← English in Action B1 B1 Arabic

2A Grammar

Talk about languages

Unit 2

I CAN use can and can't for ability
I CAN talk about language abilities

Grammar

8 cards

To talk about what we can and cannot do in different languages, English uses the modal verb can. Modal verbs are small helping verbs that we put before another verb. The main verb always stays in its base form.

Look at the positive form first. We put the subject, then can, then the base verb. The verb never takes an -s in the third person — we do not say he cans speak or she cans read. This is different from verbs like speak and read on their own.

Subject	can	base verb	Example
I	can	speak	I can speak Arabic.
You	can	understand	You can understand the teacher.
He / She	can	read	He can read Korean.
We	can	write	We can write in English.
They	can	learn	They can learn quickly.

To make a negative sentence, we add n't to can and write it as one word: can't. We never write can not in everyday English, except in formal writing. The meaning is the same.

Subject	can't	base verb	Example
I	can't	speak	I can't speak Japanese.
She	can't	understand	She can't understand this film.
They	can't	write	They can't write in Chinese.

To ask a question, we put can before the subject. The main verb still stays in the base form. We do not use do or does with can — that is a common mistake, so be careful.

Question word	can	subject	base verb	Example
—	Can	you	speak	Can you speak French?
What	can	you	speak	What can you speak?
How well	can	she	read	How well can she read?

Short answers with can are short and simple. We do not repeat the main verb in the answer — we only repeat can or can't.

Positive question	Negative question
Yes, I can.	No, I can't.
Yes, she can.	No, he can't.
Yes, they can.	No, we can't.

Here is a useful summary. Can has only two forms: can for positive and questions, and can't for negative. There is no third form, no past form in this lesson, and no -s. The main verb after can is always the base form. If you remember these three rules, you can use can correctly in almost every language-ability sentence.

اتكلم عن اللغات بـ can

لما تحب تقول إنك بتعرف أو مش بتعرف تعمل حاجة بالإنجليزي — خصوصًا لما تتكلم عن اللغات — بنستخدم modal verb صغير اسمه can. كلمة modal معناها 'فعل مساعد'، يعني بيجي قبل الفعل الأساسي وبيساعده، والفعل الأساسي بيفضل دايمًا في base form من غير أي إضافات.

الجملة المثبتة (Positive)

القاعدة بسيطة جدًا: Subject + can + base verb. مفيش -s، ومفيش -ing، ومفيش to. بص كده على الأمثلة:

I can speak Arabic.
He can read Korean.
We can write in English.
They can learn quickly.

لاحظ 'He can read' — مش 'He cans read'. الـ can ما بتاخدش -s حتى لو الفاعل he أو she أو it. وده فرق مهم بينها وبين الأفعال العادية زي speak وread.

الجملة المنفية (Negative)

بتضيف n't للـ can وبتكتبها كلمة واحدة: can't. ما بنكتبش 'can not' في الكلام العادي، غير في الكتابة الرسمية بس.

I can't speak Japanese.
She can't understand this film.
They can't write in Chinese.

السؤال (Questions)

في السؤال بنعمل inversion — يعني بنحط can قبل الـ subject، والفعل الأساسي بيفضل base form زي ما هو:

Can you speak French? — Yes, I can.
What can you speak? — English and Arabic.
How well can she read? — She can read very well.

ومهم تعرف: ما بتستخدمش do أو does مع can. 'Do you can speak?' دي غلطة كبيرة، وكتير من الطلبة بيقعوا فيها.

الإجابات القصيرة (Short Answers)

مش بنكرر الفعل الأساسي في الإجابة، بنكرر can أو can't بس:

Yes, I can. / No, I can't.
Yes, she can. / No, he can't.

ملخص سريع

can عندها صورتين بس: can في المثبت والسؤال، وcan't في النفي.
الفعل اللي بعدها دايمًا base form من غير -s.
ما بنستخدمش do/does مع can أبدًا.

لما تيجي تحل التمرين اللي تحت، ركز على ترتيب الكلمات في السؤال، وعلى إن الفعل يفضل زي ما هو من غير أي إضافة.

I can speak Arabic and English, but I can't write in Japanese.

Read this model sentence. Notice: 'can speak' is positive, 'can't write' is negative, and both verbs (speak, write) are in the base form.

Can you speak French? — Yes, I can.

Read this short question and answer. Notice the order: can + subject + base verb. The short answer uses only 'can'.

Required

Look at the two sentences above. What form of the verb comes after 'can' and 'can't'?

