My world, online and off
From correct sentences to confident short texts. Present, past and present perfect; digital life and safety; reviews and news.
Final projectThe class newspaper
Free English / Level 3
Level 3 · Free curriculum · Ages 10 to 14 · No login
From getting by to having a say.
Bridge English takes learners who are secure at A2 towards B1: giving opinions and reasons, reading real articles, writing emails and stories of about 100 words, presenting to a room, and staying safe and polite online. A complete 36-week programme for older children and young teens.
36weeks
108lessons
3 × 60minutes a week
A2 → B1target level
The whole year. Tap a week to open it.
Term 1Term 2Term 3Review and assess
By week 36
Learners hold conversations of several minutes and give reasons, describe a photo alone for a minute, read 300 to 450 word articles and stories for gist, detail and opinion, write a paragraphed email and article or story, and pass on the main points of something they read. Term 1 consolidates Cambridge A2 Key for Schools; Terms 2 and 3 build towards B1 Preliminary for Schools.
An honest expectation. Cambridge estimates roughly 180 to 200 guided hours to reach A2 Key and 350 to 400 for B1 Preliminary. One year of 108 lessons plus homework takes most learners to a solid A2+ and stronger ones to B1. Treat the end of this year as "ready to start B1 exam practice", not a guaranteed pass.
How the year fits together
Three terms, one big project each
Voices and ideas
From describing to explaining and discussing. Futures, conditionals, relative clauses, the passive and reported speech.
Final project"Our Voices" podcast
Ready for B1
From discussing to persuading and presenting. Past perfect, used to, second conditional, deduction, register and study skills.
Final project"One thing I would change" presentation
Every week has three lessons
A
Input, grammar and speaking. Words in context, grammar discovered from examples, then controlled and free speaking.
B
Reading and writing. Gist, detail and inference, then writing to an exam-length target with a model.
C
Interaction and mediation. Listening, pair and group tasks, passing on information, project time.
Before week 1
A 20-point placement check
Speaking items one to one or in pairs, the rest as a 25-minute written task. Score each item 0 (not yet), 1 (partly) or 2 (secure).
| # | Task | Secure looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Tell me about your school. What do you like most and why?" | 3+ connected sentences with a reason |
| 2 | "What did you do last weekend?" | Past simple mostly correct, sequence words |
| 3 | "Have you ever been somewhere special?" | Answers with present perfect, then past simple for details |
| 4 | Describe a busy photo | 30 to 45 seconds, beyond naming things |
| 5 | Note four facts from a 60-second message (time, place, price, a spelled name) | All four correct |
| 6 | Three short notices with multiple-choice questions | 3 out of 3 |
| 7 | A 200-word teen blog with four questions, one "why do you think" | 3 to 4 correct, inference with a reason |
| 8 | Six gaps in an email ("I've lived here ___ 2022") | 5 to 6 correct |
| 9 | Reply to a friend's message covering three points, 25+ words | All points, clear message |
| 10 | 60 to 100 words: "A day that did not go as planned" | Beginning and end, past tenses, 3+ linking words |
0 to 8: start at Level 2
Learners who cannot yet write a 25-word message need Level 2 first, whatever their age.
9 to 14: supported track
Same topics. Sentence frames, word banks, A2-length writing targets through Term 2, A2 reading pages, and A2 Key samples for the week 24 check.
15 to 20: extended track
B1 reading from Term 1, 100-word writing from week 6, an extra graded news article each week, and leading project roles. If items 7, 8 and 10 all score 2, start B1 practice in Term 2.
Ability, not age
A strong 10-year-old can be ahead of a 13-year-old who started later. Give older learners on the supported track teen texts, never picture books.
Scope and sequence
All 36 weeks
Open any week for its three lessons and matching free resources. Print the whole plan with every week expanded.
Same shape every time
The 60-minute lesson
The Lesson A shape below. Lesson B swaps in prediction, reading and writing with a self-check; Lesson C opens with listening and ends with mediation or project time.
Worked example
Week 8, Lesson B: Staying safe online
- Objective
- Read a short story about an online scam for gist, detail and inference, notice how advice is given with must and should, and write five safety rules.
- You need
- The passage on screen or paper. Optional: LearnEnglish Teens online safety poster and Childnet's 11 to 18 advice.
- Adapt it
- Supported: word bank (account, password, prize, link, block, report, screenshot) and starters ("You must...", "You shouldn't..."). Extended: write a 50-word message to Leo from Maya's point of view.
| Time | Teacher | Learners |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Show the title and ask what kind of story it is | Predict in pairs |
| 5 to 12 | Pre-teach: account, link, prize, block, report, suspicious | Match words to meanings, use two in a sentence |
| 12 to 17 | Gist: "Did Leo lose anything? How do you know?" | Read quickly, compare |
| 17 to 27 | Detail and inference questions | Answer, quote a line as evidence |
| 27 to 35 | Table: strong rule (must, mustn't) or advice (should, shouldn't) | Sort sentences, add their own |
| 35 to 50 | Model one rule; set five rules for a poster for younger pupils | Write, swap, check: modal + verb, a reason |
| 50 to 57 | Gallery of rules | Vote for the most useful and say why |
| 57 to 60 | "What should you do if a stranger sends you a link?" | One sentence on a sticky note |
Leo had wanted new headphones for months, so when a message appeared on his favourite gaming app, his heart jumped. "Congratulations! You have won a pair of HyperSound headphones. Click the link and log in to claim your prize before midnight."
The message had the company's logo and lots of exclamation marks. Leo had never entered a competition, but he decided that did not matter. He was about to type his password when his older sister, Maya, looked over his shoulder. "Wait," she said. "Who sent that?"
