Pre A1 Starters study plan
Pre A1 Starters · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Speaking & Listening
Say and respond to 8 everyday greetings and self-introduction phrases out loud without reading (name, age, family, favourite colour)
Recognise the 26 letter names and their most common sounds when heard in isolation
Copy and say 20 high-frequency words from the Pre A1 Starters picture-word list (animals, food, toys)
Answer three simple spoken questions with one-word or short-phrase replies in a recorded self-introduction
Your checkpoint
A 60-second recorded self-introduction in which you greet, give your name, age, and favourite colour, and answer three follow-up questions with no script in front of you
Speaking & Listening
Name 30 common objects and people in a room picture and place each word in a spoken phrase ("a red ball", "two cats")
Respond to classroom and examiner instructions such as "point to", "open", "listen", "show me" with the correct action
Ask two simple questions of your own ("What's this?", "How many?") during practice
Use plural -s and simple prepositions (in, on, under) correctly in 10 spoken sentences
Your checkpoint
A 3-minute role-play recording with a partner or tutor where you identify 15 pictured objects, follow five spoken instructions, and ask two questions
Listening & Reading and Writing
Match 40 spoken words to their written forms by first sound and whole-word shape
Write the 26 letters in both upper and lower case from dictation with correct letter formation
Spell 25 common Starters words from spoken dictation without a word bank
Identify the number (singular/plural) and colour word in a spoken sentence about a picture
Your checkpoint
A dictation sheet of 25 words and 5 short sentences, scored for spelling; target 20 of 25 words fully correct
Reading and Writing & Speaking
Read and understand 10 short three-to-five-word sentences and match each to the correct picture
Answer yes/no and wh- questions about a picture in writing with one or two words
Describe a picture aloud using "There is / There are" and at least two colours
Write 5 sentences about yourself using the verb be and have got correctly
Your checkpoint
A picture-description task: 8 written answers to questions about one picture plus a 5-sentence spoken description of it, both scored against a simple checklist
Listening & Reading and Writing
Follow a short spoken dialogue and choose the correct picture among three options for each of 10 items
Write missing letters to complete 15 words in a picture-labelled word puzzle
Read a 40-word simple text and answer 5 comprehension questions in one or two words
Distinguish and produce short vowel sounds (cat/cut, pen/pan) when reading aloud
Your checkpoint
A timed mini-test of 10 listening picture-choice items and a 5-question reading task, both completed in under 15 minutes with a recorded score
Speaking & Listening
Sustain a 4-minute conversation with an adult on familiar topics (family, school, hobbies, food) without long pauses
Use present simple verbs correctly in 15 spoken sentences about daily routines
Understand and respond to 10 questions containing question words (who, what, where, when, how many)
Self-correct at least three pronunciation errors after listening back to a recording
Your checkpoint
A 4-minute unscripted conversation recording with a partner, plus a written self-correction list of at least three errors you identified and fixed
Reading and Writing & Speaking
Complete a full-length Reading and Writing practice paper under timed conditions and review every wrong answer
Write 10 sentences describing a sequence of three pictures using and, then, and but
Retell a short picture story aloud in the past simple with at least five sentences
Read aloud a 60-word text with accurate word stress and clear final consonants
Your checkpoint
A completed full Reading and Writing practice paper with a score recorded and an error log listing the reason for each mistake
Listening & Reading and Writing & Speaking
Complete one full mock test across all three domains under exam timing and conditions
Review the mock test and re-do every missed item until correct
Rehearse the Speaking format end to end: greeting, picture description, question answering, and personal questions
Finalise a one-page personal vocabulary sheet of the 50 words you misspelled or mispronounced most
Your checkpoint
A full mock test result sheet showing section scores, a corrected error log, and a 50-word personal vocabulary sheet you can read from memory
Milestones
Week 2: You can introduce yourself for 60 seconds and identify 15 pictured objects aloud without a script
Week 4: You score at least 16 of 25 on the dictation sheet and can answer 8 written picture questions with mostly correct spelling
Week 6: You hold a 4-minute conversation with no more than three long pauses and correctly answer 8 of 10 question-word prompts
Week 8: Your full mock test shows at least 70 percent correct in each of Listening, Reading and Writing, and Speaking, with an error log completed