The base form, with no ending (speak, write).
The form with -s (speaks, writes).
The form with -ing (speaking, writing).

Required

I ___ speak three languages: Arabic, English and French.

Required

She ___ write in Chinese, but she can read it a little.

Required

Drag the correct word (can or can't) into each sentence about language ability.

can't
can
can
can
can't

I speak Arabic and English very well.

He write in Japanese, but he can read it.

We understand a little French at the café.

They speak German — they're beginners.

My sister speak four languages fluently.

Required

Put the words in the correct order to make a true sentence about languages.

I
can
speak
French
a
little

Listening

5 cards

Now you are going to listen to a real conversation between two people at a language exchange event. A language exchange is a meeting where people teach each other their first languages. It is a popular way to practise speaking, and you can find them in many cities around the world.

In the conversation, you will hear Maya and Omar. Maya is a French teacher, and Omar teaches Arabic. They are meeting for the first time at the café. They will use can and can't to talk about what languages they can speak, understand, read and write.

Before you listen, here is a small prediction task. Look at the title of the conversation: At the language exchange. What do you think they will talk about? Probably their jobs, what languages they know, and maybe what they want to learn. You will check your predictions in the questions that follow.

Listen for these key pieces of information: what is each person's teaching role, which languages they can speak well, which languages they can only understand a little, and which language Maya wants to learn. You will hear the conversation once, then answer three questions about it.

Remember the short-answer rule from the grammar section. When Maya or Omar ask each other questions with Can you…?, the answer will be short: Yes, I can or No, I can't. They will not repeat the main verb in the answer. All the answers come from the conversation itself, so listen carefully for the verbs speak, understand, read and write, and for the names of the languages.

إيه اللي هتسمعه في الـ listening ده؟

في الـ listening ده، هتسمع محادثة قصيرة بين اتنين ناس بيتقابلوا لأول مرة في language exchange، يعني مكان الناس بتتعلم فيه اللغات من بعض. البنت اسمها Maya وبتدرس French، والولد اسمه Omar وبيدرس Arabic. الاتنين قاعدين في كافيه وبيعرفوا بعض.

إيه الـ grammar اللي لازم تركز عليه؟

Can و can't هم أهم verbs في الـ dialogue ده، لأنهم بيتكلموا بيهم عن القدرات والمهارات بتاعتهم في اللغات.

I can speak Arabic and English well – يعني أنا بتكلم الاتنين كويس.
I can understand a little Spanish – يعني بفهم شوية أسباني بس.
I can read Italian, but I can't speak it very well – يعني بقدر أقرا إيطالي، بس مش بتكلمها حلو.
Can you understand any Arabic? – سؤال عن القدرة.

إيه قاعدة الـ short answers؟

لما حد يسألك "Can you…?"، الإجابة لازم تبقى قصيرة، مش بتعيد الـ verb تاني.

Can you speak French? → Yes, I can. (مش Yes, I can speak French)
Can you understand Arabic? → Just a few words! (الإجابة هنا حرة، بس عادة بتبقى قصيرة)

كلمات وعبارات مهمة تركز عليها

من الـ dialogue هتسمع أربع verbs أساسية:

speak – بتستخدمها لما تتكلم عن اللغة اللي بتتكلمها فعلاً.
understand – لما تفهم بس مش بتتكلم.
read – لما تقدر تقرا.
write – لما تقدر تكتب.

لاحظ الفرق في الحوار: Omar بيقول "I can understand a little Spanish"، يعني مش بيتكلمها، بس بيفهم. وMaya بتقول "I can read Italian, but I can't speak it very well"، يعني عندها skills مختلفة في نفس اللغة.

نصيحة قبل ما تسمع

قبل ما تدوس play، خد ثانية وفكر: هما هيتكلموا عن إيه؟ غالبًا عن شغلهم واللغات اللي بيعرفوها واللي عايزين يتعلموها. ركز على أسماء اللغات وعلى verbs الـ speak / understand / read / write لأن دي اللي هتساعدك تجاوب على الأسئلة اللي بعد الـ listening.

Maya and Omar meet for the first time at a language exchange café. Listen to how they use 'can' and 'can't' to talk about their language abilities.

