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A1 English: ESL lesson plans for adult beginners

Level A1, beginner 2 courses, 64 lessons One-to-one or groups

A1 English on edio.ai is two courses of ready-made ESL lesson plans for adult beginners, in simple American English. English A1.1 starts from zero and goes from the verb to be to can and can't. English A1.2 picks up from there with shopping, the weather, travel, health and jobs, up to the present continuous and was and were. Every lesson is interactive, and its practice exercises check themselves.

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English A1.1 · Hello, World

8 units, 32 lessons

32 lessons for complete beginners in simple American English, from the verb to be to can and can't. Eight units cover greetings, family, numbers, home, food, daily routines, the town and free time, and each ends with a review lesson. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.

Grammar
The verb to be, possessives and have got, numbers and dates, this and that, the present simple, prepositions of place and time, imperatives for directions, and can and can't.
Topics
Greetings, family, numbers and prices, home, food, daily routines, the town and free time, in eight units of four lessons.
Every lesson
Word cards, a reading, a listening, grammar practice, a speaking task and homework. The last lesson of each unit reviews it.
Teach this course

  1. Unit 1 Hello!

    greetings, the verb to be, countries and nationalities, yes/no questions

    1. Lesson 1Hi, hey, howdy or aloha?The verb to be with I and you
    2. Lesson 2Ellis Island: where are they from?He's, she's, they're: the verb to be
    3. Lesson 3Six languages at the UNYes/no questions with be and short answers
    4. Lesson 4Review: hello from the Statue of LibertyThe verb to be and yes/no questions, reviewed

  2. Unit 2 My people

    family members, possessive adjectives, have got, describing people

    1. Lesson 5Why is Mother's Day in May?Possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her
    2. Lesson 6Best in show!Have got and the possessive 's
    3. Lesson 7National Best Friends DaySubject pronouns, possessives and describing people
    4. Lesson 8Review: Bobbie the Wonder DogPossessives, have got and 's, reviewed

  3. Unit 3 Numbers all around

    numbers and dates, a/an and plurals, phone numbers and prices

    1. Lesson 9Why is March 14 Pi Day?Numbers 0 to 100, decimals and US dates
    2. Lesson 10How old is the General Sherman tree?A, an and plurals, with big numbers and How old…?
    3. Lesson 119-1-1 and other numbers to knowSaying phone numbers, emails and prices
    4. Lesson 12Review: 102 floors and 1,860 stepsNumbers, dates, ages and prices, reviewed

  4. Unit 4 Home sweet home

    rooms in a house, this, that, these and those, furniture, opposites

    1. Lesson 13A house with 132 roomsThis is, these are and plurals
    2. Lesson 14Boston's skinny house: where's the bed?This, that, these, those and Where's…?
    3. Lesson 15Can a dorm room be cozy?Opposite adjectives and have got
    4. Lesson 16Review: homes for everyoneShowing and describing a home, reviewed

  5. Unit 5 Food I love

    likes and dislikes, present simple questions, ordering food

    1. Lesson 17Pancakes for breakfast?I like, I don't like and plural nouns
    2. Lesson 18New York pizza or Chicago deep-dish?Present simple questions and short answers
    3. Lesson 19A coffee to go, please!Ordering food with I'd like and Can I have…?
    4. Lesson 20Review: lunch from a food truckI like, Do you like and I'd like, reviewed

  6. Unit 6 My day

    telling the time, daily routines, days of the week, prepositions of time

    1. Lesson 21What time is it in Times Square?Telling the time and daily routines
    2. Lesson 22Who brings the mail?The present simple with we and they
    3. Lesson 23Is it morning in Hawaii?Prepositions of time with parts of the day
    4. Lesson 24Review: a New York morningTime, routines and days, reviewed

