Tutor Tips
Teaching the Beginning E.S.L Learner

Teaching beginners requires the tutor to pay special attention to the order in which new language is introduced. This 20 point program provides a syllabus to take students from speaking no English at all, to being able to fulfill basic communication needs including: giving personal information, and describing their daily routines and the world around them. Obviously, there is a lot more to speaking English confidently than these twenty points, but this program has been designed to provide a strong base on which to build.

Give Name & Personal Information
Name, telephone number, address

Greetings - Introductions
Basic small talk including "How are you?"

Numbers 1 - 100
Pronunciation, counting skills, telephone numbers

Alphabet
Spelling Skills

This, that, here, there
Recognizing the connection between 'this, here' as opposed to 'that, there'

Present of the verb 'to be'
Conjugation of the verb, question and negative forms for all subjects

Basic descriptive adjectives
Ability to describe objects simply

Basic prepositions use
in, at, to, on, etc.

There is, There are
Difference between singular and plural, question and negative form

Some, any, much, many
When to use some and any in the positive, negative and question forms, using much and many

Question Words
The use of 'wh-' question words as well as 'how much' and 'how many'

Adverbs of Frequency
The use of adverbs of frequency such as: always, often, sometimes, never

Subject Pronouns
I, You, He, She, It, We, You, They

Possessive Adjectives
My, Your, His, Her, (Its), Our, Your, Their

a, an, the
Basic rules for usage: definite and indefinite articles

Jobs
Names of the most common jobs

Telling the Time
How to tell the time

Time expressions
Using 'in the morning', 'in the afternoon', 'in the evening', 'at night', and 'at' with time

Everyday Objects
Well rounded basic vocabulary

Present Simple
The use of the present simple for describing everyday routines, positive, negative and question forms

From: http://esl.about.com/Library/beginnerblabsolute_intro.htm

For more information and for exercises visit their site.