M
Maya Hi! Are you here for the language exchange?
O
Omar Yes, I am. I'm Omar, and I teach Arabic here.
M
Maya I'm Maya. I teach French. What languages can you speak?
O
Omar I can speak Arabic and English well. I can understand a little Spanish. And you?
M
Maya I can speak French and English. I can read Italian, but I can't speak it very well.
O
Omar Can you understand any Arabic?
M
Maya Just a few words — 'hello' and 'thank you'!
O
Omar That's a good start. Can you write in Arabic too?
M
Maya No, I can't — not yet! But I want to learn.
O
Omar Great! Let's practise together.

Required

What is the conversation mainly about?

Their favourite food and restaurants.
The languages they can and cannot speak, read and write.
A holiday they are planning together.

Required

According to Omar, which language can he ONLY understand a little?

Arabic
English
Spanish

Required

Maya can read Italian, but she ___ speak it very well.

Pronunciation

6 cards

In this lesson, you will learn the difference between two very important vowel sounds: /æ/ and /ɑː/. These two sounds are the difference between can and can't, and English speakers use them to show the difference between I am able to and I am not able to. If you confuse them, people will misunderstand you.

The first sound, /æ/, is a short front vowel. To make it, open your mouth a little and drop your jaw. Your tongue moves forward and stays low, near the bottom front of your mouth. Your lips are relaxed — do not round them. Hold the sound for a short time. This is the vowel in can, bad, man, hat and apple.

The second sound, /ɑː/, is a long back vowel. To make it, open your mouth wider, as if a doctor is asking you to say ah. Your tongue goes to the back of your mouth and stays low. Your lips stay neutral. Hold the sound for longer — almost double the length of /æ/. This is the vowel in can't, car, father, bath and start.

The key physical difference is the position of the tongue. For /æ/, the tongue is forward and low. For /ɑː/, the tongue is back and low, and the sound is longer. To check yourself, look in a mirror. For /æ/, you can see your teeth a little. For /ɑː/, your mouth looks more open and dark inside.

In British English, can't also ends with a clear /t/ sound. Some other accents drop this /t/, but in standard British English, you can hear it. So can't = /kɑːnt/ has three sounds, while can = /kæn/ has only two.

In the practice steps, you will hear short words containing /æ/ or /ɑː/ and you will choose which one you heard. Then you will say some words yourself. Speak slowly at first, then try to copy the natural speed.

الفرق بين صوت /æ/ وصوت /ɑː/ في الإنجليزية

يا صديقي، النهاردة هنعرف حاجة مهمة جدًا في الإنجليزي: الفرق بين صوتين قصيرين بيبدوا متشابهين، بس بيغيّروا معنى الكلام تمامًا. دول صوت /æ/ اللي في كلمة can (يعني أقدر)، وصوت /ɑː/ اللي في كلمة can't (يعني مش قادر). لو قلتها غلط، اللي قدامك مش هيفهم إنت بتقول إيه، وممكن يحصل misunderstanding في ثانية.

صوت /æ/: قصير وقدام في بقك

عشان تعمل الصوت ده، افتح بقك شوية كده ونزّل فكّك لتحت. لسّانك يروح لقدام في بقك ويستقر في الجزء اللي تحت وقريب من الأسنان. شفايفك تفضل مرتاحة خالص، ماتعملش زي ما بتعمل لما بتقول "o" في العربي — ماتكورش شفايفك أبدًا. الصوت ده قصير، يعني بتقفله بسرعة. جرّب تقوله في كلمات زي can و man و bad و hat و apple.

صوت /ɑː/: طويل ورا في بقك

عشان تعمل الصوت ده، افتح بقك أوسع، زي ما الدكتور لما بيبص لبطنك بيقولك "افتح بقك وقل آه". لسّانك ينزل لتحت ويروح ورا في بقك، قصاد الحلق. شفايفك تفضل عادية، ومستريحة. والفرق الكبير هنا إن الصوت أطول بكتير من /æ/ — ممكن يكون ضعف طوله تقريبًا. جرّبه في كلمات زي car و father و bath و start و can't.

الفرق بينهم في جملة واحدة

المفتاح هو مكان اللسان وطول الصوت:

في /æ/: اللسان قدام، الصوت قصير.
في /ɑː/: اللسان ورا، الصوت طويل.

لو وقفت قدام المراية، هتلاقي إنك في /æ/ سنانك باينين شوية من بره، لكن في /ɑː/ بقك يبان أوسع وجوّاه أغمق.

حتة مهمة في الإنجليزية البريطانية

لما بتقول can't بالإنجليزي البريطاني، الكلمة بتخلّص بصوت /t/ واضح في الآخر. يعني بتسمع حاجة زي /kɑːnt/ — تلات أصوات. لكن كلمة can فيها صوتين بس: /kæn/. الصوت /t/ ده هو اللي بيوضّح للمستمع إنت بتشوف حاجة سلبية.

