Absolute and False Beginner First Lesson

(download the set in 2 parts--nine pages total--below)

The first lesson in almost every absolute and false beginner course I have ever taught deals with using the verb "to be" and the correct use or omission of the indefinite articles "a" and "an".

When it comes to low beginner level classes, I am a die hard lover of a very tightly focused, no-fail, no-frills mechanical practice portion of the lesson.  Especially in the early days of the course, not only does it help with mastery, I think it builds confidence, momentum and motivation.

After introducing the rules (a/an is not used for proper nouns, "a" is used for singular nouns starting with consonants, "an" for singular nouns starting with vowels) I use these cards like this:

Step 1:  singular proper nouns, "Spain is a country.",  "Mexico is a country.", "South America is a continent.", "Europe is a continent.", "Spanish is a language.", "English is a language."

Step 2:  add singular nouns that take an indefinite article, "A bee is an insect.", "An ant is an insect.", "A bear is an animal.", "A cow is an animal.", "A bear is an animal.", "A cow is an animal.", "A computer is a machine.", "A carrot is a vegetable."

Step 3:  plural proper nouns, "Canada and Brazil are countries.", "Tokyo and London are cities.", "Asia and Australia are continents."

Step 4:  plural nouns, "Dogs are animals.", "Bees are insects.", "Bears are animals.", "Computers are machines.", "Carrots are vegetables."

I drill with each separately until mastery then add each section to the first group one by one.  By the end, all of the cards have been integrated and shuffled together.  I end the activity when students are able to make "noun + to be + noun" sentences about all of them.

I try not to include written work yet because it requires explaining rules for spelling plurals.

As a production type activity for this lesson I play a game show style game with a bell in the middle of the table and will call out, for example:  "City."

The first student will ring the bell and make a sentence:  "Lisbon is a city."

If the student gets the sentence right, they call out the next category for their classmates to make a sentence.  If necessary, categories are written on the board.

Me:  "Animals."

Student:  "Bears are animals."

Download the part 1 of the flashcards in Google Documents here.
Download the part 2 of the flashcards in Google Documents here.