HCT Foundations Level 1

Curriculum
Foundations Level 1
A2
Functions

F1. Apologizing and thanking

F2. Asking for and giving personal information
F3. Asking for clarification
F4. Describing habits and routines
F5. Describing objects
F6. Describing past experiences (introduction & basic use of past tense)
F7. Describing people (appearance and personalities)
F8. Describing places
F9. Describing similarities and differences
F10. Following and giving basic directions
F11. Following classroom instructions
F12. Introducing ones self and other people
F13. Requests (asking politely)
F14. Suggestions (formulaic)
F15. Telling the time
F16. Using dates, years, calendar
F17. Using numbers including fractions and percentages

Vocabulary
V1. Can demonstrate an understanding of the meaning and use of the A2 (Level 1) words on the Curriculum
Vocabulary List.
Grammar

G1.
G2.
G3.
G4.
G5.
G6.
G7.
G8.
G9.
G10.
G11.
G12.
G13.
G14.

To be, there is / are

Prepositions of Place, Time and Movement
Pronouns: subject, object, possessive, 's
Singular and Plural
How much / How many, any, some, a lot of, a few, a little
Articles (def, indef, zero, countable and uncountable)
Connecting Words: and, or, but, because, so
Linkers, sequential: first, second, then, next, after that, finally
Questions (Y/N, WH)
Verb+ing/infinitive: like, want, would like, enjoy, love, hate
Modals: can, must, have to, should
Basic Syntax and Word Order
Present and Past Simple
This, That, These, Those

Topics &
Themes

Reading

T1. Activities: hobbies, interests, and leisure activities

T2. Animals
T3. Celebrations/Traditions
T4. Classroom Routines and Teacher Expectations
T5. Clothes & Appearance
T6. Education
T7. Everyday objects
T8. Family
T9. Food and drink
T10. Holidays/Travel
T11. Nationalities, countries, and languages
T12. Rooms and things in the house, College
T13. Technology (iPads, printer, copier, mobile, etc.)
T14. Things in your neighborhood, the town, shops and shopping
T15. Work and jobs
R1. Can read short simple texts and understand details and general meaning on familiar topics and situations.
R2. Can read simple texts up to 350 words containing few important words above A2 level, as defined by the
Curriculum Vocabulary List.
R3. Can identify basic pronoun references.
R4. Can identify specific information in simple written material he/she encounters such as websites, e-mail
messages, SMS messages, brochures and short news articles describing events.
R5. Can identify the main idea in a short reading text.
R6. Can make use of clues such as titles, headings, illustrations, paragraphing, and punctuation.
R7. Can demonstrate basic recognition of different types of text
R8. Can guess the meaning of a word using contextual clues
R9. Can understand everyday signs and notices: in public places, such as streets, restaurants, metro stations; malls,
airports; in workplaces, such as directions, instructions, hazard warnings.
R10. Can understand simple instructions on equipment encountered in everyday life - such as an iPad, a smart
phone, an ATM, a printer.

Key text types:

Reading
Text Types 1. Descriptions of people and their personal details (e.g. profiles and bios)
2.
3.
4.

Informative articles from newspapers, magazines, and online news websites

Instructions (e.g. how to book a ticket, sign up for an activity or use an app)
Personal narratives

Other text types:

Signs, notices (e.g. warnings), posters, advertisements, brochures, leaflets, guides (e.g. hotel guides, city guides),
price lists, timetables, bills, tickets, maps, simple graphs, online telephone directories, forms (e.g. landing forms,
hotel registration forms), shop signs, product packaging (e.g. in supermarkets), personal correspondence (letters, emails, e-cards, memos, text messages).

Writing

W1. Can do basic self- and peer-editing using a predetermined checklist.

W2. Can write short simple sentences on a familiar topic, making effective use of A2 and A1 words from the
Curriculum Vocabulary List and the Level 1 grammatical structures given above.
W3. Can write short, simple formulaic messages (e.g. emails) relating to matters of immediate need and expressing
thanks, apology, making requests, invitations, suggestions.
W4. Progressively extend writing to simple descriptive and basic narrative paragraphs in present and past tense
(handwritten and on digital platforms) of at least 100 words.

Listening

Speaking

L1. Can follow changes of topic of factual news items, and form an idea of the main content.
L2. Can follow videos and audio recordings of about 3-5 minutes.
L3. Can understand basic directions relating to how to get from A to B, on foot, driving or by public transport.
L4. Can understand gist and extract specific information from short recorded passages dealing with predictable
everyday matters that are delivered slowly and clearly.
L5. Can understand phrases and expressions related to areas of immediate priority (e.g. very basic personal and
family information, times, dates, money, numbers, shopping, local geography, weather, college, employment)
provided speech is clearly and slowly articulated.
S1. Can answer straightforward follow up questions if he/she can ask for repetition, and with some assistance with
his/her reply.
S2. Can briefly describe his/her family, possessions, home, town, country, educational background, job, hobbies,
etc. in simple terms.
S3. Can communicate effectively in simple routine exchanges of familiar information, using common phrases and
simple sentences to describe immediate surroundings such as self, family, College or work, etc.
S4. Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on
familiar and routine matters to do with College or work and free time.
S5. Can demonstrate appropriate turn taking skills.
S6. Can express a simple opinion when addressed directly in the classroom, provided he/she can ask for repetition
of key points or clarification if necessary.
S7. Can express likes and dislikes.
S8. Can give a short (2- 3 minutes), rehearsed, basic presentation on a familiar subject.
S9. Can handle very short social exchanges (in person and on the phone) and may struggle to keep conversation going.
S10. Can make and respond to invitations and apologies.
S11. Can record a message on a familiar topic (e.g. identify self on the phone and state purpose).
S12. Can use simple everyday polite forms of greeting and address.
S13. Can demonstrate an emerging awareness of word stress, sentence stress and intonation in connected speech.