A1 ESL lesson plans for beginner students
A1 lesson plans are for students starting English from zero or close to it. The A1 courses cover greetings and introductions, numbers and the time, family, the home, and shopping and money, with simple instructions and plenty of recycling. The all-levels courses below suit A1 too, as long as you keep the tasks short and the language concrete.
The first lesson of each course is a full plan you can read here with no signup (for In the News, a recent story). The other lessons show an outline.
Written for A1
All-levels courses that work at A1 too
These courses are not written for one level: the topic carries the lesson, and you set the difficulty by what you ask of the answer. At A1, keep the tasks short and the language concrete.
Daily Life Discussions
Everyday topics to get students talking about their routines and experiences
Opinions and Preferences
Practice expressing and defending personal viewpoints
Ancient Wonders
The pyramids, the Great Wall, Machu Picchu and more. Mixed levels from A2 to C1, so you can pick the version that fits your student.
The World Wars
Trenches, a Christmas truce, the Blitz, D-Day and how nations remember. Human stories from 1914 to 1945, at levels from A2 to C1.
Turning Points
Six moments when the world changed direction: from the printing press to the first smartphone. Levels A2 to C1.
Empires & Explorers
Silk roads, treasure fleets and the people who crossed the map. Trade, power and travel from A2 to C1.
Inventions That Changed Everything
The light bulb, penicillin, the car, the plane and the washing machine: how ordinary life was invented. Levels A2 to C1.
Scientists & Inventors
Curie, Einstein, Lovelace, Tesla, Turing and Newton: the people who changed how we understand the world. Levels A2 to C1.
Leaders & Changemakers
Mandela, Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Malala and more: people who changed their countries without an army. Levels A2 to C1.
Artists & Creators
The Beatles, Frida Kahlo, Picasso, Shakespeare, Miyazaki and Beethoven: what it takes to make something new. Levels A2 to C1.
Founders & Builders
Disney, Chanel, Ford, Honda, Jobs and Carnegie: the people who built companies, and what they cost. Levels A2 to C1.
Athletes & Explorers
Pelé, Serena Williams, Muhammad Ali, Hillary and Tenzing, Amelia Earhart and Shackleton: bodies, limits and the people who pushed them. Levels A2 to C1.
Wonders of the Modern World
The Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, the Golden Gate, the Sydney Opera House, the Burj Khalifa and the Panama Canal. Levels A2 to C1.
Sacred Places
The Taj Mahal, Petra, Borobudur, Notre-Dame, Mecca and Stonehenge: places built for something bigger than us. Levels A2 to C1.
Natural Landmarks
The Grand Canyon, Ha Long Bay, Iceland's volcanoes, Uluru, the Amazon and the Great Barrier Reef. Nature's monuments, from A2 to C1.
Asia's Icons
Mount Fuji, the Forbidden City, Bagan, the Petronas Towers, Hoi An and the Mekong: the places that define a continent. Levels A2 to C1.
My City's Landmarks
The student is the guide: describe, compare and defend the landmarks of your own city. Speaking-first lessons from A2 to C1.