ESL Units of Study

This file contains links to resources AT ALL Levels for the first 10 units of study listed below. Download this file and click away to find what you are looking for. 

Unit 1: Personal Information

Building a solid foundation of written and spoken communication, through practice in a safe environment, promotes deep learning. The focus on personal communication begins with the ability to build and describe self-identity and then expand to describing others. As multilingual and English language learners are developing skills in preparation for career and college readiness, learners will be able to clearly articulate who they are through developing a more complex vocabulary and applying it in various situations of communication. 

Content-focused essential question(s):

• How does speaking and listening promote communication?

• How are written and spoken communication similar and different?

Thematically-focused essential question(s):

• How do you describe yourself?

• What are the elements of an effective description?

• How can descriptions of ourselves and people promote building relationships?

Unit 2: At School

The focus of this unit is the classroom, which is used as a shared experience to support building functional conversation skills. The theme of this unit will continue to develop prior knowledge, positive experiences, and setting a foundation for increased complexity.

Content-focused essential question(s):

• Why is it important to build on prior knowledge?

• Why is it important to speak and listen about shared experiences?

Thematically-focused essential question(s):

• How is the classroom setting similar and different to work or home settings?

Unit 3: Friends and Family

Relationships with family and friends are central to the lives of people. We can build a common language around these relationships that allows us to express our personal connections with each other and build a shared understanding.

Content-focused essential question(s):

• How does listening and speaking contribute to a shared understanding?

• Why is communication important?

• What is the value of shared experiences?

Thematically-focused essential question(s):

• Who are the most important people in your life?

• What is family?

Unit 4: Health

Effective communication is essential in maintaining physical health. Developing a common language can help us to articulate our needs, desires, and concerns to medical professionals and others involved in healthcare. Asking questions allows us to be informed and make medically necessary decisions that improve the quality of our lives. 

Content-focused essential question(s):

• How can we use reading, writing, speaking, and listening to become effective communicators?

• How does communication lead to self-advocacy?

• Why is it important to ask questions, especially to health-care providers?

Thematically-focused essential question(s):

• Why is health important?

• Do we have control over our physical health?

• Is prevention or treatment more important?

Unit 5: Around Town

Beyond our own homes, neighborhoods, and cities, we often are called to explore new places and travel to new locations. Whether we are commuting for work, school, or leisure, effective communication allows us to meet new people, learn about different cultures and locations, and find our way to places we have never been. 

Content-focused essential question(s):

• How does reading and writing support effective communication?

• Why is it important to ask questions and responses?

Thematically-focused essential question(s):

• What is home?

• How does travel change our worldview?

• In what ways do we rely on clear communication to find our way to new places?

Unit 6: Time

 525,600 minutes - that is the time we are given in a typical year. The activities of our daily lives, our families, commitments, school and work all use a portion of this time. We can give approximate units of time to estimate how long a project will take or specific measures of time to schedule an appointment. Time is a basic unit of measurement that unifies all of us.

Content-focused essential question(s):

• How can we communicate time?

• How does the perception of time change?

Thematically-focused essential question(s):

• How do we measure the rate of time?

• Why is time precious?

• Does an hour feel the same when you are in school, work, home, vacation? Why or why not?

Unit 7: Shopping

Clothing can be categorized as both a need and desire. The value of clothing depends on both the price and the perspective of the consumer. Using clear communication, customers can request more information, evaluate the value of their purchase, and make informed decisions in the marketplace. 

Content-focused essential question(s): 

• How can clearly worded answers help us to gather information?

• Why is communication important?

Thematically-focused essential question(s): 

• What is the difference between cost and price?

• What is a sale?

• What is value?

Unit 8: Work

Finding a job requires a skill set that includes effective communication skills. From completing an application to going to an interview, from accepting an offer to learning the day to day tasks, communication makes it possible for us to successfully participate in the workplace. 

Content-focused essential question(s):

• How can reading, writing, speaking, and listening influence our work?

• Why is it important to develop communication skills beyond school?

Thematically-focused essential question(s):

• Is it better to work to live or live to work?

• How can who we are inform what we do?

Unit 9: Daily Living

There are many activities of daily living that take place within our homes. Every member of a household shares in the responsibilities of chores and other responsibilities. It is important to be able to clearly communicate about priorities and time management in completing these tasks. 

Content-focused essential question(s):

• How do speaking and listening skills support effective communication?

• How can we understand directions through reading and writing?

Thematically-focused essential question(s):

• How can responsibilities in the home be prioritized? 

• How can chores be equitably shared?

Unit 10: Free Time

There are many ways in which we spend our time as adults. There are responsibilities to our families, loved ones, workplace, and home. Balancing the efforts we put into work, we also have the opportunity to have fun. Free-time activities can create spaces of play, fun, and socializing. They offer a balance to the responsibilities of adulthood.

Content-focused essential question(s):

• Why is reading and writing important outside of school and work?

• How can speaking and listening support communication?

Thematically-focused essential question(s):

• What is free time?

• Why is it important to balance work and play, even as an adult?

Hunter College Collaboration: Mapping Our World

Within this unit, students learn introductory geography concepts as well as get to know each other’s countries of origins.  Students will engage with the simple present tense, everyday language as well as specialized academic language in authentic ways that will promote interaction and as sense of community in the classroom.

Essential Question

• Does where we live make us who we are?

Hunter College Collaboration: Nutrition and Healthy Eating

Within this unit, students learn about the nutritional content of foods, how to interpret the food pyramid, and are able to interpret nutrition labels in order to make and recommend healthy food choices and to understand the consequences of making poor food choices. 

Essential Questions 

• What are the best food/drink choices? 

• How can we determine healthy choices? 

• What are the effects of a poor or healthy diet and the choices we make?