The very first contact with English. Learners build the alphabet, sounds, numbers and a handful of survival phrases — enough to say who they are and exchange a few words.
Printable one-to-one lesson plan
Question words: what, where, who, how
Ask useful beginner questions with what, where, who, and how, choosing the word that matches a thing, place, person, or way.
Use after the complete A0 sequence, not as a lesson quiz.
Open diagnostic →10–15 min optional: Optional tutor-read intonation contrast · Optional information-type matching · Optional answer-to-question oral recall · Five-minute next-day question-word retrieval
Derived from this lesson’s source
Lesson-specific teaching brief
This is not a second lesson registry. The plan reads the same native content that produces the learner page.
What the learner should do
Ask useful beginner questions with what, where, who, and how, choosing the word that matches a thing, place, person, or way.
What must become clear
We stay with the verb be here: am / is / are . You already use it. Now you put a question word in front of it.
High-value friction points
- Where are you from?From asks for a place, so use where, not who. Who asks about a person.
- What is your name?A name is information, so use “what,” not “where.” “Where” asks for a place.
- Where is the restroom?Down the hall is a place, so use where, not what.
Protect these lesson moments
- Discovery check: read the answer, then choose the question word
- Drill 1: choose the question word
- Drill 2: match each word to what it asks about
- Drill 3: build the question
- Drill 4: build the question
Learner production
First introductions: Imagine you just met someone at a conference. Ask all four questions in order: What's your name? Where are you from? What is your job? How are you?
- Point and ask: Look at a photo of people (real or invented). For each person, ask the teacher: Who is that? Then give the answer.
- Lost in a new city: You need a place. Ask the teacher for directions to three places: Where is the station? Where is the hotel? Where is the bank?
- Small talk at work: Greet a coworker and keep it going. How are you today? Fine, thanks. And you? Then ask one more question with what or where .
- Information gap: Your teacher gives one short answer at a time about a thing, a place, a person, or a feeling. Ask the matching complete question without seeing the teacher’s question card. Switch roles and repeat.
Carry this language into the next session
tomorrow, return to the five-minute retrieval check before you reread the four answer types.
Tutor-only contrastive support
L1 Transfer Lens
Test a pattern. Do not label a learner. Use this only after the learner’s actual production gives you evidence.
Select a first language to reveal only the contrasts relevant to this lesson.
Spanish → English
One pattern to test
Use do to carry questions and negatives
- Possible transfer
You work here? / I no work Fridays.
- English rebuild
Do you work here? / I don’t work Fridays.
Why it can happen: Spanish can negate a lexical verb directly and forms many questions without a separate helper. In the English present simple, do or does carries the question or negative grammar while the main verb returns to its base form.
Natural English:
- Does Ana drive to work?
- We don’t open on Sundays.
Russian → English
One pattern to test
Let do carry present-simple grammar
- Possible transfer
You work here? / I not work Fridays.
- English rebuild
Do you work here? / I don’t work Fridays.
Why it can happen: Russian does not add a helper equivalent to do for ordinary present questions and negatives. English do or does carries the question or negative marking, while the lexical verb stays in its base form after that helper.
Natural English:
- Does your team meet on Mondays?
- She doesn’t drive to the office.
Mandarin Chinese → English
One pattern to test
Move the English helper before the subject
- Possible transfer
You like coffee? / You work where?
- English rebuild
Do you like coffee? / Where do you work?
Why it can happen: Mandarin can use a final question particle and normally leaves question words in the information position. English usually places a question word first and moves or adds be, do, have, or a modal before the subject.
Natural English:
- Does this train stop downtown?
- Why did they cancel the meeting?
Use while teaching
Operational teaching notes
Choose a route before class, but change it when the learner’s production gives you better evidence.
Ask before explaining
- Which examples in “Discovery check: read the answer, then choose the question word” express the same core meaning?
- How would you explain this decision in your own words: We stay with the verb be here: am / is / are . You already use it. Now you put a question word in front of it.
- What needs to change in this repair, and why: Where are you from?
Correct for the stage
- Controlled work: correct immediately, then require the complete repaired sentence.
- Fluency building: note repeated errors and reformulate after the learner finishes the thought.
- Communication: interrupt only when meaning breaks down or the target decision is the lesson’s main evidence.
