01 12 min Free
Read Smarter: Before, During and After
Turn reading into a three-step routine. Learn how to prepare before you start, read closely for meaning, and make sense of a text after you finish.
12 min · beginner · certificate
High School · learning path
English First Additional Language — Grades 10–12
Reading, writing, listening and speaking skills for English FAL: reading strategies, skimming and scanning, summarising, inference and tone, paragraphs, opinions, transactional writing and prepared speeches.
- 10 steps
- ≈ 120 minutes in total
- 3 free
- Whole path: R133
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The path, step by step
Take them in order, or jump to what you need. Each step is a complete MicroQuest with its own certificate.
02 12 min Free
Skim, Scan or Read Closely?
Learn three reading speeds and when to use each one. Stop reading every text in exactly the same way, and stop running out of time in comprehension.
12 min · beginner · certificate
03 12 min Free
Summarise Without Copying Everything
Find the main idea, keep what matters and rewrite it briefly in your own words — without losing the meaning or blowing the word count.
12 min · beginner · certificate
04 12 min R19
Build a Paragraph That Makes One Clear Point
Turn loose sentences into a focused paragraph using a topic sentence, supporting detail and clear links between the ideas.
12 min · beginner · certificate
05 12 min R19
Build a Prepared Speech That Lands
Plan, organise, practise and deliver a speech with a clear purpose, a real audience and a structure your listeners can follow in real time.
12 min · beginner · certificate
06 12 min R19
Give an Opinion and Support It
Move from "I think" to a clear viewpoint backed by reasons and evidence, and learn to answer an opposing argument without attacking the person.
12 min · beginner · certificate
07 12 min R19
Listen for Meaning, Not Just Words
Build a simple listening process — prepare, listen with a purpose, take useful notes and respond afterwards using what was actually said.
12 min · beginner · certificate
08 12 min R19
Read Between the Lines: Inference, Tone and Attitude
Learn how writers reveal meaning through clues, word choice and tone, even when they never say it directly — and how to prove it from the text.
12 min · beginner · certificate
09 12 min R19
Transactional Writing: Purpose, Audience and Format
Learn what makes practical texts work — a clear purpose, the right audience, the correct format, and every detail the reader needs to act on it.
12 min · beginner · certificate
10 12 min R19
Write Better by Using a Process
Stop treating the first draft as the final answer. Plan, draft, revise, edit, proofread and present — doing the big thinking before the small corrections.
12 min · beginner · certificate
Other High School paths
For employers, schools and training providers
Train a whole team, one short step at a time
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Print an A4 poster for the canteen, staffroom or site office. A scan opens the MicroQuest.
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Every completion has a numbered certificate you can check online, which is useful for toolbox talks and inductions.
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English FAL: questions
How much do the English FAL MicroQuests cost?
3 of the 10 are free. The others cost R19 each, paid securely online or with learning credits. If you don’t pass the challenge, you try again at no extra cost.
How long does each one take?
Between 12 and 12 minutes. Your progress is saved after every step, so you can stop and carry on later on the same or another device.
Where do I do them?
In your browser at skillsyms.com/learn, in the skillSYMS app, or on WhatsApp — the same MicroQuest, the same progress and the same certificate. There is nothing to install for the browser or WhatsApp.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Pass the final challenge and you receive a PDF certificate of completion with a unique number and a QR code anyone can scan to verify it. MicroQuests are informal learning: the certificate is not an accredited qualification or SETA/QCTO credits, and it says so.
Can I buy these for my team or learners?
Yes. Employers, schools and training providers can give MicroQuests or learning credits to their people, who then learn on their own phones. Contact us and we will set it up with you.