English for beginners online: getting off to a good start

What do A1 and A2 mean in English?

A1 and A2 are the two entry levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). At A1 you understand and use familiar everyday expressions, introduce yourself and answer simple questions. At A2 you manage routine situations such as shopping, asking for directions or short conversations about work and family, provided the other person speaks slowly and clearly.

The Council of Europe level descriptions are deliberately written as can-do statements. They don’t say how much grammar you know, but what you can do with the language.

Our article on CEFR levels A1 to C2 explains how to place yourself on all six levels. For planning purposes, Cambridge English gives a guideline of around 180 to 200 guided learning hours to reach A2, not counting self-study.

English for beginners online: a plan for your first three months

In your first three months the aim is to introduce yourself, ask simple questions, talk about everyday life and pronounce the most common sounds reliably. With two lessons a week and 15 minutes of revision a day, that is a realistic goal. Regularity matters more than speed. The table below shows one possible sequence, fortnight by fortnight.

What to do between lessons

• Revise vocabulary for 10 to 15 minutes every day, ideally with flashcards or a spaced-repetition app.
• Two or three times a week, listen to short audio for beginners and repeat it out loud.
• Once a week, write a few sentences about your day and go through them in your next lesson.

This plan is a guide. In a course that starts with a needs analysis, the order follows your goals, for example travel or your first conversations at work.

Pronunciation from day one: the key sounds

Many learners, and German speakers in particular, struggle with the th sound, the difference between w and v, the English r, voiced final consonants and the unstressed schwa sound. If you practise these five points from the start, people will understand you better, even with a small vocabulary. Perfect pronunciation is not the goal; being understood is.

At choices® you learn British and American English. For beginners, we recommend following your teacher’s variety at first and exploring the differences consciously later on. You will find more exercises in our article on improving your English pronunciation (in German).

Which grammar do beginners really need?

For A1 you only need a manageable core of grammar: the verb to be, personal pronouns, the present simple with do and does for questions and negatives, can, there is and there are, articles and plurals. At A2 you add the simple past, the present continuous and your first future forms. Everything else can wait.

The A1 core in example sentences

• to be: I am from Germany. Are you a teacher? She isn’t at home.
• Present simple: I work in Erlangen. He works in sales.
• Questions with do and does: Do you like coffee? Where does she live?
• Negatives: I don’t speak Spanish. He doesn’t drive.
• can: I can swim. Can you help me?
• there is and there are: There is a café near the station. There are two meetings today.

Typical beginner mistakes

• “He work” instead of “He works”: the -s in the third person.
• “Like you coffee?” instead of “Do you like coffee?”: questions usually need an auxiliary verb.
• “I am working here since two years” instead of “I have worked here for two years”: this comes later, but remember the correct form. It is a classic for German speakers.
• “I have 35 years” instead of “I am 35”: age is expressed with to be. Speakers of German, French, Spanish and Italian often make this one.

Quick practice

Correct these sentences: 1. She like music. 2. Where you live? 3. I have 40 years.

Answers: 1. She likes music. 2. Where do you live? 3. I am 40.

Always learn new structures in whole sentences that you would actually use yourself, rather than memorising rules in isolation.

What happens in an online English lesson for beginners?

At choices®, an online English lesson for beginners lasts 45 minutes and follows a clear structure: a short warm-up, revision, a new topic with vocabulary and structures, plenty of guided speaking and a brief summary with a task for next time. All you need is a computer or tablet, a headset and a stable internet connection.

A sample lesson

How much of your own language is used?

In the very first lessons, your teacher may briefly explain something in a shared language, such as German, if you would otherwise lose the thread. Week by week, the balance shifts towards English. Screen sharing, the chat function and shared documents help to make new words visible.

One-to-one or group?

In one-to-one lessons you set the pace and the topics, and you speak a lot more. Small groups of no more than six people offer interaction and a little more breathing space for quieter learners. All choices® teachers are trained, and if your teacher changes there is always a structured handover, so you don’t have to start again.

Afraid to speak? How to get started

For many adults learning English, the problem is less about knowledge than about speaking: they are afraid of making mistakes or a bad impression. What helps is short, prepared sentences, a teacher who corrects mistakes calmly and small successes you can actually see. One-to-one lessons often make the start easier, because nobody is listening except your teacher.

Five strategies for getting started

1. Learn safety phrases: “Sorry, can you repeat that, please?”, “Can you speak more slowly, please?”, “How do you say … in English?”
2. Speak with preparation: write down three sentences about your day and read them out first.
3. See mistakes as material: every mistake shows your teacher what to work on next.
4. Record yourself: after four weeks, listen to an old recording and compare.
5. Set small goals: this week, order a coffee in English; next week, greet a colleague.

Thomas R. (example), 52, last studied English at school. In his first lessons he answers with single words only. After a few weeks of fixed safety phrases and short role plays, he describes his working day in five or six sentences. For more background and exercises, see overcoming the fear of speaking English.

Choosing an A1 English course online: a checklist for beginners

A good A1 English course online starts with a placement, even if you think you are starting from zero. Look for trained teachers, clear learning goals, small groups or one-to-one lessons, fixed lesson times and transparent prices. It is just as important that the teacher speaks slowly and clearly and gets you speaking from the very first lesson.

Checklist

• Is there an initial consultation with a placement and a discussion of your goals?
• Are the teachers trained to teach beginners?
• How big are the groups, and are one-to-one lessons available?
• Is British or American English taught, or both?
• Are there materials and tasks for the time between lessons?
• How flexible are lesson times and cancellations?
• Are prices stated clearly, including VAT?

How it works at choices®

Our online English courses start with a needs analysis, beginners included. We teach British and American English, with the emphasis on authentic, practical communication rather than grammar for its own sake. Lessons for individuals cost from €49.99 incl. VAT per 45-minute lesson. If you need a certificate later on, we prepare you for the exam; you take the exam itself with an official exam provider.

You will find more criteria for choosing an online course in choosing an online language course. We present all formats from A1 to C2 on our page learn English online with a teacher.

Sources

1. coe.int: level descriptions
2. support.cambridgeenglish.org: 202838506 Guided learning hours

Frequently asked questions