1.1 — Hey, I'm... (Saying My Name & Age)
Introduce yourself with name and age using 'I'm' and 'I am'; timed: 6-item vocab-match sprint.
Welcome to your very first lesson! Here's our path today: warm up six first-day words, learn to say your name and age, lock in 'I'm', practice with the Hub High crew, then a quick timed sprint and a tiny real-life task. Flip each card now and say the word out loud — hearing yourself is how it sticks. — Here's the real reason this matters: a confident hello is your key to meeting people in games, online, and one day traveling. You're learning the first thing every friendship starts with.
Before you practice, let's get the big picture. Read this roadmap slowly — it tells you the two things you'll be able to say by the end and why 'I'm' is your magic word. No pressure, just take it in.
Lesson 1.1 — Hey, I'm... (Saying My Name & Age)
Your first level:
- Say your name two ways — 'I'm Alex' and 'My name is Alex.'
- Say your age — 'I'm fourteen.' (In English we say I AM an age, not I HAVE an age.)
- The magic word: I'm — 'I'm' = 'I am.' You'll use it in almost every sentence about yourself.
Meet the Crew
It's the first day at Hub High. Five teens meet on the front steps: Alex (14), Sofia (15), Yuki (13), Marco (16), and Priya (15). Everyone has to say the same two things — a name and an age. Easy, right? Let's lock it in so you never freeze on the first hello.
Now meet the exact words you'll use to introduce yourself. Tap a card, listen, then say each one back out loud — copy the speaker's rhythm, don't just read it silently. One chunk at a time.
Coach: Now meet the exact words you'll use to introduce yourself. Tap a card, listen, then say each one back out loud — copy the speaker's rhythm, don't just read it silently. One chunk at a time. These are the words you'll use to introduce yourself. Tap a card to hear it (audio coming soon).
Time for the one little verb behind everything: 'be' (am / is / are). Read the table, then watch the common trap at the bottom — it's the mistake almost everyone makes at first, and now you won't.
The Verb 'Be': am / is / are
| Subject | Be | Short form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | I'm | I'm Alex. |
| you | are | you're | You're fifteen. |
| he / she / it | is | he's / she's | She's Sofia. |
| we / they | are | we're / they're | They're fourteen. |
Two ways to say it:
Name: 'I'm Yuki.' = 'My name is Yuki.' Both are correct. 'I'm' is faster and what teens usually say.
Age: 'I'm fourteen.' or 'I'm fourteen years old.' Both work.
Here's a trick real teachers give: don't memorize a whole speech. Use a tiny FRAME and your brain fills the blanks every time. Read this, then say the frame out loud twice before you practice.
Skills & Strategy — The Hello Frame
Speaking feels scary when you try to plan every word. Pros use a frame: a fixed shape with blanks. For a first hello, the frame is just three beats:
- Hook — a friendly opener: "Hey!"
- Name — "I'm ____."
- Age — "I'm ____ ." (a number)
Say it as one smooth line: "Hey, I'm Alex. I'm fourteen." Same frame, new blanks — that's all you ever change.
Let's try it with a little help. Match each Hub High teen to their intro line — read the whole line first, then find the partner. Mistakes here are totally normal; that's what practice is for.
Coach: Let's try it with a little help. Match each Hub High teen to their intro line — read the whole line first, then find the partner. Mistakes here are totally normal; that's what practice is for. Match each Hub High teen to the right intro line.
Now you produce the words yourself — type them, don't tap them. Watch the verb 'be' carefully. If you get stuck, the hint is right there. Each blank you fill is a small win.
Coach: Now you produce the words yourself — type them, don't tap them. Watch the verb 'be' carefully. If you get stuck, the hint is right there. Each blank you fill is a small win. Type the missing word. Watch the verb 'be'.
Quick recognition check. Read every option before you choose — the wrong ones are common traps, and spotting why they're wrong teaches you just as much as the right answer.
Coach: Quick recognition check. Read every option before you choose — the wrong ones are common traps, and spotting why they're wrong teaches you just as much as the right answer.
Listen to the Hub High crew say hello on day one. Play each line, then shadow it — say it right after the speaker, matching their pitch and speed. Don't read like a robot; ride the rhythm. Plan your timing: take 15 seconds to read the lines silently, then say each line out loud, then make the last line your own. Speak it before you move on.
Five teens meet on the front steps of Hub High on the first day of school and introduce themselves.
Your turn to produce it for real. Type your own intro — there's no single right answer, just use 'I'm' and keep it about you. Use the hints in order if your sentence won't start. Plan your timing: take about 15 seconds to think and pick your words, then write (or say) your answer, then spend a few seconds checking that every sentence has a 'be' word (am/is/are).
Coach: Your turn to produce it for real. Type your own intro — there's no single right answer, just use 'I'm' and keep it about you. Use the hints in order if your sentence won't start. Type your own intro. (Voice coming soon — for now, type it. Models accept reasonable variations.)
Timed sprint time — 6 quick matches, 90 seconds. Don't panic; you know these. The clock is just for a little fun pressure, and the score is a practice estimate, not a real grade. Timing plan: you have 90 seconds for 6 questions — that's about 15 seconds each. Don't get stuck: if one question is hard, flag it, make your best guess, and move on so you keep the easy points.
Last stop: a quick review deck of today's wins. Flip each card and say the answer out loud before you check the back. This is how today's words become tomorrow's words.
A quick peek at how real US teens greet each other — so your English sounds natural, not textbook.
Culture Corner — "Hey" beats "Hello"
In American high schools, teens almost never say a formal "Hello." The everyday greeting is "Hey" — or "Hey, what's up?" A common reply is just "Not much, you?" It's not really a question about your day; it's a friendly hello back.
Tonight's tiny task: out loud, introduce yourself to your phone's mirror or a friend — 'Hey, I'm [your name]. I'm [your age].' Say it three times until it feels easy. Then text one friend that exact intro in English. — Here's the real reason this matters: a confident hello is your key to meeting people in games, online, and one day traveling. You're learning the first thing every friendship starts with.
Homework — Introduce Yourself for Real
Tonight's tiny task: out loud, introduce yourself to your phone's mirror or a friend — 'Hey, I'm [your name]. I'm [your age].' Say it three times until it feels easy. Then text one friend that exact intro in English.
This is a preview of 1.1 — Hey, I'm... (Saying My Name & Age). See the course overview on the Course Catalog or try the Free Teen Level Check.
