ESOL Entry level 1, 2 or 3 or Level 1 and 2.

The ESOL Skills for Life qualifications contribute to the Government’s Skills for Life initiative by providing assessment of ESOL based on the standards for adult literacy and the ESOL Core Curriculum. The qualifications are designed to cover the standards and curriculum with sufficient range, breadth and depth to reflect properly the use of the English language in real world situations, appropriate to the needs of the learner.

The Adult Literacy Standards provide detailed information on the skills, and the capabilities that comprise the skill, together with descriptors that define the level of performance of each capability. The guidance and exemplars in the standards provide examples of the roles used and contexts for the skills and capabilities at the specified level. They are taken from everyday life, grouped under the following headings:

Citizen and community

Economic activity including paid and unpaid work

Domestic and everyday life

Leisure

Education and training

Using ICT in social roles

Who are the qualifications for?

The Entry, Level 1 and Level 2 Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life qualifications are designed for:

• Full or part-time learners who are pre 16, 16–19 or adult learners

• Settled communities, including communities from the Asian sub-continent and Hong Kong.

• Refugees in the categories of:

- Asylum seekers, most of whom are very keen to learn despite the challenges of resettlement and the trauma from their recent experiences

- settled refugees, many of whom have had professional jobs in the past, though some may have suffered a disrupted education due to war and unrest

• Migrant workers who work or settle in the UK for most of their lives

• Partners and spouses of learners from all parts of the world who may have been settled for a number of years and need to participate in the local community but are prevented by family responsibilities or low income from attending EFL courses.

These learners have different language needs arising from their diverse language, educational and professional/employment backgrounds. Some learners may have no previous education or employment, or they might be highly educated professionals or have the ability to speak several languages. These qualifications have a focus on applying language skills in everyday UK situations, emphasising practical application of skills needed to succeed in everyday life and study in the UK.

These qualifications are suitable for applications for UK citizenship. They also meet the requirements of the UK Border Agency to show proof of English Language skills necessary under the 2008 Points Based System for immigration.

Key Features of ESOL Entry Level 3

The  ESOL Skills for Life qualifications have been developed to give learners the opportunity to:

• Achieve a level of attainment in English which is appropriate to their needs

• Use language confidently at a level to function in school or college, at work or in society in general

• Engage in learning which is relevant to them and will provide opportunities to develop a range of skills and techniques, personal skills and attributes essential for successful performance in working life

• Achieve a nationally recognised qualification.

Guided learning hours

UNIT 1 - Speaking and Listening

UNIT 2 � Writing

UNIT 3 � Reading

Structure and Contents of the qualification

The ESOL Skills for Life qualifications cover the range of language skills and contexts set out in the Adult ESOL Core Curriculum and the appropriate levels of the National Adult Literacy Standards.

Each qualification has three units:

Unit 1: Speaking and listening

Unit 2: Writing

Unit 3: Reading

Learners must achieve all three units (Speaking and Listening, Writing, and Reading) in order to achieve an Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life. If one and/or two units are achieved at a lower level than the third unit, the qualification certificate will be awarded at the lowest level e.g.

A learner may achieve the following:

• Level 1 Unit 1: Speaking and listening

• Entry 2 Unit 2: Writing

• Entry 1 Unit 3: Reading

The learner would gain the Entry 1 Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life.

The qualification certificate will indicate the unit title and level at which each unit is achieved.

Unit certification is available for those learners who do not achieve all three units. If a learner wants to achieve a higher level certificate, they can carry forward unit(s)

Assessments

The method of assessment undertaken is dependent on the unit and the level being studied.

Unit 1 Speaking and Listening (all levels) is assessed by a test, based on the National

Standards for Adult Literacy and the Adult ESOL Core Curriculum, which is:

• set by the awarding body and can be taken at any time

• administered by the centre under supervised conditions, internally marked and verified prior to external verification by the awarding body.

The speaking and listening unit tests are conducted by a teacher-assessor and learners may, for some tasks, be tested in pairs. The tests, which are internally assessed and externally verified, will assess the learner’s ability to:

• Listen and respond

• Speak to communicate

• Engage in discussion

The test will be about 15 minutes in total. A video recording of each learner’s performance is required. The tests have a pass mark of 66% and are not graded. There is no portfolio of evidence requirement.

Unit 2 Writing (all levels) is also assessed by a test, based on the National Standards for Adult

Literacy and the Adult ESOL Core Curriculum, which is:

• set by the awarding body and can be taken at any time.

• administered by the centre under supervised conditions, internally marked and verified prior to external verification by the awarding body.

The  tests and mark schemes are available to download from a secure area of the Edexcel website.

Learners must complete a range of different types of writing tasks in an hour (60 minutes for Entry 1). The tasks, which are internally assessed and externally verified, will assess the learners ability to write to communicate.

The tasks have a pass mark of 66% and are not graded.

Unit 3 Reading tests consist of a series of multiple choice questions and learners are expected to complete the test within an hour. The tests, which are internally assessed and externally verified, will assess the learners ability to:

• Read and understand

• Read and obtain information

The tests have a pass mark of 66% and are not graded.