English Lesson 0: The Alphabet, Phonics, Pronunciation, and Word Building Practice
by S. Sterling
In this beginner-friendly class, we focus on:
Introduction to the 26 letters of the alphabet
Vowel sounds (long and short vowels)
Consonant sounds and pronunciation rules
Basic phonics for reading and spelling
Simple word-building practice
Lesson Guide
We learned in class how to print, or write individual letters by hand. For B1 students and brave A2 students, we learned cursive letters.
Knowing how to write at least your name in cursive is very important as it is still used to sign legal and important documents. (Note: “Sign” here implies you are writing in cursive not print.)
I have also included a PDF that has both print and cursive practice for the alphabet and 100 important words in English.
If the sounds of the English language are difficult for you, please check out the video I included on American Dialect pronunciation here.
Remember: English is (generally) a self-correcting language. If it doesn’t sound right when you say it out loud, it probably isn’t right.
Tips for Remembering: Taking a nap after you study (if you can) is a good way to remember what you learned.
To improve speaking: Listen to someone say a sentence and then record yourself saying the exact same sentence. Play back the recording and notice any differences.