The Signalman

‘Hello! You down there!’

The signalman was standing at the door of his  box, directly below me. I was sure he could hear my voice but he did not look up. Instead, he looked in the opposite direction down the railway line.

Learning Activity: Before Reading
  1. Before Reading/Listening Vocabulary Worksheet Label this illustration
  2. Writing Worksheet: What is a Signalman?
  3. Read the adapted opening of this classic ghost story.
  4. Presentation: complete story told through audio clips, images & text.
  5. Complete adapted version: Part OnePart Two
  6. The Signalman by Charles Dickens (complete original text)
  7. Video: Classic BBC TV version (35 minutes)
  8. Staplehurst Rail Disaster – Dickens miraculous survival (audio worksheet)
More classic stories for English language learners here.