  7. Unit 7 My town

    places in town, prepositions of place, giving directions

    1. Lesson 25Main Street, USAPrepositions of place: near and next to
    2. Lesson 26Meet me at Union SquarePresent simple questions and negatives with we and they
    3. Lesson 27Turn left on 42nd StreetImperatives for giving directions
    4. Lesson 28Review: streets for peoplePlaces, the present simple and directions, reviewed

  8. Unit 8 Free time

    hobbies, can and can't, sports, making plans

    1. Lesson 29Can you play Scrabble?Can and can't for ability
    2. Lesson 30Can you surf?Can for ability and how well
    3. Lesson 31Saturday morning: Little LeagueFree time and making plans
    4. Lesson 32Review: a book for every childCan, can't and free time, reviewed

English A1.2 · Out and About

8 units, 32 lessons

32 lessons that pick up where English A1.1 ends, in simple American English, from the present simple with he and she to was and were. Eight units cover shopping, the weather, getting around, celebrations, health, animals and nature, jobs and weekends. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.

Grammar
The present simple with he and she and questions with does, the present continuous, frequency adverbs, there is and there are, some and any, object and possessive pronouns, and was and were.
Topics
Shopping, the weather and seasons, getting around, celebrations, health, animals and nature, jobs and weekends, in eight units of four lessons.
Every lesson
Word cards, a reading, a listening, grammar practice, a speaking task and homework, as in A1.1, with a new grammar point in every lesson.
Teach this course

  1. Unit 1 Shopping

    clothes and colors, he and she in the present simple, sizes and prices, paying in a store

    1. Lesson 1What does she wear on Aloha Friday?Present simple with he, she and it
    2. Lesson 2A basket on wheels?Present simple negatives with don't and doesn't
    3. Lesson 3What size are these boots?What questions and a pair of
    4. Lesson 4Can I try it on? The Santa Fe Indian MarketRequests and permission with Can I and Can you

  2. Unit 2 Weather and seasons

    the weather, seasons and months, the present continuous, how often it rains or snows

    1. Lesson 5Is the Windy City windy?Weather adjectives with It's
    2. Lesson 6Does it rain in the desert?Yes/no questions with does
    3. Lesson 7Baseball at midnight?The present continuous for now
    4. Lesson 8Is it always windy on Mount Washington?Adverbs of frequency and their place

  3. Unit 3 Getting around

    transport, timetables, where places are, tickets with want and need

    1. Lesson 9How do you get to work?By + transport, take the bus and on foot
    2. Lesson 10What time does the ferry leave?Wh- questions with does
    3. Lesson 11Where's the streetcar stop?Between, behind, in front of and across from
    4. Lesson 12Do you need a ticket?Want and need with a noun

  4. Unit 4 Celebrations

    dates and holidays, in and on, party invitations, object pronouns

    1. Lesson 13Why is it called Juneteenth?Ordinal numbers for saying dates
    2. Lesson 14Never on a Sunday? The Rose ParadeIn, on and at for dates and times
    3. Lesson 15Come to our Lunar New Year party!Some and any with plural nouns
    4. Lesson 16Thank you, teacher!Object pronouns me, you, him, her, it, us and them

  5. Unit 5 Healthy me

    the body, how often, at the pharmacy, steps with first and then

    1. Lesson 17Does your back hurt?Hurt and hurts with parts of the body
    2. Lesson 18How often do you walk?How often questions and expressions of frequency
    3. Lesson 19What's the matter?Have and has for health problems
    4. Lesson 20Clean hands in five stepsSequence words with imperatives

  6. Unit 6 Animals and nature

    there is and there are, what animals are doing, parks, a, an and the

    1. Lesson 21Which frog sings its name?There is and there are for what's in a place
    2. Lesson 22What's the bear doing now?Present continuous questions and negatives
    3. Lesson 23Are there any horses on the beach?Questions with is there and are there any
    4. Lesson 24Where do the baby turtles go?A, an and the for first and second mention

  7. Unit 7 Jobs people do

    jobs and workplaces, the present simple and continuous, job interviews, possessive pronouns

