The stories have been designed for adult beginning learners of English language or English as a second-language (ESOL) learners to be able to listen along with a story as they read the pages. The stories feature common, real-life situations and provide an opportunity to practice literacy skills and improve subject-specific vocabulary.
The series has been an ongoing project for Celia Hope and Jenny Field, and now includes a total of six short stories that learners can read online or download for free. Since their launch in 2023, these resources have seen considerable activity on our website, with over 2,500 views and 480 unique downloads to date!
The original read-along stories were created by Celia Hope, inspired by her years of teaching English language learners. Commenting on what motivated her, Celia said, “I was aware that there was a shortage of simple but relevant NZ reading material for adult ESOL literacy learners”.
Celia also mentioned that working with learners who had never been to school drove her to create PowerPoint read-along stories that could help them learn English. These resources were initially a part of what Celia called her learners “language experience” but then quickly became a core component of Celia’s teaching strategy.
Since partnering with Gail Pittaway, Elna Fourie from Wintec | Te Pūkenga, Jenny Field, and designer Mikaela Pacis, Celia is excited to see these resources published and widely used within the sector “I had heaps of resources that I’d developed - just sitting. Some finished and some waiting! So, it has been very exciting for me to revamp and finish some of these and have them published by Ako Aotearoa”.
You can access and download these free resources on the ESOL read-along stories project page.
