Level: ESOL
Entry 3 – Level 1 / SQA ESOL Intermediate 1 - Intermediate 2 in Scotland / B1 –
B2 CEFR Framework
Overview
‘Working as a Volunteer in a Charity Shop’
is aimed primarily at learners who are already working as volunteers in charity
shops or who want to find out more about working in the sector. The resource
uses authentic sound recordings as a springboard for practice in all four skills
within this context.
The resource is linked to ‘Voluntary work’, a resource which provides a
minimum of three hours learning. Both resources were designed to complement
each other and give learners a clear picture of working in this type of
environment.
Note that the recordings were made in situ using a small, portable
recording device to make sure the language was as authentic as possible. The
quality may be ‘grainy’ in places, and there may be background noise.
Learning
hours and delivery context:
The resource provides a minimum of three hours of learning
in a classroom or workplace context through a series of linked worksheets. It
is flexible in terms of timing and differentiation. The worksheets can be
grouped into units as follows:
- Unit 1:
(Worksheet 1) Lead-in to the subject and pre-teaching of some key
vocabulary.
- Unit 2:
(Worksheets 2-4) Listening skills focussing on job roles in a charity
shop. Can be delivered as a stand alone unit.
- Unit 3:
(Worksheets 5 and 6) Follow-up writing practice.
- Unit 4:
Worksheets 7-10 Listening skills and language analysis focussing on
customer interactions. Can also be delivered as a stand alone unit.
- Unit 5:
(Worksheets 11-12) Follow-up language analysis, reading and speaking
activities.
The resources have been
produced in two different formats:
- a self-access resource for learners with online activities.
- a resource for teachers to use in the classroom with teachers’ notes and worksheets to download
The teachers’ notes include an answer key, tapescripts
and suggestions on exploiting the materials, but the worksheets are
self-explanatory and teachers are encouraged to adapt them to meet
group/individual needs.
Teacher notes - Unit 5
Aims:
- To
practice reading for specific information.
- To
review the information and language covered in unit 4.
- To use role plays to practice giving information, making offers and making suggestions to customers.
Objectives:
Learners will be able to:
- Obtain
information from a simple document.
- Give information and make offers and suggestions to customers in a polite and friendly manner.
Approximate timing: 30 minutes
Suggested procedure:
Reading
Give the learners the questions before they see the
text and get them to discuss in groups. Using ‘common sense’ and what they have
learned from the recordings they should be able to make an educated guess at
the answers. They can then read the text to confirm their answers.
Note: The text contains quite a lot of vocabulary,
some of which which may be unfamiliar to your learners. They can complete the
task with just the umbrella terms that cover the items in the question on the
worksheet (ie. furniture, jewellery, electrical goods, china, clothing), but
use your discretion to pre-teach a few more items from the text as
‘distractors’).
This activity can easily be extended using items
around the classroom (old books, etc) or items that learners mentioned in the
lead-in discussion for worksheet 7 (‘What do you have at home that you could
take to a charity shop?’).
If they have access to computers, learners should go
to online activity 1 below and follow the instructions online. Alternatively
hand out the paper version: Worksheet 11
Activity 1:
Worksheet
12
These role plays give learners the opportunity to use
language from the language focus section of Unit 4; you may wish to spend some
time reviewing the language before starting. The learners may also need to have
the ‘What we can/can’t sell’ text to hand.
Less confident learners might want to spend some time
writing down key language on the cue cards before starting.
Use some of the language from the language focus
section and the information from the reading. What would you say to these
customers?
Do as role play in pairs. For less confident learners-
T writes key vocabulary/expressions below cues, and give them time to plan what
to say. You could also just give them one or two role cards.
Extension activity
Refer learners back to the items they mentioned in the lead-in discussion for worksheet 7 (‘What do you have at home that you could take to a charity shop?’), and have them enact a role play based on these items.
Refer learners back to the items they mentioned in the lead-in discussion for worksheet 7 (‘What do you have at home that you could take to a charity shop?’), and have them enact a role play based on these items.