    1. Lesson 25Who makes the sounds in movies?Present simple vs present continuous
    2. Lesson 26Nurses on horses?At, in and on with workplaces
    3. Lesson 27Can you be a lifeguard?Verbs with prepositions
    4. Lesson 28Whose hat is this?Possessive pronouns from mine to theirs

  8. Unit 8 Weekend stories and plans

    was and were, how long and how tall, and, but and or, camping food

    1. Lesson 29Why do we have two days off?Was and were, the past of be
    2. Lesson 30How long is a blue whale?How + adjective questions about size
    3. Lesson 31A cow made of butter?And, but and or for joining ideas
    4. Lesson 32What do you need for s'mores?Containers and quantities with of

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Ready-made interactive lessons for every level, from beginner to advanced.

Questions about A1 English

What should an A1 English course cover?
The basics for meeting people and everyday life: the verb to be, possessives, numbers and dates, this and that, the present simple and continuous, telling the time, prepositions, can, there is and there are, and was and were. On edio.ai, English A1.1 and A1.2 teach them over 16 units of four lessons, with topics from greetings and family to shopping, the weather, travel, health and jobs.
What can you do in English at A1 level?
Introduce yourself and manage simple everyday exchanges. At CEFR level A1, learners understand and use familiar everyday phrases, ask and answer simple questions about where they live, people they know and things they have, and talk with someone who speaks slowly and helps. By the end of English A1.1 and A1.2, students greet people, order food, ask the way, shop and pay, talk about the weather and their health, and say where they were last weekend.
How do you teach English to complete beginners?
Start with greetings and the verb to be, then build slowly. Use pictures and short definitions instead of translation, bring in a few words at a time, show each form before students use it, and recycle the language in the next lessons. English A1.1 works this way: word cards with pictures and audio, grammar in a scheme with examples, drills that check themselves, and a speaking task from lesson 1.
What does a good ESL curriculum for beginners look like?
A clear order of grammar, each tied to a topic. A typical A1 sequence runs from the verb to be and possessives to numbers, this and that, the present simple, time, places and directions, and can, then the present continuous, there is and there are, and was and were. English A1.1 follows it in 32 lessons, with a review closing each unit, and English A1.2 takes it on in 32 more.
Which A1 course should I teach first?
English A1.1 first, then A1.2. English A1.1 starts from hello and the verb to be and builds slowly over 32 lessons, with a review closing each unit. English A1.2 picks up where it ends, with he and she in the present simple, the present continuous and was and were: 64 lessons in American English in all.
What's in an ESL lesson plan for beginners?
A warm-up, new words, input, practice and speaking. In English A1.1 and A1.2, every lesson has the same parts: word cards with pictures and audio, a real-life text to read, such as a poster or a menu, a listening, grammar practice with a scheme, a speaking chapter with a chat and a game, and homework. Teachers also get the transcript of every listening.
Do beginners need any English before an A1 course?
No: an A1 course starts from zero. Lesson 1 of English A1.1 begins with hello, I'm and spelling a name. English A1.1 and A1.2 are in simple English, with pictures and definitions instead of translations, so they work for students with any first language.
Should beginners learn American or British English?
Either works, as long as the course stays consistent. English A1.1 and A1.2 use American English throughout: American spelling and words, and settings across the US from New York to Hawaii. Their listenings are AI-voiced, in American English too.
Are there interactive ESL lessons for beginners?
Yes. edio.ai has 64 interactive A1 lessons in two courses. Students work in their own accounts, and the practice exercises, such as drag-and-drop, gap-fills and quizzes, check every answer. Each English A1.1 and A1.2 lesson page has a reading, a listening, a drill and a chat you can try without an account, and a free 7-day trial opens every course.
Can you teach an A1 course one-to-one or online?
Yes, both. In a live lesson, students work in their own accounts in sync with the teacher, one-to-one or in a group, and the speaking games work with two people. The same lessons can be set as homework: the practice exercises check themselves, and the teacher reviews the recordings and short writing.

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