The beginner course develops the student’s four language skills in speaking, listening, reading & writing; and builds the student’s confidence in using English language to communicate effectively. The correct pronunciation of words is a particular focus. The beginner course takes three months. The teachers themselves adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of individual students. Teachers encourage beginner students to use a wide range of appropriate vocabulary, accurate grammar, and to express their own ideas in English, rather than parrot learning.

Our basic lessons include English songs and stories, to help students develop their listening skills. Teachers encourage students to present a small project in pairs or groups and also reading aloud, to promote speaking with the correct pronunciation . Students learn to read short passages and construct simple sentences in writing, linked to everyday topics. New words are memorized in a familiar context to grow basic vocabulary sets, like colours or animals. Students are guided to take written notes. To make learning fun, lessons are include games found on Bamboozle, Kahoot and Quizlet. Everyone who has taken a beginners’ course has made significant progress in English language.

The course runs for three months and is primarily based on the Interchange (4th edition) textbook and workbook. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, lessons are 1 hour on Zoom, which offers a variety of features such as chat and breakout rooms for interactive learning. The given lessons are drawn from the Interchange book, but the teacher also incorporates discussion activities, so that students can ask questions and develop their own ideas and opinions. Here, speaking clearly so that listeners understand and using intonation and expression to add meaning to speech are key objectives for students.

Additionally, the students are responsible for completing the writing tasks set in the workbook. They send photos of the handwritten work, from their exercise books, to the teacher for checking – via Telegram. Teachers correct the spelling, punctuation and grammar and provide verbal feedback in the next lesson, where common misconceptions are also addressed. Students share what they have written in class, with follow-up discussions at times. Students also complete other assignments, such as grammar exercises, as well as other assessment tasks found in the workbooks. This course covers all four language skills, since it encourages speaking in pairs or individually and listening in class, with reading and writing practice either during class time or for ‘homework’.