Education and Leadership › Women’s Academy › School to University Pathway › English for Study – Level 1 › Course Materials
This course is part of the Women’s Academy “School to University” programme and is equivalent to grades 7 and 8 (lower secondary). Its main topics are Foundations (A1), Sentence Building, Reading, Writing, and Listening and Speaking. The content is built around topics covered in international curricula (such as Cambridge Lower Secondary and IGCSE) and global assessment frameworks such as PISA, with examples from everyday life and step-by-step practice.
Course page in the learning system
Course details
| Level | Level 1 of 4, equivalent to grades 7 and 8 (lower secondary) |
| Estimated duration | 40 hours of study and practice |
| Prerequisite | Fluent reading and writing in Farsi-e-Dari or Pashto |
| Language of instruction | Farsi-e-Dari (with key English terms) |
| Cost | 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
- In “Foundations (A1)”: understand the alphabet and pronunciation, introductions and the classroom, and school vocabulary, and apply them to solving problems
- In “Sentence Building”: understand the verb to be and the present simple, asking questions, and numbers and time, and apply them to solving problems
- In “Reading”: understand short texts, basic academic vocabulary and reading comprehension, and apply them to solving problems
- In “Writing”: understand simple sentences and paragraphs, spelling and short messages, and apply them to solving problems
- In “Listening and Speaking”: understand classroom instructions, simple conversations and pronunciation, and apply them to solving problems
Course outline
- Alphabet and pronunciation
- Introductions and the classroom
- School vocabulary
- The verb to be and the present simple
- Asking questions
- Numbers and time
- Short texts
- Basic academic vocabulary
- Reading comprehension
- Simple sentences and paragraphs
- Spelling
- Short messages
- Classroom instructions
- Simple conversations
- Pronunciation
Week-by-week learning path
With about 30 to 45 minutes of study and practice a day, you will complete this course in 6 weeks:
| Week | Topic | Outcome of the week |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Foundations (A1) | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 2 | Sentence Building | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 3 | Reading | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 4 | Writing | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 5 | Listening and Speaking | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 6 | Final project and final exam | Completed project and a score of 70% or higher |
Final project
Level 1 “Language Portfolio”: a recorded spoken introduction, a written text suited to the level, a summary of a short academic text and a subject vocabulary notebook.
Project assessment criteria:
- Language accuracy
- Suitability for the level
- Quality of the summary
- Range of vocabulary
Key course terms
Vocabulary
Grammar
Paragraph
Main idea
Summary
Argument
Pronunciation
Fluency
Assessment and certificate
- After each section: a short quiz (70% is recommended before moving on)
- Practical exercises in each lesson: for learning; send your questions via 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 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
- Take the programme’s short placement test (coming soon)
- Prepare a notebook just for this course
- Set aside 45 minutes a day for study and practice
Free and reliable resources
These resources have been selected by the Academy team. Most of them are in English; Chrome’s Translate option can help you read them. Large files (books, exercise files, videos) will be placed in the Academy’s official Google Drive folder when the course opens 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
Note: This is an educational and preparatory programme and does not count as an official school qualification or formal equivalence; its aim is to prepare young people for exams, scholarships and university study.
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