Learn English from zero: a practical beginner plan

Start with sentences you can use today

Learn a pronoun together with a verb. Use I am to introduce yourself, I have to talk about possessions and I like for preferences. Change one part at a time and read the whole sentence aloud. Learning a useful sentence gives a new word a context that an isolated translation cannot provide.

• I am a student.
• I have a notebook.
• I like English.

A flexible first week

On days one and two, write five sentences about yourself. On days three and four, describe your day with verbs such as study, work and read. Spend day five listening to a short beginner recording and day six writing what you understood. On day seven, recall your sentences without looking. Repeat the week or extend it to fit your schedule.

Balance understanding and use

Try twenty minutes: five recalling yesterday's words, five reading new examples, five listening and five writing two sentences. This is a suggested routine, not a measure of progress. If you keep forgetting a word, use it in a sentence that matters to you instead of copying it repeatedly.

Notice what you can do independently

Keep a small writing sample each week. Compare your ability to introduce yourself, describe your day and ask a simple question. Watching more videos does not necessarily mean you can use the language. Try speaking or writing without the model. Next, study the present simple and practise sentence order and listening.