تدريب

دلوقتي هتسمع كلمات قصيرة فيها الصوتين دول. ركّز على مكان اللسان وقد إيه بتطوّل الصوت. قول الكلام ببطء الأول، وبعدين حاول تنسخ السرعة الطبيعية بتاعت الإنجليز. مستنيك! 🍎

Quick summary: /æ/ (as in 'can') is a short front vowel — tongue forward, jaw low, lips relaxed. /ɑː/ (as in 'can't') is a long back vowel — mouth open, tongue back, sound held longer. In British English, 'can't' also has a final /t/ sound.

Required

Listen carefully. Which word do you hear?

can
can't

Required

Read this sentence aloud. Make the /æ/ in 'can' short and clear.

I can speak French.

Required

Now read the same sentence with 'can't'. Make the /ɑː/ long, and finish with a clear /t/.

I can't speak French.

Required

Say these four words. Group 1 (man, bad) uses /æ/. Group 2 (car, father) uses /ɑː/. Listen to yourself and notice the difference.

man, bad, car, father

Reading

6 cards

Before we read, let me show you a reading strategy that will help you with longer texts in English. The strategy is called skimming.

Strategy box: Skimming

When you skim a text, you read it quickly to get the general idea. You do not stop at every new word. You look at the title, the first sentence, the last sentence, and any bold or important words. Your eyes move fast, like a stone skipping over water. Skimming is perfect when you want to know what a text is about before you read it in detail. In this lesson, you will first skim a short blog post to find out what it is about. Then you will read it more carefully to answer detail questions.

Before you skim, here are four important words from the text. Knowing them will make the reading easier:

polyglot (noun): a person who can speak several languages.
dream (noun): something you really want to do or have in the future.
practise (verb, British spelling): to do something many times to get better at it. Note: the noun form is practice (/ˈpræktɪs/), but the verb is practise (/ˈpræksaɪz/) in British English.
hard (adjective, in this context): not easy, needing a lot of effort. This lesson is hard = this lesson is difficult.

Now you are ready to read. The blog post is called My languages, my life and it is written by a young woman called Yara from Egypt. She talks about the languages she can speak, the ones she is learning, and her dream. As you read, try to find: the languages she can speak well, the languages she cannot speak but can understand a little, what she does every day to practise, and what her dream is. After reading, you will first choose the best summary of the text. Then you will answer true/false questions about specific details.

في الدرس ده هنتعلم مهارة قراءة مهمة اسمها skimming، أو القراءة السريعة. الفكرة بسيطة: إنك تقرأ النص بسرعة عشان تاخد فكرة عامة عنه، من غير ما توقف عند كل كلمة جديدة. فكّر فيها زي حصاية بتقفز على سطح المية - عينك بتتحرك بسرعة فوق النص، وبتركز على العنوان، أول جملة، آخر جملة، وأي كلمة مهمة. الاستراتيجية دي ممتازة لما تحب تعرف النص بيتكلم عن إيه قبل ما تقرأه بالتفصيل.

في الدرس ده هتقرأ بوست على بلوج اسمه "My languages, my life" لكاتبة شابة من مصر اسمها Yara. البوست ده هتتعرف منها على اللغات اللي بتتكلمها، واللي بتحاول تتعلمها، وكمان حلمها في المستقبل. في نهاية الدرس هيبقى عندك سؤال تلخيص وأسئلة صح وغلط لازم تجاوب عليها.

عشان القراءة تبقى أسهل، تعال نتعرف على الكلمات المهمة اللي هتقابلك في النص. كلمة polyglot (بوليجليوت) اسم بيعني شخص بيتكلم أكتر من لغة، وده بالظبط وصف Yara. كلمة dream (دريم) اسم يعني الحاجة اللي نفسك تعملها أو تبقى عندك في المستقبل. لما نقول إنك بتعمل حاجة كتير عشان تتحسن فيها، بنستخدم فعل practise (براكتس) في الإنجليزي البريطاني - خلي بالك: لو استخدمتها كاسم بتبقى practice (براكتِس). يعني:

I practise English every day. (أنا بمارس الإنجليزي كل يوم) - هنا practise فعل.
The practice is on Monday. (التدريب يوم الاتنين) - هنا practice اسم.

