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Sudoku for Beginners: How to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

Are you a beginner when it comes to solving Sudoku puzzles? Do you find yourself frustrated and unsure of where to start? Fear not, as we have compiled a comprehensive guide on how to improve your problem-solving skills through Sudoku.

Understanding the Basics of Sudoku

Before we dive into the strategies and techniques, let’s first understand the basics of Sudoku. A Sudoku puzzle is a 9×9 grid that is divided into nine smaller 3×3 grids. The objective is to fill in each row, column, and smaller grid with numbers 1-9 without repeating any numbers.

Starting Strategies for Beginners

As a beginner, it can be overwhelming to look at an empty Sudoku grid. But don’t worry. There are simple starting strategies that can help you get started. First, look for any rows or columns that only have one missing number. Fill in that number and move on to the next row or column with only one missing number. Another strategy is looking for any smaller grids with only one missing number and filling in that number.

Advanced Strategies for Beginner/Intermediate Level

Once you’ve mastered the starting strategies, it’s time to move on to more advanced techniques. One technique is called “pencil marking.” This involves writing down all possible numbers in each empty square before making any moves. Then use logic and elimination techniques to cross off impossible numbers until you are left with the correct answer.

Another advanced technique is “hidden pairs.” Look for two squares within a row or column that only have two possible numbers left. If those two possible numbers exist in both squares, then those two squares must contain those specific numbers.

ESL Worksheets for Teachers

Check out our selection of worksheets filed under topic: problems at work. use the search filters on the left to refine your search..

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Advanced (C1-C2)

This lesson looks at the issue of Ageism in the workplace. Students will read an article and listen to a conversation focusing on the issue. Exercises look at related vocabulary, reading and listening skills and offer students an opportunity to discuss issues relating to the topic.

Note: this lesson can take 60-90 mins.

by Joe Wilson

Intermediate (B1-B2)

A breaking news lesson about Portugal’s recent move to make it illegal for employers to contact workers after working hours, with a news report about the new law and an article offering the opinions of four employees on their work situation. Students will learn related vocabulary, practise reading and listening skills and reinforce their new vocabulary with conversation practice.

by David J. Marriott

This worksheet centres around a video about the problems with people who are over-friendly. Exercises look at related vocabulary, and students will be given the opportunity to interact with the script, do listening and reading comprehension tasks, as well as discuss the issues raised in the video.

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This lesson focuses on the recent reports of companies having multiple interviews for the hiring process. There is a listening exercise based around a job interview and reading exercises around an article which reports on the phenomenon. Students will have an opportunity to discuss job interviews and look at related vocabulary.

Upper-intermediate (B2-C1)

This ESP worksheet presents a list of discussion questions designed to encourage vets to talk at length about their profession.

This ESP worksheet presents a list of discussion questions designed to encourage hotel managers to talk at length about their profession.

Students watch a short news report about a ship that became stuck in the Suez Canal. The lesson focuses on listening and reading comprehension and vocabulary development. The lesson concludes with discussion questions followed by a "what did they say?" activity.

by Stephanie Hirschman

This lesson will centre around a video which discusses the problems with miscommunication and how to avoid it. Students will work on vocabulary from the video, looking at synonyms, definitions and using the words in context. Students will also engage in comprehension questions and discussion related to the topic.

In this lesson, students will watch a Reuters video about Polish Highlanders protesting the government lockdown rules during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students will look at vocabulary from the video: looking at pronunciation, words forms, and usage. They will answer comprehension questions about the video and react to different viewpoints around the controversial topic of lockdown.

In this lesson, students will read a text about why people who are working from home should still call in sick if they are not feeling well. Students will look at verb + noun/adjective collocations and work on vocabulary related to the text. The discussion will centre around the difference in sick leave in different countries and the sick leave policies in the students’ own companies.

Students watch a report about the humorous and embarrassing mistakes commonly made by workers attending online meetings for the first time. The worksheet focuses on listening comprehension, discussion and vocabulary related to the topics of technical difficulties and other remote working problems.

Students read an article about working and commuting. The worksheet focuses on reading comprehension, vocabulary development and discussion.

By Stephanie Hirschman

Elementary (A1-A2)

The theme of this elementary+ lesson plan is work-related problems. Activities cover office, company and personal work problems. The worksheet ends with a dialogue-based exercise in which students listen to two colleagues trying to fix a printer problem.

Students read an article about the things that people find most annoying in the office in this lesson plan. Activities focus on understanding the text, plus key words and phrases. The lesson ends with an activity for students to discuss the article.

In this lesson, students learn words and phrases related to leadership and being a manager. Students read an article about what makes a good manager and practise vocabulary for positive and negative leadership qualities. They also learn management verbs and discuss what being a manager is like.

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