly
Consequences/
Reasons
as a result
because
consequently
Because of this
Therefore
so
Contrast
but
However
On the other hand
Activity D1
First, | Ill give you the background to the initiative. |
Then, | we can look at the governments reasons for
encouraging men into childcare. After that | Ill say a
few words about how men today view work in
childcare. | And finally, | Ill talk about the
governments plans to attract men into the
profession.
Activity A2
The most basic, primary family unit, known as a
nuclear family, consists of a child and two parents
In non-western societies, the nuclear family unit is
not the norm and the extended family is the pivot of
society.
Page 22 Unit 1
L2
ESOL
Activity A3
A: shorter sentences, simpler style
B: more linking words for example, in addition.
Activity B1
a,h; d,b; g,c; f,e
A
Page 13 Getting the style right in an essay
Activity A1
A
Activity A2
a B
b A
c B
Activity A3
a
b
c
d
e
f
Activity A4
keep up maintain
put across convey
come over as appear
they think it is it is considered
looked up to respected
Page 15 Check it
Activity A
a You can be fined up to 1000 for smoking.
b The government has been criticised for its
mistakes.
c Over 1000 adults will be asked the question.
d I was given constructive criticism after the
interview.
e The procedures had been reviewed prior to the
accident.
f The elections are going to be held next summer.
g The warnings of environmentalists are being
ignored.
Activity B
Sort out organised
Check out Identify
ask for request
Read up on Research
jot down write
put over present
make up design
Go through Review
L2
ESOL
Unit 1 Page 23