Retrieve, do not reteach
tomorrow, return to the five-minute retrieval check before you reread the four answer types.
Short, core, or extended
Choose the route
All three routes end in learner production. More time means more contrast and transfer, not a longer explanation.
Short route
Retrieve for 3 minutes. Notice and discover for 8. Use the two most diagnostic tasks from Discovery check: read the answer, then choose the question word and Drill 1: choose the question word for 12. Protect 9 minutes for Learner production, then reflect for 3.
Core route
Follow the six-stage sequence below. Reduce repeated controlled items when accuracy is already stable, but keep the nearest useful contrast and final production.
Stretch route
Add Optional tutor-read intonation contrast · Optional information-type matching · Optional answer-to-question oral recall · Five-minute next-day question-word retrieval, then repeat the communication task with a new situation or stricter success criteria.
40–45 min core working plan
Session sequence
Protect the final communication and reflection time. If the learner needs more support, reduce the number of controlled items instead of removing production.
- 5 min
Retrieve
Activate what the learner already controls and check any prerequisite language.
Teacher move: Open with the first practice route: Discovery check: read the answer, then choose the question word · Drill 1: choose the question word · Drill 2: match each word to what it asks about.
- 6–8 min
Notice
Let the learner observe meaning and form in a small sample before naming the rule.
Teacher move: Keep the noticing conversation anchored to this decision: We stay with the verb be here: am / is / are . You already use it. Now you put a question word in front of it.
- 8–10 min
Discover
Connect form, meaning, use, word order, and the nearest useful contrast.
Teacher move: Test the learner’s explanation against this repair: Where are you from? From asks for a place, so use where, not who. Who asks about a person.
- 12–15 min
Build + drill
Move from accurate choices to faster retrieval and sentence construction.
Teacher move: Prioritize these lesson tasks: Discovery check: read the answer, then choose the question word · Drill 1: choose the question word · Drill 2: match each word to what it asks about · Drill 3: build the question. Reduce repetitions if needed, but keep the final production time.
- 12–15 min
Communicate
Use the target language for a real adult purpose the learner cannot complete by copying.
Teacher move: Learner production: First introductions: Imagine you just met someone at a conference. Ask all four questions in order: What's your name? Where are you from? What is your job? How are you?
- 3–5 min
Reflect
Make progress visible and choose one specific next use.
Teacher move: tomorrow, return to the five-minute retrieval check before you reread the four answer types.
Tutor-only source
Listening scripts
Read these lines from the tutor plan while the learner lesson remains on screen. Each clip names the learner item it supports.
Optional tutor-read intonation contrast
- Clip 1
Read: What is your name? · Is your name Ana?
Supports: Listen for the question type: Look away from the script. Your tutor reads each pair. Say “information” for the question with what or where , and “yes or no” for the other question. Then repeat the information question with a gentle fall.
- Clip 2
Read: Where is the meeting? · Is the meeting upstairs?
Supports: Listen for the question type: Look away from the script. Your tutor reads each pair. Say “information” for the question with what or where , and “yes or no” for the other question. Then repeat the information question with a gentle fall.
Keep only useful evidence
After-lesson notes
These notes are for deliberate tutor records or printing. Nothing is stored in the learner’s browser.
The learner can now…
Write one observable use of the target language.
Still needs support with…
Record one repeated error, contrast, or point of hesitation.
Next retrieval prompt
Write one short prompt the learner will answer at the next session.
Anonymous live-lesson evidence
Learner pilot worksheet
A0 · Question words: what, where, who, how
Pilot 1 of 30 recorded · 3 remaining
Date
Approximate starting level
Core lesson time
Starting evidence
What did the learner already control? What was the first misconception, hesitation, or contrast that mattered?
Did the principle become clear?
We stay with the verb be here: am / is / are . You already use it. Now you put a question word in front of it.
Did the first hint help?
Record the first item that caused difficulty and whether the contextual hint led to self-correction before the full repair appeared.
Could the learner do the outcome?
Ask useful beginner questions with what, where, who, and how, choosing the word that matches a thing, place, person, or way.
Listen for: The learner uses the target language independently for a real purpose.
What remained available?
If possible, check before rereading in the next session. Record what returned independently and what still required a cue.
Keep, revise, or investigate?
Note any explanation the tutor still had to supply, the smallest useful revision, and whether another pilot should test the same issue.