TeachingEnglish | Lesson plans
Shopping signs – Lesson Plan
Topic: Recognising signs in public places
Aims:
 To recognise signs in public places.
 To recognise written words for signs in public places
Level: Entry 1 Basic Literacy
Target vocabulary: Information, food, telephone, ladies toilet, men’s toilet, disabled toilet,
fire exit, no smoking
Resources:
Worksheets:
1. Signs – flashcards
2. Signs – listening
3. Signs – word-picture cards
4. Signs – write the words
5. Signs – matching the capitals
6. Signs – writing in capitals
Introduction
This lesson teaches the meaning of signs in public places. Students practise speaking
and listening to these items. They also practise reading and writing them. This will
support development of sound letter- correspondence and whole word recognition, within a
safe and predictable framework. The last activity is to practise handwriting and
consolidate matching of upper and lower case letters.
Procedure
Introduce items:
 Using the sign flashcards (1), show the students the signs and elicit what they
mean. Ask students to name them and repeat until students are becoming
confident.
 Using the word flashcards (1), elicit suggestions and point out initial letter sounds.
Ask students to read them and repeat until at least some students are becoming
confident.
Rationale: This stage is to ensure the students understand the signs and start to connect
the written form of a word with the spoken form.
Listening:
For this activity you can read the words yourself or use the audio included.
 Distribute listening worksheet (2).
 Demonstrate, on the board, what it means to circle an item.
 Announce the first item and look at the papers to make sure that everyone has
circled one item in line 1.
 Announce items for the other 7 questions. Students circle the items.
 Collect the sheets to mark later.
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© BBC | British Council 2010
TeachingEnglish | Lesson plans
Note: If this is the first time students have been asked to do this, they often find it very
difficult to understand what they are expected to do. They do not always understand that
they are choosing 1 from a line of 3 items, and will circle everything or look at the items
vertically not horizontally. As they become more familiar with instructions and conventions
of literacy in English this will get easier.
Mingle activity:
 Distribute cut-up word/picture cards (3) around the class. Give the quickest
students more cards.
 Ask students to mingle and find the word or sign that matches their card and bring it
to you to check. This gives students the opportunity to consult each other,
negotiate and come to an agreement without feeling self conscious.
 Once completed successfully, repeat activity to increase confidence.
Alternative: Pairs of students could be given a set of cards to match together instead, or on
another occasion as a review.
Writing activity:
 Give students vocabulary sheet (4) to complete.
Differentiation: Students who have trouble forming letters should be given sheet (4A) to
follow the letter shapes. Students who are more confident forming letters can use the
word cards, or the flashcards to complete the sheet (4B). Students who finish quickly can
cover the words and try to remember the spelling.
Focus on Letter Formation:
 Hand out sheet (5). Show students the line connecting ‘telephone’ with
‘TELEPHONE’. (If you have a Smartboard, a giant version of the sheet is useful for
this.) Demonstrate what they need to do with the other words.
 As students finish sheet (5), hand out sheet (6). Point out the example and ask
them to write the words in capital letters. Ask stronger students to do it without
looking at sheet (5).
Handwriting focus:
 Give out pencils, pens and coloured paper, if any are available, and ask students to
copy the words in capital letters to make notices to put on the walls.
Rationale: The fine motor control needed to write legibly needs to be developed in basic
literacy students. The options of colours and the possibility of public display encourages
students to focus on the presentation of their work.
Homework:
Ask students to look around when they go shopping and make a note of other signs they
see.
www.teachingenglish.org.uk
© BBC | British Council 2010
TeachingEnglish | Lesson plans
Plan developed by Sarah Burn, Bolton Community College
www.teachingenglish.org.uk
© BBC | British Council 2010