Beginning-Low 1
Legend:
Italics
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taken
directly from the Model Standards
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{item
or items}
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specific
vocabulary to be taught
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N
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objective
to be introduced
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C
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objective
to be continued
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R
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objective
to be reviewed
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(receptive
only)
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teacher
uses structure/vocabulary without grammatical explanation and does not expect
students to produce
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Student Profile at Entry
Students enter the Beginning Low level with little or no
ability to
read or write English. They are unable to function unassisted in a situation
requiring spoken English.
Approach
Emphasis is on developing students' ability to listen and
understand. There is little emphasis on grammatical accuracy. Nonverbal
behavior and cross-cultural communication are taught implicitly through
demonstration and interaction.
The development of listening comprehension is the critical task of the
teacher
at this level. Techniques such as TPR (Total Physical Response) and the
Natural
Approach monitor a student's listening comprehension without oral response.
Drill, dialogues and simple roleplays can be used for oral practice. Realia,
including pictures, clocks, calendars, Flashcards, and objects, provide a
necessary visual context for the language. Students will learn grammar
patterns
inductively through activities such as cloze, simple dictation, word
games, and
scrambled words and sentences. At the beginning low level, extensive
vocabulary
building is incorporated into the ongoing review process.
At this level, students begin to apply strategies that enable them to solve
problems, make decisions and conceptualize new ideas. Students need to be
shown
how to work in pairs and in groups. Risk-taking needs to be encouraged.
Formal
concepts of grammar are introduced gradually. Whenever possible, students
will
be given the opportunity to practice general language learning on the
computer.
Classroom atmosphere should foster an understanding and acceptance of human
differences and beliefs.
Course Content
Topics
Course content is relevant to the lives of the students. It integrates
language functions and language forms with informational sources, skills, and
topics. Topics are chosen in accordance with students' goals: general and
vocational. Informational sources, skills, and topics at this level
include:
Information Sources
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Skills
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General
Topics
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Vocational
Topics
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Lists
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Scanning
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Personal
identification
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Job
Titles
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Signs
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Categorizing
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Weather
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Following
Simple instructions
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Schedules
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Test-taking
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Money
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Time
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Family
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Food
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Shopping
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Clothes
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Body
Parts
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Health
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Housing
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Transportation
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Holidays
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Multi-cultural
awareness
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Additional topics based on students' needs should be added. All of these
topics may be taught at higher levels of instruction.
Culture
Cultural aspects such as nonverbal behavior (gestures, eye contact, body
language) and cross-cultural communication (awareness of differences,
respect,
tolerance) are taught implicitly in context through demonstration and
interaction.
Language Functions
On exit, students will be able to use English for:
* Factual information: command, agree/disagree, tell
* Social and interpersonal relations: introduce, take
leave, express
satisfaction/dissatisfaction
* Suasion: request
Language Skills
Listening: On exit, students will be able to:
N
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Demonstrate
comprehension of simple words in context of common, everyday situations.
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N
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Demonstrate
comprehension of basic commands through physical action.
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N
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Demonstrate
understanding of simple face-to-face conversations using previously learned
material.
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N
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Demonstrate
strategies to check for understanding--clarifying by attempting to reproduce
what has been heard, for example.
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N
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Respond
appropriately to short emergency warnings: Stop. Get back. Slow down.
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N
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Demonstrate
comprehension of basic personal questions with one word or short response:
T: Are you married? S: No. And, T: What's your name? S: Maria Chen.
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N
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Respond
physically to common, one-step classroom directions, requests, and
commands:T:
Come in. (The student comes in.) Sit down. (The student sits down.)
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N
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Distinguish
singular from plural in regular and common irregular nouns.
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N
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Use
simple contextual clues such as time reference words to determine meaning.
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N
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Distinguish
Wh-question words through appropriate responses.
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N
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Distinguish
between Wh-questions and Yes/No questions through appropriate responses.
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N
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Recognize
stress and pitch that carry meaning (question intonation).
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N
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Demonstrate
understanding of simple, explicit information by appropriate responses.
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Speaking: On exit, students will be able to:
N
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Make
statements related to basic needs using previously learned words and phrases.
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N
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Answer
simple questions with `yes', `no', one-word or short-phrase responses.
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N
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Ask
simple questions.
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N
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Spell
a word for clarification.
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N
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Repeat
a number or word(s) for confirmation or clarification.
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N
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Repeat/generate
phrases and sentences similar to a model with some degree of accuracy. T: My
First name is Helen. S: My First name is Yoki.
