Which ESOL resources should you choose?
Choose a resource that matches both your level and the skill you want to practise. A short reading task, an audio activity and a writing worksheet do different jobs. Start with the English you need for one everyday situation.
Useful activities have clear instructions and a way to check your understanding. Answers help with independent practice; a teacher or conversation partner can give feedback on speaking and writing.
Resources by skill
Reading: use notices, messages, forms and short stories. Look for tasks that ask you to find information as well as understand the main idea.
Listening: choose audio or video that you can replay. Practise recognising a detail before trying to understand every word.
Vocabulary and grammar: use activities that show how words fit into a sentence. Write your own example after completing the exercise.
Speaking and writing: use a practical prompt, such as asking for information or replying to a message. Compare your response with a model or ask someone for feedback.
Our ESOL appointment listening lesson provides actual audio, questions, transcripts and explained answers in one place.
Try this everyday ESOL reading activity
Read this original practice text. It is a learning activity, not an official exam question.
Nadia goes to the library on Tuesday. She wants to join an English conversation group. The group meets on Thursday at 11 am. The librarian asks her to complete a form with her name and email address. Nadia writes the details and asks where the group meets. The librarian says, “In the room next to the entrance.”
Check your understanding
Question A: Where does Nadia go on Tuesday?
Question B: What day does the conversation group meet?
Question C: Which two details does Nadia put on the form?
Question D: Where is the meeting room?
Try answering before reading the answers below. You can return to the text to check a detail.
Vocabulary in context
Join means become part of a group. Complete a form means add the information it asks for. An entrance is the place where you go into a building.
Fill each gap using join, form or entrance.
Sentence A: I would like to ___ the conversation group.
Sentence B: Please write your email address on this ___.
Sentence C: The meeting room is next to the ___.
Speaking and writing practice
Say this question aloud: “Where does the group meet?” Change group to class and ask it again. Then practise answering with a place you know.
Write a two-sentence message asking about a conversation group. Include one question about the day and one about the time. If possible, ask a tutor to check whether your questions are clear.
For listening practice, ask a partner to read the text aloud while you listen for the day and time. Then check the written text. This page does not contain an audio player.
Answers
Reading A: The library. Reading B: Thursday. Reading C: Her name and email address. Reading D: The room next to the entrance.
Vocabulary A: join. Vocabulary B: form. Vocabulary C: entrance.
Where to continue practising
Skillsworkshop organises ESOL resources by level, subject and resource type. ESOL Courses groups online activities by skill and level. Check the instructions and level before choosing your next activity.
For phone practice, download ESOL English using the two store buttons above. Its reading, videos and quizzes provide another way to revisit English between lessons.
