Center for Applied Linguistics and Language Studies

English Language Program

Course Description

Course Name: A1 Beginners Course Code: A1

What will I learn?

Through this course, you will develop level:
accuracy and fluency in speaking and writing
awareness of the writing process
reading sub-skills
listening sub-skills

What is the level of this course?

This course aims at the A1 and A2 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
At A1 level you can:
understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the
satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.
introduce themselves and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details
such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has.
interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to
help.
At A2 level you can:
understand sentences and frequently used expressions
communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of
information on familiar and routine matters.
describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters
in areas of immediate need.

What are the components of the course?

The course content includes speaking, grammar, listening, writing, reading, vocabulary and
educational technology components.
The topics covered in the reading, writing, speaking and listening components are
introductions and greetings; names; countries and nationalities; jobs; workplaces and school;
daily schedules; clock time; shopping and prices; clothing and personal items; colors and
materials; music, movies and TV programs; entertainers; invitations and excuses; dates and
times, families, sports, fitness, routines, free-time activities, chores, vacations, stores and
places, neighbourhoods, houses and apartments, appearance and dress, clothing styles, past
experiences, unusual activities, cities, hometowns, countries, health problems, medications
and remedies, food and restaurants, world geography and facts, invitations and excuses,
leisure time activities, telephone messages, life changes, plans and hopes.

The speaking component consists of pronunciation practice, and being able to introduce
oneself, exchanging personal information, common expressions, describing work and school,
asking for and giving opinions, describing daily schedules, discussing preferences, making
comparisons, buying and selling things, talking about likes and dislikes, making invitations
and excuses, being able to talk about families, the present, routines, exercise, frequency,
sports and athletes, abilities, past events, past experiences, vacations, locations,
neighbourhoods, quantities and peoples appearance, being able to talk about cities, ask for
Hellenic American Union: English Language Program: Course Description: A1 Beginners Copyright Hellenic 1
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 and give suggestions/advice, talk about travel and tourism, health problems, make requests,
talk about likes and dislikes, agree and disagree, order a meal, describe countries, make
comparisons, express opinions, talk about distances and measurements, plans,
make/accept/refuse invitations, give reasons, take and leave messages, exchange personal
information, talk about changes, future plans.

The following grammar items are included in this course: Wh-questions and statements with
be/do, information and yes/no questions and answers with be/do, subject, object pronouns,
possessive adjectives, simple present Wh-questions and statements, time expressions,
demonstratives, comparisons, would, verb+to+verb, present continuous/simple past/present
perfect yes/no and Wh-questions, statements and short answers, quantifiers, pronoun: no
one, adverbs of frequency, Past of be, There is/there are, one, any and some, prepositions of
place, questions: how many, how much, count and noncount nouns, questions for describing
people, modifiers with participles and prepositions, already and yet, present perfect vs
simple past, for and since, adverbs before adjectives, conjunctions, modals: can, should,
infinitive complements, should for suggestions, can, could, may for requests, so, too, neither,
either, modals will and would for requests, comparatives and superlatives, How-questions,
future with present continuous and be going to, messages with tell and ask, describing
changes with present, past, present perfect and the comparative, verb + infinitive.

The listening component consists of listening for names and countries, listening to
descriptions of jobs and daily schedules, to people shopping, listening for likes and dislikes.
Also it refers to family relationships, people talking about free-time activities, sports
participation, past events, vacations, locations and events, to cities, incorrect information,
health problems and advice, restaurant orders, a TV game show, telephone messages,
changes.

The writing component consists of writing questions requesting personal information, a

biography of a classmate, a comparison of prices in different countries and a text message,
writing an email about family, about favorite activities, a postcard, a roommate wanted ad,
an email describing people and a letter to an old friend, writing a magazine article, a letter to
a advice columnist, a restaurant review, an article about a country, about unusual favors, a
proposal for a class party.

The reading component consists of a variety of short adopted texts (300 600 words) on
topics such as: popular names, people who need jobs, online shopping, and a famous
entertainer, an American family, a health and fitness quiz, vacation, a New York City
neighborhood, clothing styles and unusual or dangerous sports, famous cities, natural
products, tipping customs, the environment, cell phone manners, a proposal for a class
party.

The vocabulary in this course includes high frequency words and expressions commonly
associated with the topics mentioned above.

Hellenic American Union: English Language Program: Course Description: A1 Beginners Copyright Hellenic 2
American Union, 2013