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N
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State
lack of understanding: I don't understand; I don't speak English; I don't
know
English; I don't know.
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N
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Use
elision: Stop it. [sto pit]
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Reading: On exit, students will be able to:
N
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Relate
phonological sounds to letters and clusters of letters (sound/symbol
correspondence).
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N
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Recognize
basic sight words.
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N
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Interpret
sentences using vocabulary and structures previously learned orally.
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N
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Recognize
alphabetical sequence.
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N
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Find
the page number.
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N
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Recognize
various formats of personal information forms.
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N
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Recognize
graphic format of sentences and dialogues.
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N
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Recognize
basic abbreviations: Mr., Dr., St.
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Writing: On exit, students will be able to:
N
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Print
the letters of the alphabet legibly.
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N
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Write
numerals.
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N
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Copy
or transcribe familiar words, phrases, and high-frequency expressions from
learned materials.
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N
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Fill
out simple forms which require biographical/personal information.
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N
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Write
simple sentences based on previously learned vocabulary and structures.
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N
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Write
structures and vocabulary taught at this level with proper spelling,
punctuation and capitalization.
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N
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Write
words and sentences from dictation, using previously learned vocabulary and
structures.
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N
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Use
lined paper correctly.
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Language Forms
On exit, students will be able to use the following structures:
Sentence Types
N
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Simple
statements, affirmative and negative
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N
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*with be: It's a pen. It's not a pen.
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N
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*with action verbs: He speaks English. He doesn't speak English.
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N
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{Yes/No},
{or}, and {wh-}questions and answers
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N
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{Yes/No}
questions
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N
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*with {be}, long and short answers: Is it a pen? Yes, it's a
pen. Yes, it
is. No, it isn't a pen. No, it isn't.
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N
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*with action verbs, long and short answers: Does he speak
English? Yes,
he speaks English. Yes, he does. No, he doesn't speak
English. No, he
doesn't.
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N
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*with {or} (choice): Do you want coffee or tea?
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N
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Wh-questions:
{who, what, where, when, why}
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N
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{How
are you? How much is it?}
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N
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{whose,
how much} with noncount noun, {how many} with count noun (receptive only)
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N
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Imperatives
with please: Please open the door.
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Verbs
N
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Simple
present: He studies every day. She is tired.
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N
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Common
two-word verbs: get up, put on
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N
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Common
verbs followed by infinitives (receptive only): {like to, want to, forget to}
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N
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Subject-verb
agreement: He walks to school.
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N
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Contractions,
affirmative and negative: isn't, aren't, I'm not
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N
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Simple
past:
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N
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*with be: It was foggy yesterday.
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N
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*with common regular verbs (receptive only)
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N
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*with common irregular verbs (receptive only)
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N
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Present
continuous: He is studying now.
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N
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Modals:
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N
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*can: He can study this evening. Can you ____?
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N
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*{May I help you?} and {Let's --} (receptive only)
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Nouns
N
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Regular,
singular and plural
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N
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Common
irregular plurals: child/children, woman/women
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N
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Proper
nouns: Bob, Russia
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N
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Noncountable
(receptive only): food, tea
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Pronouns
N
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Subject:
{I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they}
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N
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Object
(receptive only): {me, you, him, her, it, us, you, them}
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N
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Demonstrative:
{this, that, these, those}: This is my book.
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N
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indefinite
as subject and object (receptive only): {one, some, any, everyone, someone,
anyone, no one}
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N
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{It}
as subject with weather and time: It is Tuesday.
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Adjectives
N
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Articles:
{a, an, the}
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N
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Adjective-before-noun
word order: a red dress
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N
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Possessive:
{my, your, his, her, its, our, their}
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N
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Demonstrative:
{this, that, these, those}: This book is mine.
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N
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Quantifiers
(receptive only): {some/any; much/many; a lot of /a little/a few}
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Adverbs and Adverbials
N
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Time:
{now, yesterday, today, tomorrow, every day}
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N
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Chronological
order: {next month, last month, in the morning, in the afternoon, in the
evening, noon, at night, before class, after class}
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N
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Place:
{here, there}
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N
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Frequency:
{always, sometimes, never, usually, often}
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N
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{not}
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N
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Intensifers:
{very}
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Prepositions
N
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{to,
in, on, at, under, above, next to, from, between}
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Conjunctions
N
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Connecting
words {and, or} with short phrases: She has a pen and a book. Use a pen
or a
pencil.
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Evaluation
Please see web pages under Assessment.
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