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English for Beginners: The Complete Lesson 1 Guide

 

English for Beginners: The Complete Lesson 1 Guide

Starting to learn English can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Every fluent English speaker once learned the alphabet, counted from one to ten, and asked simple questions like "What is your name?" The key is to build a strong foundation before moving on to grammar and conversations.

In this first lesson, I'll cover the most important topics every beginner should know. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to introduce yourself, recognize common English words, ask basic questions, and communicate with confidence.

1. Greetings

Greetings are the first step in every conversation.

Learn these common greetings:

  • Hello

  • Hi

  • Good morning

  • Good afternoon

  • Good evening

  • Good night

  • Goodbye

  • See you later

Polite expressions:

  • Please

  • Thank you

  • You're welcome

  • Excuse me

  • Sorry

Practice

A: Hello!
B: Hi!

A: How are you?
B: I'm fine, thank you.

2. The English Alphabet

The English alphabet has 26 letters.

Repeat

A B C D E F G H I J K L M

N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Practice saying each letter aloud and spelling simple words.

Examples:

  • CAT

  • DOG

  • SUN

  • BOOK

  • PEN

  • APPLE

  • WATCH

  • UMBRELLA


A: My name is Catherine.

B: How do you spell that?

A: C-A-T-H-E-R-I-N-E. 

Useful Expressions

English                                                                French

How do you spell that?               Comment ça s'épelle ?

Can you repeat, please?       Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ?

I don't understand.                           Je ne comprends pas.

Can you speak more slowly?    Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement ?

What does this mean?               Qu'est-ce que cela signifie ?

How do you pronounce this?               Comment prononce-t-on cela ?

Could you write it down?                         Pouvez-vous l'écrire ?

Thank you.                                                             Merci.

3. Numbers

Start by learning numbers from 1 to 20.

1 One

2 Two

3 Three

4 Four

5 Five

6 Six

7 Seven

8 Eight

9 Nine

10 Ten

11 Eleven

12 Twelve

13 Thirteen

14 Fourteen

15 Fifteen

16 Sixteen

17 Seventeen

18 Eighteen

19 Nineteen

20 Twenty

Then continue with:

  • 30 Thirty

  • 40 Forty

  • 50 Fifty

  • 60 Sixty

  • 70 Seventy

  • 80 Eighty

  • 90 Ninety

  • 100 One Hundred

Practice

  • Count from 1 to 20.

  • Count backwards from 20 to 1.

  • What comes after 15?

  • What comes before 10?

4. Days of the Week

There are seven days in a week.

            English                       French

  • Monday Lundi

  • Tuesday Mardi

  • Wednesday Mercredi

  • Thursday Jeudi

  • Friday Vendredi

  • Saturday Samedi

  • Sunday Dimanche

Practice

  • What day is today?

  • What day comes after Friday?

  • What day comes before Monday?

5. Months of the Year

There are twelve months in a year.

  • January

  • February

  • March

  • April

  • May

  • June

  • July

  • August

  • September

  • October

  • November

  • December

Speaking Practice

  • What month is your birthday?

  • What comes after June?

  • What comes before October?

  • What is your favorite month of the year, and why? 

  • What is the coldest month in your country? What do you usually do then?

  • What activities do you enjoy in summer months like June, July, or August?

6. Seasons

There are four seasons.

  • Spring Le printemps

  • Summer l' été

  • Autumn/Fall l'automne

  • Winter l'hiver


Example:

  • Summer is hot.

  • Winter is cold.

  • Flowers bloom in spring.

  • Leaves fall in autumn.

Speaking Practice

  • What do you enjoy about autumn?

  • Do you like the changing colors of the leaves?

  • What clothes do you usually wear in autumn?

  • Does autumn feel calm or busy for you?

  • What do you like or dislike about winter?

  • How do you keep warm in winter?

  • Do you enjoy snow? Why or why not

7. Dates and Ordinal Numbers

Dates use ordinal numbers.

Examples:

  • 1st – First

  • 2nd – Second

  • 3rd – Third

  • 4th – Fourth

  • 5th – Fifth

  • 10th – Tenth

  • 21st – Twenty-first

Example sentences:

  • Today is the 1st of July.

  • My birthday is on the 15th of May.

  • He lives on the third floor of the building.

  • This is my fourth attempt at solving the puzzle.

  • We met for the fifth time last week.

  • Today is my twenty-first birthday. 

8. Before and After

Learning sequence is important.

Numbers

  • Before 8 → 7

  • After 8 → 9

Alphabet

  • Before G → F

  • After G → H

Days

  • Before Thursday → Wednesday

  • After Thursday → Friday

Months

  • Before August → July

  • After August → September

9. Question Words (WH Words)

Question words help us gather information.

