Summary of Introduction to English Language Basics
Introduction to English Language Basics: Your Starter Guide
Introduction
This study guide presents a clear, student-focused overview of the curriculum for an introductory-level English course. It organizes the course by units, describes the communicative goals (speaking, pronunciation/listening, writing/reading, interchange activities), and highlights the core grammar and lexical targets. Use this guide to plan lessons, review outcomes, or prepare study sessions.
Definition: A curriculum is an organized sequence of instructional units and learning outcomes that defines what students are expected to learn and how instruction is structured.
How the curriculum is structured
The course is organized into thematic units. Each unit pairs communicative goals (speaking and functional language) with explicit grammar targets and integrates pronunciation, listening, writing, reading, and interactive classroom activities.
Components of each unit
- Topic / Lexical focus: practical vocabulary sets (e.g., clothing, transportation, foods).
- Speaking goals: what students should be able to say or ask (e.g., asking directions, describing routines).
- Grammar focus: specific grammatical structures and question forms targeted for controlled practice and production.
- Pronunciation & listening: phonological features or listening tasks supporting comprehension and intelligibility.
- Writing & reading: brief tasks emphasizing the unit grammar/lexis in written form.
- Interchange activities: communicative, pair- or group-based tasks for fluency and consolidation.
Definition: Learning outcome is a specific statement of what a learner will know or be able to do after completing a unit or course.
Unit-by-unit breakdown (digestible highlights)
Use the table below to compare units by main topic, speaking focus, and grammar points.
| Unit | Main topic (lexis) | Speaking / Functional Focus | Key Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 (pp.2–7) | Names, alphabet, numbers 0–10, phone/email | Introductions, greetings, exchanging contact info | Possessive adjectives (my/your/his/her); verb be; contractions |
| Unit 2 (pp.8–13) | Possessions, classroom objects, locations | Naming objects; asking/giving locations | Articles a/an/the; this/these; plurals; yes/no & where questions with be; prepositions of place |
| Unit 3 (pp.16–21) | Cities, countries, adjectives of appearance, numbers 11–103 | Asking about origin, nationality, age; describing people | Verb be: affirmative/negative; yes/no & Wh-questions; short answers |
| Unit 4 (pp.22–27) | Clothing, colors, weather, seasons | Describing clothing; talking about weather; finding owners | Possessives (our/their); pronouns; whose; present continuous; conjunctions (and/but/so); adjective placement |
| Unit 5 (pp.30–32) | Clock time, times of day, everyday activities | Asking/telling time; describing current activities | Time expressions (o'clock, A.M./P.M., noon/midnight); present continuous Wh-questions |
| Unit 6 (pp.36–41) | Transportation, family, routines, days | Asking how people travel; family info; daily routines | Simple present (regular/irregular verbs); yes/no & Wh-questions; time expressions (early/late/every day/on Sundays) |
| Unit 7 (pp.44–49) | Houses, apartments, rooms, furniture | Describing homes; asking about features | Simple present short answers; there is/there are; negatives (there isn't/aren't) |
| Unit 8 (pp.50–55) | Jobs and workplaces | Asking/giving job info; opinions about jobs | Simple present Wh-questions with do/does; adjective placement after be and before nouns |
| Unit 9 (pp.58–63) | Foods and meals | Talking about likes/dislikes; healthy foods; needs | Count/noncount nouns; some/any; adverbs of frequency: $\text{always, usually, often, sometimes, hardly}\ \text{ever, never}$ |
| Unit 10 (pp.64–69) | Sports, abilities, talents | Asking about free time; abilities | Simple present Wh-questions; can for ability |
| Unit 11 (pp.72–77) | Months, dates, birthdays, holidays | Asking about birthda |
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Intro Curriculum Overview
Klíčové pojmy: Curriculum organizes learning by thematic units pairing lexis and functions with explicit grammar, Each unit contains speaking goals, grammar targets, pronunciation/listening, writing/reading, and interchange activities, Sequence lessons from controlled practice to freer production for better retention, Use pronunciation work integrated with speaking tasks (linked sounds, intonation, reductions), Key grammar targets include be, present simple/continuous, past simple, be going to, and can, Functional lexis includes places, times, family, jobs, foods, and homes, Interchange activities (role-plays, surveys, comparisons) build fluency and negotiation skills, Writing tasks reinforce grammar through lists, directions, schedules, and short narratives, Use short authentic texts to show grammar in context and motivate learners, Differentiate tasks: extensions for advanced students, simplified prompts for lower-level learners, Emphasize formative checks (Progress Check pages) after every 2–4 units, Use quick reference tables to match grammar forms to communicative uses