Niveau CECR : A1
Read/Listen first
In class, the teacher shows a big poster with the alphabet. She points to capital letters first, then to lowercase. You practise your name: “Marco.” You say each letter: “M, A, R, C, O.” Your partner listens and writes it on a small card. You check the card and correct one letter: “It’s C, not G.” You also spell your city and simple words like “apple” and “hat.” When you don’t hear well, you ask, “Could you say that again?” The class is calm and friendly. By the end, you can recognise letters quickly and spell names slowly and clearly.⚡ Learning goals
- Recognise capital and lowercase letters quickly.
- Spell your name, city and simple words clearly.
- Ask for repetition and correct small mistakes.
✨ Grammar Points — 4 Structures
1⃣ A/an with singular nouns
Rule: Use ‘a’ before consonant sounds and ‘an’ before vowel sounds.
Examples: a hat
an umbrella
an egg
Practice prompt: Complete: I have __ apple and __ banana.
✅ an / a
Exercise: Choose the correct article: __ email, __ city, __ watch.
✅ an email, a city, a watch
Common pitfall + fix: Don’t choose by letter; choose by sound (e.g., an hour).
2⃣ This/That for simple pointing
Rule: Use ‘this’ for near things and ‘that’ for far things.
Examples: This is my pen.
That is our class.
This email is correct.
Practice prompt: Say one sentence with ‘this’ and one with ‘that’.
✅ This name is correct. / That letter is unclear.
Exercise: Fill in: __ letter is A. __ poster is on the wall.
✅ This / That
Common pitfall + fix: Learners sometimes use ‘this’ for far objects; check distance.
3⃣ Imperatives for classroom requests
Rule: Use the base verb to give polite instructions.
Examples: Please repeat.
Speak slowly, please.
Spell your name.
Practice prompt: Make one polite request to your partner.
✅ Please spell your city.
Exercise: Choose the best option: (Repeat / Repeats / Repeated) your email, please.
✅ Repeat
Common pitfall + fix: Avoid adding ‘to’ + verb in imperatives.
4⃣ Be in the present (I am/You are)
Rule: Use ‘am/are/is’ to give basic information.
Examples: I am Marco.
You are Ana.
It is Tuesday.
Practice prompt: Say your name and city using ‘be’.
✅ I am Ana. I am from Porto.
Exercise: Fill in: It __ Monday. You __ from Paris.
✅ is / are
Common pitfall + fix: Don’t drop the verb ‘be’ in basic sentences.
✍️ Vocabulary (6 entries)
name
Meaning: the word people use to call you.
Synonyms: first name, given name
Chunk/Idiom: “full name” — first and last
Example: What is your full name, please?
Morphology: noun; plural names; neutral.
Self-practice: Say and spell your full name.
city
Meaning: a large town where people live.
Synonyms: town, place
Chunk/Idiom: “home city” — where you live
Example: My home city is Lisbon.
Morphology: noun; plural cities; neutral.
Self-practice: Say your city with a capital.
email address
Meaning: the address you use for electronic mail.
Synonyms: email, e-mail
Chunk/Idiom: “at” and “dot” — symbols in email
Example: Please write your email address here.
Morphology: noun phrase; plural email addresses; neutral.
Self-practice: Spell your email slowly.
correct
Meaning: right; not wrong or false.
Synonyms: right, accurate
Chunk/Idiom: “correct a mistake” — fix it
Example: The second letter is not correct.
Morphology: adj.; comparative more correct; neutral.
Self-practice: Check one word and correct it.
card
Meaning: a small piece of paper or plastic.
Synonyms: note, paper, ticket
Chunk/Idiom: “ID card” — identity document
Example: Write your name on the card.
Morphology: noun; plural cards; neutral.
Self-practice: Hold a card and spell one word.
listen
Meaning: to pay attention to sounds or words.
Synonyms: hear, attend
Chunk/Idiom: “listen carefully” — focus on words
Example: Listen carefully and write the letter.
Morphology: verb; listens, listening, listened; neutral.
Self-practice: Listen and repeat one letter.
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
- Write your name with a capital letter.
- Listen carefully and check one letter.
- Could you say that again, please?
- My email is lowercase only.
✏️ Exercises
1) Grammar
-
Choose the correct article: __ egg.
1) a 2) an 3) the
✔︎ Answer: 2) an — ‘egg’ starts with a vowel sound. -
Choose the best option: __ hat.
1) an 2) a 3) the
✔︎ Answer: 2) a — ‘hat’ starts with a consonant sound. -
Fill with the best answer: I __ Ana. (am/are)
→ Solution: am — Use ‘am’ with I. -
Fill with the best answer: Please __ your name. (spell/spells)
→ Solution: spell — Imperatives use the base form.
2) Vocabulary & Comprehension
-
What does ‘repeat’ mean?
1) say again 2) write fast 3) delete
✔︎ Answer: 1) say again — Repeat = say something again. -
Which is a capital letter?
1) a 2) A 3) aa
✔︎ Answer: 2) A — Capital letters are big forms. -
Fill with the best answer: My city is Par__.
→ Solution: is — Grammar item: ‘is’ with ‘city’. -
Fill with the best answer: Spell your name: M A R __ O.
→ Solution: C — The missing letter is C.
⚙️ Integrated content
Mini-dialogue — Natural situation
A: What’s your name?
B: Marco.
A: How do you spell it?
B: M A R C O.
A: Thank you.
Why this matters
Spelling your name helps people write it correctly on forms, cards, and tickets.
Verb & Adjective Pack (ready-to-use chunks)
• write in capitals → “Write the first letter in capitals.”
• lowercase email → “Please keep the email lowercase.”
• check again → “Check one letter again.”
️ Try and compare — guided production + model answers
Exercise 1 — Fill the blank
“My name starts with __ capital letter.”
→ ✔︎ a (Correct article.)
Exercise 2 — Self-correction
You said: “It’s an hat.”
→ Better: “It’s a hat.”
Exercise 3 — Practice aloud
Spell your first name, then your city.
