Collect learner feedback of the lesson and learning that has taken place by distributing these emoji exit tickets as a plenary. These work great for trainees, NQT/Ls and for reflection purposes. Tip: if they remain anonymous, learners will be honest with their comments. Enjoy! T.

This GCSE ENGLISH Language (AQA) resource includes a PowerPoint lesson and two extracts about P T Barnum (a review of Hugh Jackman’s portrayal and an autobiographical account of PT Barnum). I cannot take full credit as the extracts and exam style questions, I believe, came from TES, but it inspired me to create this lesson. This includes discussions on being an outsider, disability, child exploitation and exploitation for entertainment purposes. The hit “This is Me” is also used as a starter for students to analyse the language features and make inferences. Enjoy! T.

This resource is a research activity into the compound words J K Rowling uses for the names of the spells in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I have used this resource in the Access to HE: Social Science and Humanities Unit, ‘Language Change’, but this could be used for any language units covering morphology and/or Latin. Enjoy! T.

This resource supports the up-skilling of vocabulary for GCSE or Functional Skills (Level 2) English learners or, in fact, any course to embed English in the curriculum and develop vocabulary. It can be presented as a game where learners have to create sentences with the same letter of each word using the formula: adjective, noun, adverb, verb, adjective, noun. I use this to stretch and challenge, giving letters Q and K to those with a faster pace. Enjoy! T.

This resource supports the learning of onomatopoeia. Learners must identify the English spelling word that sounds like how it sounds per image. This can be used as a starter or quick AfL activity. Enjoy! T.

This resource uses Ravenscroft’s ‘You’re a Mean One Mr Grinch’ to support students in identifying language features. This could be used as a fun starter activity, perhaps around Christmas time! Enjoy! T.

This resource has been adapted from the Chapter 4 of ‘Book 1 AQA GCSE English Language: Developing the Skills for Learning and Assessment’ (Backhouse and Emm, 2015). I have created a PowerPoint lesson out of the extracts and activities within Chapter 4 of the said book. Learners will be practising their AO1 skillage with the theme of talking cats from Alice in Wonderland and Coraline. Enjoy! T.

This English resource, inspired by Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, supports learners with proofreading skills, dictionary finding skills, vocabulary, and diary writing. There are three extension writing tasks where learners are put into the perspectives of Lumiere, Cogsworth or the Beast, and have to write a leaflet, report or letter, respectively. I have used this activity with Functional Skills and GCSE English. It can be used as an independent activity for marking or 1:1 sessions. Enjoy, T.

This resource is for GCSE English Language Paper 2, Question 4. It includes a few visuals / scaffolding activities for learners, so they can deepen their understanding of what they need to do for one of the more difficult questions of the paper (worth 16 marks). I have also included a supporting ‘Quick wins’ document for the Paper 2 (Elephants past paper Nov 2019). Learners use this to support their responses to the questions for Paper 2. This can be adapted/edited to suit other past papers too. Enjoy! T.

This resource supports the content of GCSE English Language (AQA) for the Paper 2 exam. Using the theme of the Titanic, learners will engage in a range of activities tailored to the skills needed for the exam, such as picking out four facts from watching a National Geographic video, identifying language features from Walter Lord’s ‘A Night to Remember’, and research / discussion activities to develop speaking and listening skills, as well as expressing and justifying a point of view. What’s included: the PowerPoint lesson and accompanying handouts. Enjoy! T.

This resource supports the learning of language analysis and structural analysis for GCSE English Language (AQA) using two extracts from Peter Benchley’s ‘Jaws’. Activities include: information retrieval, identifying explicit and implicit information and making inferences, and analysing extracts. Enjoy! T.

This resource is an introductory lesson to the skills needed for GCSE English language Paper 1 using Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It includes: a spelling test script, worksheet with 3 activities and a ppt. I will be using this lesson as an Assessment Point 1 using the activities: spelling test, information retrieval, words and phrases, and a creative writing activity. Enjoy! T.

These resources can be used for GCSE and/or Functional Skills English courses. The worksheets support learners with understanding and using apostrophes in sentences. It includes instructions and activities on apostrophes for contractions, ownership and irregular plural nouns. There are two worksheets - the second worksheet should be used to solidfy learning as it includes a mini assessment. I recommend having your own copy and going through the activities together giving students time to complete the activities in between. Enjoy! T.

This resource contains an extract from Stephen King’s ‘IT’ to support learners in identifying language techniques used by the writer to create an atmosphere of horror and terror. Tasks on the worksheet include, an information retrieval activity, defining inferences, spotting language features and an exam-style question. Sensitive content: students have to infer that the character has died through self harm / suicide in a bathtub. This opens up controversial and challenging conversations on mental health and it raises awareness of male suicide (Mental Health Week). Due to the release of the popular remake of the horror film ‘IT’ (Chapters 1 and 2), it was a hit with my students. Alongside this resource, I have included a Paper 1, Question 1 starter/recap activity of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ and a student support guide on basic language features. Enjoy! T.

These bookmarks can be given out at the beginning of the year or during the revision period as a visual aid to support learners with answering exam-style questions. They include the formula MEME that I use with my GCSE English Language (AQA) learners which stands for: Method (identify the language / structural feature) Evidence (back up with a small quote) Meaning (interpretation / inference) Effect (what it makes you Feel, Imagine, Think) Enjoy! T.

Using the horror genre, this lesson supports the development of descriptive writing through making imaginative suggestions using three images of a haunted castle (the castle, the hall and music room). The only piece of information you need to give is that Vladimir is a vampire and let the learners do the rest. This promotes class discussion and is great over the Halloween period. Enjoy! T.

This resource is for GCSE English Language and contains various song lyrics where learners spot the language features and respond to various exam-style questions to deepen their knowledge of using subject terminology, making inferences and working out the meaning. There are activities on metaphors and similes and semantic fields (5-min starters?) Song titles include: Dark horse Grenade I wanna be yours Paint it, black Queen for tonight Poker face Love is a losing game BONUS: Follow me on Kahoot! https://create.kahoot.it/profiles/7700c097-19bc-407d-ac39-6d3a8d44a491 (twheeler190) for quizzes on language features in songs. Enjoy, T.

This GCSE English Language (AQA) resource supports the development of identifying symbolism, introducing semantic field through the use of songs and other unique activities to support the development of identifying language features and making inferences. The main activity will involve students watching the opening montage of the hit TV series of Dexter. They will analyse the structure and symbolism of the montage (through media/film analysis) and create a storyboard of the main events within the montage. They will then apply this visual learning to Lindsay’s Darkly Dreaming Dexter. Something different. Enjoy! T.

This resource supports the development of responses for descriptive writing. Learners will engage in a range of activities to spark imagination, improve vocabulary and re-evaluate their current descriptive writing techniques. Enjoy! T.

For GCSE English Language (AQA): Paper 1, Question 5. By entering the fantasy realm in this creative writing workbook, students will develop their imagination through making and creating a dragon. The resource supports character development, identifying language features, making inferences, improving vocabulary, describing using the five senses and other targeted activities related to dragons. The resource includes an extract from J R R Tolkien’s The Hobbit (Smaug’s lair) and exam-style questions. The end activity is a creative writing piece based on an image of a dragon. Learners can choose to describe the image or write the climax of a story titled ‘Peril’. The resources has been used on post 16-19 and adult learners. It is 9 pages long and could last the entirety of a 3-hour lesson. Enjoy! T.