Level: Beginner (A1) General English
A1 Beginner English
Book 1 of 6 · English Self-Learning Series · 6 weeks
Start English from the very beginning with Book 1 of the English Self-Learning Series. In six weeks you learn to introduce yourself, describe your daily routine, talk about your family and home, buy food and ask prices, and say what you are doing now and what you can do. Each week follows the book: grammar with Sinhala help, vocabulary, useful phrases, speaking, listening, reading and writing tasks, and a review quiz. The course ends with the A1 exit test.
- Units
- 7
- Lessons
- 41
- Effort
- 36 hours
- Learning
- Self-paced
What you will learn
- I can introduce myself and say my name, age, job and where I am from.
- I can ask and answer simple questions about personal information.
- I can talk about my family and my home in simple sentences.
- I can describe my daily routine using the Present Simple.
- I can buy food and things in a shop, ask prices and understand numbers.
- I can say what I am doing now and what I can and can't do.
- I can tell the time and talk about the days of the week.
- I can read and write short, simple messages, notes and forms.
About this course
About this level
A1 is the first level of learning English. This course is for you if you want to learn English from the very beginning, or if you have forgotten what you learned at school. In 6 weeks you will learn to talk about yourself, your family and your daily life in simple sentences. You will also learn to ask and answer simple questions, and to read and write short messages. If you study for 60 minutes every day, you will soon see a difference.
A1 යනු ඉංග්රීසි ඉගෙනීමේ පළමු මට්ටමයි. ඉංග්රීසි මුල සිටම ඉගෙන ගන්න කැමති අයට, නැත්නම් පාසලේදී ඉගෙනගත් දේ අමතක වූ අයට මෙම කොටස සුදුසුයි. සති 6ක් තුළ ඔබට ඔබ ගැන, ඔබේ පවුල ගැන සහ ඔබේ දෛනික ජීවිතය ගැන සරල වාක්යවලින් කතා කරන්න පුළුවන් වේවි. සරල ප්රශ්න අහන්න, ඒවාට පිළිතුරු දෙන්න, කෙටි පණිවිඩ කියවන්න සහ ලියන්නත් ඔබ ඉගෙන ගනීවි. දිනකට විනාඩි 60ක් නිතිපතා වැඩ කළොත් ඉක්මනින්ම වෙනසක් දැකගන්න පුළුවන්.
Your daily 60-minute routine
Study 6 days a week and use Sunday for review:
- 10 min – Flashcards: review your old cards in Anki and add 10 new words.
- 15 min – Grammar: study this week's topic and do the exercises.
- 10 min – Listening: a short, slow audio or video for beginners.
- 10 min – Speaking: repeat sentences aloud and talk to yourself in English.
- 10 min – Reading: one short, easy text.
- 5 min – Writing: 3–5 sentences in your English notebook.
How this course follows the book
This course is Book 1 of the English Self-Learning Series (A1 Beginner). Each unit is one week of the book's 6-week plan, in the same order:
- Week 1: Introducing yourself
- Week 2: Daily routine
- Week 3: Home, family and things around you
- Week 4: Food, shopping, numbers and prices
- Week 5: What you are doing now, abilities
- Week 6: Consolidation and exit test
Every week has grammar lessons with Sinhala help from the book, a vocabulary lesson, useful phrases with a speaking checklist, reading and writing, listening and pronunciation, and a 10-question review quiz (pass mark 70%). On Sunday, review your flashcards and make a 2-minute recording of yourself speaking.
The exit test
The course ends with the A1 exit test: 30 questions on all 8 grammar topics, the vocabulary, the useful phrases and short reading texts of the level. You need 70% to pass, and you can try again after one hour. Pass it to complete the course and get your certificate. Week 6 also gives you the book's exit checklist for speaking, listening and writing, so you can check that you are ready for Book 2 (A2 Elementary).
Who this course is for
Adults and young people in Sri Lanka who want to learn English from the very beginning, or who learned some English at school and have forgotten it, and who want a clear 6-week plan with Sinhala help.
Before you start
None. This is the first level of the series, for complete beginners and for people who have forgotten the English they learned at school. It helps if you know the English alphabet (Week 1 practises it). Plan about 60 minutes a day, 6 days a week.
Course structure
7 units · 41 lessons · about 9.5 hours of lessons
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Week 1: Introducing yourself
Goal: by the end of the week you can say your name, age, job and where you are from in English. Grammar: the verb 'to be' (am, is, are) and subject pronouns. Vocabulary: greetings and personal information, jobs, countries and numbers 1–20. Tasks: practise a 6-line self-introduction, record a 30-second introduction, read short profiles and fill in a simple form.