Leo checked. The account was only two days old and had no other posts. The link did not go to the real company website, and the message said he had to hurry. "Real companies don't ask for your password," Maya explained. "This is a trick to steal your account."
Leo felt a bit silly, but mostly relieved. Together they took a screenshot, reported the account and blocked it. The next day he told his class: "You should always stop and check. And you must never share your password, not even for free headphones."
- Did Leo lose his account? How do you know?
- What was the message asking Leo to do?
- Give two clues that the message was not real.
- "His heart jumped" means he felt: a) scared b) excited c) tired.
- Why do you think the message said "before midnight"?
- Why was Leo relieved?
Answers
1. No, Maya stopped him before he typed his password. 2. Click the link and log in. 3. Any two: the account was two days old, it had no other posts, the link was not the real website, it told him to hurry, he had never entered a competition. 4. b. 5. To make him hurry so he would not stop and think. 6. He still had his account and his friends were safe.Know who needs what
Assessment and progress
Cambridge weights reading, writing, listening and speaking equally, and so do we, plus a project and mediation strand. Each term, keep a speaking recording, a reading check, an independent writing sample, the project and a self-assessment in every learner's portfolio.
Suggested weighting
One four-point scale for every skill
1Needs a lot of support
2Developing, with prompts
3Meets the objective on their own
4Goes beyond, uses it in new situations
What "3" looks like at this level
| Skill | Meets the objective (3) |
|---|---|
| Speaking | Speaks for about a minute on a familiar topic, gives reasons, asks follow-up questions, keeps a conversation going |
| Listening | Gets main points and key details of everyday recordings at clear, natural speed |
| Reading | Answers gist, detail and simple inference questions on 300 to 400 word texts |
| Writing | Covers all points in about 100 words, in paragraphs, with a range of linking words; errors rarely block meaning |
| Mediation | Passes on the main points of a short text clearly in their own words |
| Online | Posts clear, prepared contributions and follows class privacy rules |
What to expect at the end of each term
| Skill | Term 1 (A2 secure) | Term 2 (A2+) | Term 3 (B1 threshold) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | Self, past events, experiences; A2 Key paired picture talk | Gives and justifies opinions, interviews, agrees and disagrees | Describes a photo alone, presents for 3 minutes, answers questions |
| Listening | Main points of short everyday recordings | Main points and details of interviews and podcasts | B1 tasks at exam speed with notes |
| Reading | Short real-world texts, reviews, blogs | 300 to 400 word articles with inference | Stories and articles with opinion questions, gapped texts |
| Writing | 35 to 60 word messages and picture stories | 80 to 100 word emails and articles | About 100-word email plus article or story |
| Grammar | Present, past, present perfect, comparison, must and should | Futures, first conditional, relative clauses, passive, reported speech | Past perfect, used to, second conditional, deduction, question tags |
Mock exams, used sparingly
- Week 12A2 Key for Schools sample: reading, writing and paired picture talk. Timed except on the supported track.
- Week 24Supported track: A2 Key listening. Others: B1 Preliminary reading Parts 1 to 3, the email task, and speaking Parts 1 and 3.
- Week 34Full B1 Preliminary for Schools sample, paper or digital. Convert scores with Cambridge's guide and report a skill profile, not pass or fail.
- Booking a real exam?Suggest B1 Preliminary for Schools only for learners scoring 3 or above in every skill at week 34; otherwise A2 Key for Schools, where a top grade still certifies B1.
Beyond the lesson
Homework, independence and staying safe
About 90 minutes a week
- ReadingTwo graded articles or a story chapter a week, with a one-line summary.
- Vocabulary notebookEight to ten words a week with an example sentence each.
- WritingOne piece a fortnight at the term's length target, redrafted after feedback or Write & Improve.
- ListeningOne short podcast or video a week, noting three things they learned.
For online classes, keep live time for discussion and collect writing in a shared document and speaking as short voice notes.
Ages 10 to 11 and 12 to 14
| Ages 10 to 11 | Ages 12 to 14 | |
|---|---|---|
| Texts | Teacher-led on a shared screen; shorter extracts | Independent reading, LearnEnglish Teens accounts with consent |
| Online work | Closed class platform only | Moderated class discussion with agreed rules |
| Projects | Paper newspaper, short podcast, poster talk | Digital newspaper, edited podcast, slide talk |
| Exam focus | Light: formats as games | Strategy lessons in weeks 31 and 34 |
LearnEnglish Teens is designed for ages 13 to 17. With 10 to 12 year olds, use it teacher-led rather than asking them to register.
Two questions
Which materials should you start with?
Free to use, checked November 2026
The free resource library
Everything below is free from the publisher's own site. Some need a free account, and each site sets its own terms for copying and sharing. Check news stories before setting them: some cover adult topics.
Optional: one coursebook, if you want one
You do not need a coursebook. If you buy one, buy one series only, and confirm the level on the publisher's site before ordering.
Paid · Best match for Term 1Prepare! Second edition, Level 3Cambridge University Press.
Built around A2 Key for Schools.
Paid · Terms 2 and 3Prepare! Second edition, Level 4Cambridge University Press.
Bridges towards B1 Preliminary for Schools.
Paid · General teen courseThink Second edition, Levels 1 and 2Cambridge University Press.
A2 then B1, with a strong values and thinking-skills thread for 11 to
14.
Getting ready
Classroom checklist
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From the people behind Litlings
Teaching this to a whole class? Litlings does the admin.
This programme is free and always will be. Litlings is our classroom app for reading and English, free for up to 40 pupils.
- Plan these weeks in a timetable and reuse lessons with any class.
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