WEEK 1 GETTING TO KNOW YOU

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• Science
• Primary Education

WELCOME TO
ESSENTIAL SKILLS

Literacy & Communication

🗣️ SPEAK

👂 LISTEN

📖 READ

✍️ WRITE

– my name is Kelsie Donnelly

- My email: [e-mail]

What did you need to know or do to put yourself in the right order

Let’s Practice

Where are you from and say one word about your country?

What is special about your home country? Type answers, share images or videos

How would you describe Belfast?

What words can you use to compare Belfast with your home country?

• Think about the weather, the accents, the food, the culture and the people

Welcome to Essential Skills Communication class

🗣️
SPEAKING


Share ideas, ask qs,
Give opinions

👂
LISTENING

Listen carefully
Follow instructions
Understand others

📖
READING
Read texts
Find information. Use dictionaries

✍️
WRITING

Write formal letters.
Use punctuation.
Write for different reasons

Essential Skills • Welcome Lesson

What do you like to talk about, listen to, read about , and write? What do you do to practice in everyday life?

Entry level 1-3

• ASSESSMENT

• 1:1 speaking interview and group discussions

• Reading exams – alphabetical order, dictionary, reading for detail and match images

• Writing exams: write a formal Letter

• Use capital letters, full stops, capital letters correctly and write in paragraphs

• Grammar: correct tenses, subject-verb agreements

• Write a full page with the correct letter format, and no spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors

PRACTISE ENGLISH FOR FREE!

• 🎥 WATCH

• YouTube

• BBC Learning English https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/

• English speaking practice

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/grammarEEnglish grammar practice

• Watch with English subtitles

• Pause → listen → repeat

Join an ESOL / English group

• 
  

• Examples include:

• BURC – email [e-mail]

• Libraries NI: check your local library for ESOL and conversation activities

• 2 Royal Avenue - 2 Royal Avenue

📚 READ

• Use the library – Building 1, Floor 1

• Easy English books

• Newspapers and magazines

• Free computers and online resources

• Ask library staff for help finding something suitable

📱 USE ENGLISH EVERY DAY

Try one small thing:

☕ Read a café menu
🚌 Read a bus timetable
📱 Change your phone to English
🎬 Watch a film in English
🛒 Read a shopping list

Listen to podcasts or English music
💬 Speak English with a friend

🌟 10 MINUTES OF ENGLISH EVERY DAY = PROGRESS!

Who else is Here to Help You

[e-mail]

Student Wellbeing

Belfast Met College Library (@belfastmetlibrary)

Check

1. If you cannot attend class, what 2 things must you do?

2. If I miss __ classes and I don’t contact Kelsie to explain why or reply to messages, what will happen?

3. Who else can I contact in the college if I need help with my studies?

4. To improve my English, what can I do?

🎲 PICK & MIX
⭐

Talk to at least 3 people in your class

📱 HOW TO PLAY

• 1. 🎲 SCAN the QR codes to get a question
  2. 🗣️ ASK a classmate
  3. 👂 LISTEN to their answer
  4. ✍️ WRITE 1–3 key words
  5. 🔄 SWAP — your partner asks a new question
  6. 👋 FIND someone NEW

• Ask → Answer → Listen → Record → Swap

https://wordwall.net/play/22092/162/711

Question set 1

Question set 2

Or ask your own!

Question set 3

What did you learn about each other?

• Did anyone discover that someone likes the same thing as you?

• Did anyone find out something surprising?

Writing about your interview

1️⃣ 📝 MY NOTES

Somalia • 20 • music • films • cooking • Belfast walks

2️⃣ ✍️ MAKE SENTENCES

Sara is 20 years old.
She is from Somalia.
She likes music and films.
She enjoys cooking.

3️⃣ 🥪 PUT IDEAS TOGETHER

Introduction → Information → Interests → My 3-word impression

What do you know about writing sentences?

How to write a sentence - Grammar: Video playlist - BBC Bitesize

Content Library

Coordinating conjunctions - Grammar: Video playlist - BBC Bitesizext

Understanding Connectives

Connectives are words that join sentences or parts of sentences together.

Example:

• Original Sentences: Kelsie likes music. She likes films.

• Joined Sentence: Kelsie likes music AND she likes films.

Another Example:

• Original Sentences: Sara is a teacher. She likes to help people.

• Joined Sentence: Sara is a teacher BECAUSE she likes to help people.

Write a short sentence that includes a joining word

Which word best joins these two ideas? "I like coke I prefer fizzy orange."

A

because

B

and

C

but

D

so

Choose the best connective to complete the sentence: "Sara wants to study fashion ___ she loves to design clothes.

A

but

B

because

C

and

D

or

What is a connective?

A

a joining word

B

a describing word

C

a naming word

D

an action word

Capital letters and full stops - Punctuation: Video playlist - BBC Bitesize

Which sentence uses a capital letter correctly?

A

we went to London.

B

We went to london.

C

We went to London.

D

we went to london.

Correct the sentence with capital letters and punctuation s "she is from somalia and so am i"

Which words should begin with a capital letter in this sentence? "my birthday is in june."

A

birthday

B

june

C

My

D

in

What do you know about paragraphs?

🥪 My New Classmate

My name is Adam. I am going to tell you about Sara, a person I met in my English class today.

Sara is 20 years old and she is from Somalia. She enjoys listening to Somali music and she also likes listening to English music. Her favourite singer is Elvis. She enjoys watching films in her free time. Her favourite film is Black Panther.

Sara likes cooking Somali food, especially sambusas and rice with chicken. She also enjoys going for walks in Belfast. She likes the Botanic Garden because it is beautiful and quiet.

Finally, I think Sara is friendly, kind and interesting. I enjoyed talking to her and I hope to get to know her better.

When turning interview notes into one paragraph about a classmate, what should you do first?

A

Add a title

B

Choose key facts

C

Draw a picture

D

Use bullet points

Sam wrote these notes about a classmate: "likes football, has a dog, walks to school". Which is the best sentence?

A

A classmate.

B

My classmate likes football, has a dog and walks to school.

C

Football and dog.

D

Walks to school.

Here are notes about a classmate: "good at art, helpful, wears glasses". Which option is the best sentence?

A

My classmate is good at art, helpful and wears glasses.

B

Good at art.

C

Art and glasses.

D

Helpful classmate.

Which option is the best paragraph from these notes: "likes reading, plays netball, is kind"?

A

Likes reading and netball.

B

My classmate is kind.

C

My classmate likes reading. She plays netball. She is kind.

D

Reading, netball, kind.

Which opening works best for a short paragraph about a classmate?

A

My classmate Sam is friendly and enjoys football.

B

What is your favourite sport?

C

Friendly football happy lunch.

D

Yesterday after school!

Scan the QR Code

BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR FINAL POST…CHECK!

Giving a short talk

• Presenting the Information

• Use your notes to tell the group about your partner and what you have found out about them. You have 1 minute each.

• Make sure you sum up your partner in 2-3 words