ShowHide 6 lessons of Week 1: Introducing yourself · about 1.5 hours
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Grammar: the verb 'to be' and subject pronouns
Use am, is and are with I, you, he, she, it, we and they in positive sentences, negatives and questions.
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Vocabulary: greetings, personal information, jobs, countries and numbers
Understand and use 12 words for greetings and personal information, 10 jobs, 10 countries and the numbers 1–20.
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Useful phrases and speaking: meeting people
Greet someone, introduce yourself, ask where someone is from and what they do, and ask for a phone number.
14 min -
Reading and writing: profiles and a simple form
Read short personal profiles and find each person's name, age, job and country, then fill in a simple form about yourself.
14 min -
Listening and pronunciation: the alphabet and spelling
Say the letters of the English alphabet correctly and spell your name, street and town aloud.
12 min -
Week 1 review
Pass the Week 1 review quiz (10 questions on the verb 'to be', personal information, jobs, numbers and a short profile) with a score of 70% or more.
Test 10 min
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Week 2: Daily routine
Goal: by the end of the week you can talk about your normal day and times in simple sentences. Grammar: the Present Simple (positive, negative and questions). Vocabulary: daily routine verbs, telling the time, days of the week and numbers to 100. Tasks: say clock times aloud, describe your day for 1 minute, read about two people's days and write a paragraph called My weekday.
ShowHide 6 lessons of Week 2: Daily routine · about 1.5 hours
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Grammar: the Present Simple
Use the Present Simple to talk about your daily routine, with -s for he, she and it, and make negatives and questions with do and does.
20 min -
Vocabulary: daily routines, days and telling the time
Use 12 daily routine verbs, the days of the week and numbers to 100, and tell the time with o'clock, half past, quarter past and quarter to.
18 min -
Useful phrases and speaking: time and saying goodbye
Ask and say the time, say sorry when you are late, and say goodbye politely.
12 min -
Reading and writing: two days and My weekday
Understand short texts about people's daily routines and write a 60-word paragraph about your weekday with first, then and after that.
16 min -
Listening and pronunciation: times and the -s ending
Listen for times in short audios about daily routines, and say the -s ending of verbs clearly (works, lives, watches).
12 min -
Week 2 review
Pass the Week 2 review quiz (10 questions on the Present Simple, daily routine verbs, days, times and a short text) with a score of 70% or more.
Test 10 min
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Week 3: Home, family and things around you
Goal: by the end of the week you can introduce your family and say where things are in your home. Grammar: possessives (my, your, 's), this/that/these/those and prepositions of place (in, on, under, next to). Vocabulary: family, home and objects, and colours. Tasks: describe a family photo, read about a house, and write 80 words about your family.
ShowHide 7 lessons of Week 3: Home, family and things around you · about 1.5 hours
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Grammar: possessives and this, that, these, those
Say who things belong to with my, your, his, her, our, their and 's, and point to things with this, that, these and those.
18 min -
Grammar: prepositions of place (in, on, under, next to)
Say where things are with in, on, under and next to, and ask Where is…? and Where are…?
15 min -
Vocabulary: family, home and colours
Name 12 family members, 12 rooms and things in a home, and 8 colours.
16 min -
Useful phrases and speaking: when you don't understand
Say that you don't understand, ask someone to repeat, ask what a word means and say I don't know.
12 min -
Reading and writing: a house and my family
Understand a short description of a house and where things are, and write 80 words about your family.
15 min -
Listening and pronunciation: families, homes and the th sound
Follow a short beginner audio about a family or a home, and say the th sound in this, that, mother and three.
12 min -
Week 3 review
Pass the Week 3 review quiz (10 questions on possessives, this/that/these/those, prepositions of place, family, home and colours) with a score of 70% or more.
Test 10 min
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Week 4: Food, shopping, numbers and prices
Goal: by the end of the week you can ask for things in a shop, ask prices and understand prices in English. Grammar: articles a/an/the and plurals; there is / there are and some/any. Vocabulary: food and drink, shops, quantities, numbers to 1,000 and prices in rupees. Tasks: say real prices aloud, role-play buying vegetables, read a menu and write a shopping list.
ShowHide 7 lessons of Week 4: Food, shopping, numbers and prices · about 1.5 hours
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Grammar: articles a, an, the and plurals
Use a, an and the correctly (including before jobs) and make regular and special plurals.
18 min -
Grammar: there is, there are, some and any
Say what there is in a place with there is and there are, and use some and any in positive sentences, negatives and questions.
16 min -
Vocabulary: food, shops, quantities and prices
Name 12 foods and drinks and 10 shops, use quantities like a kilo of and a loaf of, and say prices up to Rs. 1,000 and more.
18 min -
Useful phrases and speaking: in a shop and a café
Ask for prices, ask for things politely in a shop or café, ask about paying by card and say thank you.
