· 7 min read
Learn English for Beginners: Where to Start
By Language Lab editorial team
Learn English for beginners: choose one free beginner course, learn first phrases and the first grammar points in order, listen at slow speed and test yourself.
A beginner in English needs one course to follow, not a hundred tips. Pick a free beginners' course, such as the first English course on USA Learns or Voice of America's Let's Learn English Level 1, and work through it in order. Alongside it, learn a few phrases for meeting people, study the first grammar points one at a time, starting with the verb to be, and listen to English read slowly. Test yourself after every lesson. The target is level A1 of the European framework: using familiar everyday expressions, introducing yourself, and asking and answering simple questions when the other person speaks slowly and clearly. Cambridge English estimates about 200 guided learning hours to move up one level, so expect months of steady work, not days.
What beginner level means
English courses and exams use the levels of the Common European Framework, from A1 to C2. The Council of Europe describes an A1 speaker as someone who can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases, can introduce themselves and others, can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where they live, and can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help. That is your first goal. The British Council calls A1 elementary and A2 pre-intermediate.
Step 1: choose one beginners' course
| Resource | Who makes it | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| USA Learns: 1st English Course | Sacramento County Office of Education | A complete first course: speaking, listening, vocabulary, pronunciation, reading, writing and grammar |
| Let's Learn English, Level 1 and Level 2 | Voice of America | A beginners' course designed by certified American English teachers |
| LearnEnglish: A1 speaking and A1–A2 grammar | British Council | Useful phrases with video, and short grammar lessons with exercises |
| Learning English: easy level | BBC | A programme to follow every day |
| Learning English activities, A1–A2 | Cambridge English | Short practice by skill; many take ten minutes or less |
All five are free. Choose one of the first two as your main course, because they are built as complete courses for beginners, and use the others for extra practice.
Step 2: learn phrases for meeting people
| English | Use it to |
|---|---|
| Hi, I'm Yuna. | Introduce yourself |
| Nice to meet you. | Greet someone for the first time |
| Where are you from? | Ask about someone's home |
| I'm from Istanbul. | Say where you are from |
| What about you? | Return the question |
| I don't understand. | Say you did not follow |
| Could you say that again, please? | Ask someone to repeat |
| Can you repeat that more slowly, please? | Ask for slower speech |
These come from the British Council's A1 speaking lessons. Change the name and the city to your own, and say each phrase aloud.
Step 3: study the first grammar points in order
The British Council's A1–A2 grammar section lists short lessons. These are the ones to do first.
- Present simple: 'to be'
- Present simple
- Question forms
- Articles: 'a', 'an', 'the'
- Using 'there is' and 'there are'
- Prepositions of place and of time: 'in', 'on', 'at'
- Nouns: countable and uncountable
- Past continuous and past simple
Each lesson works the same way: you start with an exercise to test your understanding, read the explanation, and then test yourself again. Do one lesson a day, not five.
Step 4: listen to slow English
Voice of America's Learning English programmes are written with upper-beginner and intermediate vocabulary and read one-third slower than normal English speed. Listen first, then read the text. BBC Learning English sorts its material into easy, medium and hard; stay with easy until you can follow it comfortably.
Step 5: test yourself and repeat
A 2013 review of ten learning techniques, led by John Dunlosky, rated two as high utility: practice testing and distributed practice. Rereading and highlighting were rated low.
- After each lesson, close the page and say everything you remember.
- Cover the English and say each phrase from its meaning.
- Start every session with yesterday's material.
- Return to each lesson after a day, a week and a month.
A first-month plan
- Five days a week, 30 minutes: one lesson of your main course.
- Every day, 10 minutes: one grammar lesson or one speaking lesson from the British Council.
- Three days a week, 10 minutes: one slow-speed story from Voice of America.
- Every day, 5 minutes: your phrases, aloud.
- Once a week: test yourself on the week's new words.
How long it takes
Cambridge English estimates approximately 200 guided learning hours to move up one level of the framework, and 350–400 hours to reach B1 from beginner. At five hours a week, 200 hours is 40 weeks. More hours a week shorten the calendar, not the total. Free courses give you reading, listening and grammar. Speaking needs someone who answers. Language Lab's English course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, which supplies spoken practice.
Frequently asked
How do I start learning English as a beginner?
Choose one free beginners' course, such as the first English course on USA Learns or Voice of America's Let's Learn English Level 1, and follow it in order. Add first phrases, one grammar point a day and slow listening.
What should a beginner learn first in English?
Phrases for meeting people, the verb to be, the present simple, question forms and the articles a, an and the.
How long does it take a beginner to learn English?
Cambridge English estimates about 200 guided learning hours to move up one level, and 350–400 hours to reach B1 from beginner.
What is A1 level English?
The first level of the European framework: you can use familiar everyday expressions, introduce yourself and ask and answer simple questions when the other person speaks slowly and clearly.
Can I learn English for free?
Yes. USA Learns, Voice of America, the British Council, the BBC and Cambridge English all publish free material for beginners.
Is slow English good for beginners?
Yes. Voice of America reads its Learning English programmes one-third slower than normal speed, which lets beginners follow real content.
Sources: British Council, LearnEnglish: A1 speaking, A1–A2 grammar and home page; BBC Learning English; Voice of America, About Learning English; USA Learns; Cambridge English, Learning English and Guided learning hours; Council of Europe, Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, Global scale; Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, Sussex, Balon Greyjoy / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons).
