Introduction to Absolute Beginners

Frances Marnie introduces a series of ESOL lesson plans aimed at

beginner-level students with little or no previous experience of English.
This article provides guidance on how to approach the series and tips
on how to prepare for the first lesson.
The series
Absolute Beginners is a ten-part series designed to teach basic survival English to students who have no
knowledge, or practically no knowledge, of the language, and can be used as a lead-in to a beginner
coursebook. The series will be published monthly. The first few units have two sets of teacher notes and two
sets of student worksheets one for students with knowledge of the Roman script and one for those without.
Teaching of the Roman script is based on whole-word recognition.

How to use the units

Each unit provides material for approximately 90 minutes, although students with no previous knowledge of
Roman script may need longer to assimilate the new vocabulary and learn the alphabet. The units build on the
language covered in previous lessons and many units have additional resources to allow for further practice
when required.
The step-by-step Teachers notes provide clear and detailed guidance for the teacher, allowing the worksheets
to remain as simple as possible. They include:

A summary of what needs to be done before the lesson

Notes for an interpreter
Helpful tips and explanations
With beginner-level students, it is necessary to rely on visual props and cut-outs, therefore there will a
reasonable amount of preparation involved. The lesson plans contain a variety of resources including
flashcards, alphabet cards and letter formation worksheets.

Target learner profile

This series is aimed at students who have had little or no formal education, may be unfamiliar with the Roman
script and may be unable to read or write in their mother tongue. Many will be learning English in order to
comply with Home Office regulations. They may be in Britain to be with their spouse or they may be working
alongside other people of the same nationality. Others will be learning English prior to coming and settling in
Britain. They usually have no contact with English outside the classroom hence the relatively high proportion
of revision in each lesson.

The importance of an interpreter

In order to ensure that there are no basic misconceptions from the start, it is vital to be able to check the
students understanding on a regular basis. Unless you personally have sufficient knowledge of the students
mother tongue, the easiest way to do this is by enlisting the help of a family member, friend or colleague who
can act as an interpreter when required. The ideal time to identify such a person is when the student is being
registered for the course. In fact it can be part of the registration process.
The role of the interpreter is confined solely to checking that key points have been understood correctly and
clarifying any issues.
There are various ways that the interpreter can interact with the teacher. Depending on circumstances, they
can communicate:

face to face preferably at the end of the lesson

by phone
by e-mail
by leaving notes in the students folder.
If no family member or friend is available, consider enlisting an independent interpreter for a few lessons.

Some general advice

Find out the names of the students and clarify what is considered to be their first and last name. This shouldnt
be too difficult as usually a family member or friend will have registered them for the course.
Ascertain if the students are at all familiar with the Roman script.
Try to find out which students have absolutely no English and which ones are already familiar
with Helloand Whats your name?
Find out as much as possible about the students background and needs. This information can be used to
adapt the lessons, if necessary. For example, if a student works in a restaurant, then basic food-related
vocabulary items should be introduced at an early stage. Similarly, if a student stays at home looking after
children, then vocabulary related to family life will be important.
Adapt the lesson to each students pace.
If possible, provide the student with a folder to keep the worksheets in order.
If the student is literate in their mother tongue, suggest that they invest in a bilingual dictionary and that they
bring it to every class.
Keep your language simple and to a minimum. Use gesture as a means of communication. (Check that a nod
means yes in the students culture!)
Remember that a smile is understood by everyone. Smiling will help create a positive atmosphere.
Introduce and practise basic functional language as the occasion arises. Students will probably want to
express Sorry, I dont understand thank you please etc. at various points throughout the series. Give them
the appropriate phrase when they need it. Display it on the wall for future reference and use every natural
occurrence for further practice.
Encourage the students to adopt the LOOK SAY COVER WRITE CHECK method when learning new
vocabulary (see below).

The LOOK SAY COVER WRITE CHECK (LSCW) method

The LSCW method works because the student has to be active and say the word, write it, check it, correct it
and do it again.
1. The student writes the word they want to learn on a piece of paper making sure its the correct spelling!
2. The student should then LOOK at the word carefully, noting the letters and shape of the word in as much
detail as possible.
3. Next the student has to SAY the word. Encourage them to break it down into syllables (e.g. Mon day) and
to notice any silent letters.
4. The next step is to COVER the word.
5. Without looking at the word, the student now attempts to WRITE it.
6. Finally the student should CHECK the word carefully, making sure each letter is in the right place, and
correct any errors.
7. The student is now in a position to correct any mistakes. Remind them that mistakes are an important part of
the learning process. Therefore, they shouldnt worry and simply learn from them!
8. Repeat as often as necessary until the spelling has been learnt.