12 min -
Reading and writing: a menu and a shopping list
Find prices and information on a menu, work out the cost of an order, and write a shopping list with quantities.
14 min -
Listening and pronunciation: prices, thirteen or thirty, f and p
Hear and write down prices in short shopping conversations, and say thirteen and thirty, f and p clearly.
12 min -
Week 4 review
Pass the Week 4 review quiz (10 questions on a/an/the, plurals, there is/are, some/any, food, shops, quantities and prices) with a score of 70% or more.
Test 10 min
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Week 5: What you are doing now, abilities
Goal: by the end of the week you can describe what is happening now, say what you can do and give simple instructions. Grammar: the Present Continuous; can / can't and imperatives. Vocabulary: action verbs, hobbies and sports, simple instructions. Tasks: say what you are doing every day, ask 10 Can you…? questions, read instructions and write a WhatsApp message.
ShowHide 7 lessons of Week 5: What you are doing now, abilities · about 1.5 hours
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Grammar: the Present Continuous
Say what people are doing now with am, is, are + -ing, make negatives and questions, and choose between the Present Simple and the Present Continuous.
18 min -
Grammar: can, can't and imperatives
Say what you can and can't do, ask Can you…? and Can I…?, and give simple instructions with imperatives.
16 min -
Vocabulary: actions, hobbies, sports and instructions
Use 15 action, hobby and sport words and understand simple instructions in class, on forms and on signs.
15 min -
Useful phrases and speaking: asking for help
Ask where a place is, ask someone to speak slowly or to wait, ask for help and answer Can you…? questions.
12 min -
Reading and writing: instructions and a WhatsApp message
Understand short instructions in a recipe, a sign and a notice, and write a 70-word message about what people are doing now.
14 min -
Listening and pronunciation: Can you…? and the -ing ending
Understand short dialogues with Can you…? questions, say the -ing ending clearly and tell v and w apart.
12 min -
Week 5 review
Pass the Week 5 review quiz (10 questions on the Present Continuous, can and can't, imperatives, actions and instructions) with a score of 70% or more.
Test 10 min
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Week 6: Consolidation and exit test
Goal: by the end of the week you have reviewed all of A1 and checked that you are ready for A2. Grammar: a review of all 8 A1 grammar topics and the common mistakes of Sinhala speakers. Vocabulary: a review of the six word sets. Tasks: a 2-minute talk, a 5-minute conversation with the useful phrases, an email to a pen friend, comparing your recordings and the book's exit checklist.
ShowHide 7 lessons of Week 6: Consolidation and exit test · about 1.5 hours
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Grammar review: the 8 A1 topics
Use all 8 grammar topics of the A1 level correctly in simple sentences.
15 min -
Grammar review: common mistakes
Recognise and correct the 10 most common A1 mistakes of Sinhala speakers.
15 min -
Vocabulary review: the six word sets
Remember and use the words from the book's six A1 word sets.
12 min -
Useful phrases and speaking: getting ready for the exit test
Use the 24 useful phrases of the level in conversations, and check your speaking, listening and writing with the book's exit checklist.
15 min -
Reading and writing: an email to a pen friend
Understand a short personal email and write a 100-word email about yourself, your family and your day.
16 min -
Listening and pronunciation: review and your progress
Answer questions about short A1 audios and compare your Week 1 and Week 6 recordings to see your progress.
12 min -
Week 6 review
Pass the Week 6 review quiz (10 questions on all the grammar, vocabulary and reading of Book 1) with a score of 70% or more.
Test 10 min
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Exit test
The A1 exit test: 30 questions on everything in Book 1 – the 8 grammar topics, the vocabulary, the useful phrases and short reading texts. Pass it with 70% or more to complete the course. Then you are ready for Book 2 (A2 Elementary).
ShowHide 1 lesson of Exit test · about 20 minutes
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A1 exit test
Pass the A1 exit test (30 questions on the grammar, vocabulary, phrases and reading of Book 1) with a score of 70% or more.
Test 20 min
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Estimated effort
Plan for 36 hours in total, including practice and reviews. At about an hour a day, six days a week, that is about 6 weeks.
How you will learn
- Grammar explanations with Sinhala help
- Vocabulary and useful phrases
- Interactive exercises
- Weekly review quizzes
- Speaking, listening, reading and writing tasks
- Exit test
Try it free
2 lessons of this course are free to try, without an account. Your progress is saved once you enrol.
Completion and certificate
You complete the course when you have:
- finished every required lesson (41 lessons), and
- passed the required course test.
When you complete the course, you receive a myedu.lk certificate of completion with a code that anyone can check online.
A certificate of completion shows that you finished this course on myedu.lk. It is not an independent certification of your English proficiency.
Ready to start A1 Beginner English?
This course is free. Enrol and start your first lesson today.