Functional Skills English

This course includes three key modules:

Reading

• Unit 1: Identify facts, opinions and bias

Unit 1 summary: You will look into how opinions can sometimes be presented as fact and the ways you can differentiate between a fact and an opinion. You will also consider how tone and bias can influence a piece of text and how you can check for hidden bias when reading.

• Unit 2: Different situations and different purposes of texts

Unit 2 summary: You will explore texts with different purposes, including persuasive text, informative text, descriptive text and instructive text. This unit will also cover texts that are used for more than one purpose.

• Unit 3: Textual features and devices

Unit 3 summary: You will look at different organisational features that can be used in a piece of text and how these can be identified when reading.

• Unit 4: Linguistic techniques and devices

Unit 4 summary: In this unit you will look at different language techniques that can be used in a piece of text for different purposes, such as rhetorical questions, the rule of three, similes, metaphors, alliteration, imperative verbs, and idioms.

• Unit 5: Comparing and contrasting different texts

Unit 5 summary: In this unit you will look at the difference between comparing texts and contrasting texts and will learn how to identify any similarities or differences between texts.

Speaking, Listening and Communication

• Unit 1: Identifying information and responding to questions

Unit 1 summary: You will look at how you can develop and improve your listening skills and will consider how crucial these skills are when it comes to giving and receiving instructions or holding an important conversation.

• Unit 2: Communicate, express opinions and using effective language

Unit 2 summary: You will look at how you can develop and improve your speaking skills and will consider how crucial these skills are when it comes to speaking to people in different scenarios and for different purposes. This unit covers how speaking skills can be used to persuade others.

• Unit 3: Contributions and discussions

Unit 3 summary: In this unit you will look at the process of preparing a presentation – including how to research a chosen topic and break down areas of a presentation to make it easier for the audience to digest.

Writing

• Unit 1: Punctuation, grammar and sentence structure

Unit 1 summary: In this unit, you will look at the use of commas, apostrophes, colons, semi-colons, conjunctions and clauses within writing. You will consider how each of these features can impact on overall sentence structure and the flow of a piece of writing.

• Unit 2: Spelling

Unit 2 summary: You will look at the importance of correctly spelling common words used in work, study and daily life. You will consider the use of singular and plural words, prefixes and suffixes, nouns and verbs, and how all of these can impact on spelling techniques. 

• Unit 3: Formal and informal language

Unit 3 summary: Within this unit, you will focus on the use of formal and informal language in different scenarios for different purposes and will look at specific situations where the type of language used is crucial, including producing a CV.

• Unit 4: Layout, format, structure and writing of various texts

Unit 4 summary: You will explore a variety of different organisational features and layouts for different texts. The different layouts of letters and emails will be covered, as well as the reasons for using different layout features.