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English is the key to most scholarships, online courses and job opportunities. This course is Level 1 of the Academy’s English programme: it starts from zero and is aligned with level A1 of the CEFR, focusing on correct pronunciation, everyday conversation, basic grammar and writing simple messages and emails. The later levels (A2 to B2 and exam preparation) continue in the “From School to University” programme. Short video lessons are being added gradually by volunteer teachers.
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Course details
| Level | Level 1: A1 in the CEFR (later levels in the From School to University programme) |
| Estimated duration | About 15 hours (19 lessons, 7 quizzes and a final project) |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Language of instruction | Farsi-e-Dari |
| Fee | Free |
| Assessment | A quiz after each section and a final exam; pass mark 70%; certificate after approval by the Academy |
After this course you will be able to
- Learn the alphabet and the correct pronunciation of the main sounds of English
- Introduce yourself and talk about your family, work and daily life
- Recognise and use around 500 to 800 high-frequency words
- Read short, simple texts and write short messages
- Hold conversations in simple situations (shopping, asking for directions, making an appointment)
Course outline
Section 1: Sounds and Letters
- Lesson 1.1: The English alphabet: letter names and writing
- Lesson 1.2: Key English sounds for Persian and Pashto speakers
- Lesson 1.3: From letter to word: reading simple words
- Section 1 quiz: Sounds and Letters
Section 2: Getting to Know Others
- Lesson 2.1: Greetings and introducing yourself (the verb to be)
- Lesson 2.2: Numbers, age, phone numbers and email
- Lesson 2.3: Days, months, time and dates
- Section 2 quiz: Getting to Know Others
Section 3: Everyday Life
- Lesson 3.1: Family and home (have / has, possession)
- Lesson 3.2: Food and shopping (a / an / some, How much / How many)
- Lesson 3.3: Places and asking for directions (there is / there are, prepositions of place)
- Section 3 quiz: Everyday Life
Section 4: Basic Grammar: Present, Past and Future
- Lesson 4.1: Present simple: daily routines and facts
- Lesson 4.2: Present continuous: what are we doing now?
- Lesson 4.3: Past simple and the future with going to
- Section 4 quiz: Basic Grammar
Section 5: Skills: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
- Lesson 5.1: Listening: from the gist to the details
- Lesson 5.2: Reading short texts and writing simple messages and emails
- Lesson 5.3: Speaking: a one-minute introduction and shadowing
- Section 5 quiz: Skills
Section 6: Sustainable Learning and the Path to Higher Levels
- Lesson 6.1: Learning vocabulary with spaced repetition
- Lesson 6.2: A study plan and reliable free resources
- Lesson 6.3: CEFR levels, exams and the next step
- Section 6 quiz: Sustainable Learning
Section 7: Final Exam and Certificate
- Final exam: English – Level 1 (A1)
- End of course: final project, certificate and the next level
Week-by-week learning path
With about 30 to 45 minutes of study and practice a day, you will complete this course in 7 weeks:
| Week | Topic | Weekly output |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Getting started | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 2 | Everyday life | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 3 | Grammar | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 4 | Skills | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 5 | English for study and work | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 6 | The road to exams | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 7 | Final project and final exam | Completed project and a score of 70% or higher |
Final project
An end-of-course “English Language Portfolio”: a recorded two-minute spoken introduction, a 120-word formal email, a 150-word text about your study goal, and a Duolingo English Test or IELTS practice test with an improvement plan.
Project assessment criteria:
- Fluency and pronunciation
- Grammatical accuracy
- Structure and vocabulary of formal writing
- A realistic plan for the exam
Key terms of the course
Vocabulary
Grammar
Pronunciation
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
CEFR
Assessment and certificate
- After each section: a short quiz (70% recommended before continuing)
- Practical exercises in each lesson: for learning; use Questions to send your questions
- End of course: final exam (pass mark 70%) and submission of the final project
- Digital certificate after review and approval by the Academy: Request a certificate
Teaching method
Each lesson includes learning objectives, explanations with real examples and images, key terms in Farsi-e-Dari and English, common mistakes, practical exercises, a self-test and a summary. In every lesson you can ask the teacher questions using the Questions button. The courses are impartial, free and open to all young people.
Get ready now
- Set aside 15 minutes a day in your schedule for language practice
- Start a vocabulary notebook
- Start one of the free resources below today
Free and reliable resources
These resources have been selected by the Academy team. Most of them are in English; you can also use the Translate option in the Chrome browser. Large files (books, exercise files, videos) will be placed in the Academy’s official Google Drive folder when the course is activated and linked from this page.
- BBC Learning English, free English lessons with audio and video
- British Council – LearnEnglish, free English practice at all levels
- Duolingo, free daily language practice on your phone
- Duolingo English Test, an online English test accepted by many universities
- IELTS, official information on the IELTS exam
Help and questions
Questions about this course: [email protected] · All courses: Online Learning Centre · Active course: Computer and Internet Basics
Women’s Academy, Afghanistan Youth Parliament · Free and open to all young people