Word

Used For

Example

What (quoi)

Things

What is your name?

Who

(qui)

People

Who is your teacher?

Where

(ou)

Places

Where do you live?

When

(quand)

Time

When is your birthday?

Why

(pourquoi)

Reason

Why are you happy?

Which

(quelle)

Choice

Which color do you like?

Whose

( à qui)

Ownership

Whose bag is this?

How

(comment)

Method or condition

How are you?

10. Pronouns

 Les pronoms

English

                  French

I

                    Je

You

              Tu / Vous

He

                      Il

She

                  Elle

It

Il / Elle (pour une chose ou 

un animal selon le contexte)

We

                    Nous

They

              Ils / Elles

Examples:

  • I am a student.

  • She is a doctor.

  • They are friends.

11. The Verb "To Be"( ÊTRE)


The verb to be is one of the most important verbs in English.

Pronoun

Verb

I

am

You

are

He

is

She

is

It

is

We

are

They

are


Examples:

  • I am happy.

  • She is a teacher.

  • They are students.

12. Colors 🌈

Learn common colors.

  • Red

  • Blue

  • Green

  • Yellow

  • Black

  • White

  • Brown

  • Pink

  • Orange

  • Purple

Practice:

  • What color is your bag?

  • My bag is black.

13. Shapes ⭕▲⏹ ▭ ⭖⭐

Basic shapes include:

  • Circle

  • Square

  • Triangle

  • Rectangle

  • Star

  • Oval

Practice by identifying shapes 

  1. Egg → __________

  2. Sun → __________

  3. Book → __________

  4. Pizza slice → __________

  5. Window → __________

  6. Ball → __________

  7. Coin → __________


14. Family Vocabulary

Learn about these family members.

  • Father

  • Mother

  • Brother

  • Sister

  • Grandfather

  • Grandmother

  • Uncle

  • Aunt

  • Cousin

Example:

"My family has five members."

  • Can you describe your Family?

15. Classroom Vocabulary

Useful classroom words:

  • Book

  • Pen

  • Pencil

  • Notebook

  • Eraser

  • Desk

  • Chair

  • Board

  • Marker

  • Bag

Solve the Clues

  1. What do we use to erase something on paper?
     → _______________________

  2. What do we use to write in a notebook?
     → _______________________

  3. What do we use to cut paper safely?
     → _______________________

  4. What do we use to stick paper together?
     → _______________________

  5. What do we use to sharpen a pencil?
     → _______________________

  6. What do we use to draw straight lines?
     → _______________________

  7. What do we use to carry books to school?
     → _______________________

  8. What do we use to color pictures?
     → _______________________


16. Common Action Verbs

Action verbs describe what we do.

English French

  • Eat Manger

  • Drink Boire

  • Walk Marcher

  • Run Courir

  • Read Lire

  • Write Écrire

  • Sit S'asseoir

  • Stand Se lever

  • Speak Parler

  • Listen Écouter

  • Sleep Dormir

  • Play Jouer

Examples:

  • I read books.

  • We play football.

  • She writes neatly.

17. Opposites

Learning opposites expands your vocabulary.

  • Big – Small

  • Tall – Short

  • Hot – Cold

  • Fast – Slow

  • Happy – Sad

  • Open – Close

  • Old – New

  • Full – Empty

18. Prepositions


Prepositions show location.




English French

  • In Dans

  • On Sur

  • Under Sous

  • Behind Derrière

  • Between Entre

  • Next to À côté de

  • In front of Devant


Examples:

  • The book is on the table.

  • The cat is under the chair.


Practice Questions

  1. What comes after 19?

  2. What comes before the letter M?

  3. What month comes after September?

  4. What day comes before Sunday?

  5. What is your name?

  6. Where do you live?

  7. How are you today?

  8. What color is your school bag?

  9. Who is your best friend?

  10. Which season do you like the most?



Homework

  • Write the English alphabet (A–Z).

  • Write numbers from 1 to 50.

  • Write the seven days of the week.

  • Write the twelve months of the year.

  • Write the four seasons.

  • Write ten colors.

  • Write ten classroom objects.

  • Write ten action verbs.

  • Write five sentences using I am.

  • Introduce yourself in six simple sentences.


Learning English is a step-by-step journey. Don't worry about making mistakes—they're a natural part of learning. Focus on practicing a little every day, speaking whenever you can, and reviewing what you've learned regularly.

Mastering these basic topics will give you a strong foundation for future lessons on grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Keep practicing, stay curious, and enjoy the process. Every new word you learn brings you one step closer to communicating confidently in English.

Enjoy Learning!
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