Start learning English: a first step you can take today

Choose a small, useful goal

“Learn English” is a project. “Introduce myself in three sentences” is a task you can begin today. A clear first task helps you choose useful language instead of trying to memorise every word you meet. Other starting tasks include asking a price, ordering a drink or understanding a classroom instruction.

For this lesson, begin with three patterns: I’m…, I live in… and I like… Choose details that are meaningful to you. In French, Je m’appelle… introduces your name. In an informal English introduction, I’m Alex does the same job. Learn the whole phrase together with its purpose.

Build a fifteen-minute routine

Try a short session with three parts. First, spend five minutes reading a few accessible sentences or listening to a very short passage with support for its meaning. Next, repeat two or three sentences aloud. Finally, change a name, place or activity to make the language your own.

For example: I’m Alex. I live in France. I like music. You could change the country to Belgium or Switzerland and choose another interest. Read your version, cover it and try again. You can also write it from memory. With a young child, an adult can read the phrases and turn the activity into a short conversation.

A flexible four-week starting plan

1. Week 1: practise greetings and your introduction. Revisit the same three sentences across several short sessions.
2. Week 2: add the questions What’s your name? and Where do you live? Practise both sides of a conversation, or work with a partner.
3. Week 3: choose one everyday situation. Build a small exchange using I’d like… and How much is it?
4. Week 4: return to the previous tasks with fewer notes. Notice what feels easier and choose one thing to practise next.

This is a starting sequence, not a promise of fluency in a month. Repeat a week if you need to, or change the situation to match your interests. Regular practice matters more than finishing a fixed number of pages.

Two helpful points for French speakers

English uses be for age: I’m thirty. French uses avoir: J’ai trente ans. Translating each French word separately can therefore lead you in the wrong direction. Learn a short, useful phrase together with the situation where you would say it.

You will also meet different English varieties. Colour is the usual British spelling; color is the American spelling. Both are correct. Choose a consistent variety for your own writing while gradually learning to recognise the other. You do not need to master every difference before using your first sentences.