وفي النهاية، كلمة hard (هارد) صفة معناها مش سهل ومحتاج مجهود، ودي كلمة هتحتاجها كتير لوصف التحديات في تعلّم اللغات. دلوقتي ابدأ اقرأ النص بسرعة الأول (skim)، وبعدين ارجعله تاني واقرأه بالراحة عشان تجاوب على الأسئلة.

My languages, my life

Hi! My name is Yara and I'm from Egypt. I love learning languages. I can speak Arabic and English very well, and I can understand a little French. I can't write Japanese, but I can read it a little. I study Spanish at university — it's difficult, but I can have short conversations now! My dream is to be fluent in five languages. I practise every day by listening to music and watching films. Learning a new language is hard, but it's so much fun!

إنت بتتكلم عن إيه؟

القراءة دي عبارة عن رسالة قصيرة من بنت اسمها يارا من مصر، بتكلمنا عن اللغات اللي بتعرفها واللي بتتعلمها. الموضوع بسيط وبيدّيك فرصة تشوف إزاي حد بيستخدم can و can't لما بيقول إيه يقدر يعمله وإيه لأ.

الـ can والـ can't (القدرة)

في الإنجليزي، لما عايز تقول إنك تعرف تعمل حاجة بتستخدم can + فعل. ولما عايز تقول إنك مش بتعرف بتستخدم can't + فعل.

I can speak Arabic. (أنا أعرف أتكلم عربي)
I can't write Japanese. (أنا مش عارف أكتب ياباني)
I can understand a little French. (أنا بقدر أفهم شوية فرنساوي)

لاحظ الفرق بين speak و understand و write و read - دول أربع مهارات مختلفة. ممكن تفهم لغة بس ما تعرفش تتكلمها، أو تعرف تقرأها بس ما تعرفش تكتبها. زي يارا بالظبط: بتقرأ ياباني شوية بس مش بتكتبه.

كلمات مهمة تانية

fluent = بتتكلم بطلاقة، من غير ما تفكر كتير. مثلاً: My dream is to be fluent in five languages.
practise (بـ s) = تمرّن. في الإنجليزي البريطاني بنكتبها practise (فعل) و practice (اسم). I practise every day.
a little = شوية، قليل. بتستخدمها قبل الأسماء المعدودة وغير المعدودة لما الكمية صغيرة. a little French, a little Japanese.
very well = كويس جداً. بتستخدمها مع المهارات. I can speak English very well.
short conversations = محادثات قصيرة. I can have short conversations now.

إزاي تقول عن نفسك

لو عايز تكلم حد عن لغاتك، استخدم الجمل دي:

I can speak… (أنا أعرف أتكلم…)
I can understand a little… (أنا بقدر أفهم شوية…)
I'm learning… (أنا بتعلم…)
My dream is to be fluent in… (حلمي إني أبقى فلت في…)
I practise every day by… (بتمرن كل يوم بـ…)

استراتيجية القراءة

قبل ما تجاوب، اعمل skim يعني اقرا بسرعة عشان تاخد الفكرة العامة. إيه موضوع النص؟ مين بيكلم؟ بيعمل إيه؟ وبعدين لما السؤال يجيلك، ارجع scan يعني دوّر على الكلمة المفتاحية في السؤال. مثلاً لو السؤال قال Which language does she study at university?، دوّر على university في النص وهتلاقي الإجابة فوراً.

Required

What is the blog post mainly about?

Yara's favourite music and films.
The languages Yara can speak and her dream to be a polyglot.
Why Yara doesn't like her university.

Required

Yara can speak Arabic, English and French very well.

Required

Yara can read Japanese a little, but she can't write it.

Required

Yara wants to be fluent in ten languages.

Speaking

7 cards

In this section, you will practise speaking about your own language abilities. You will learn a small set of useful phrases, listen to a model conversation, repeat some key sentences, and finally have a live conversation with the AI.

Here are eight phrases that will help you. They all use can or can't. Try to learn them in order, from the simplest to the most useful in a real conversation.

I can speak [language]. — Use this to say which language you can use.
I can understand [language] a little. — Use this when you can follow a language but cannot speak it.
I can't speak [language]. — Use this to be clear about what you cannot do.
I can speak [language] quite well. — 'Quite well' means 'fairly well', not perfectly.
I can speak [language] very well. — Use this when you are confident in the language.
I am fluent in [language]. — Use this for your strongest language.
I want to learn [language]. — Use this to talk about your goals.
I study [language] at school / university. — Use this to talk about where you learn.

In the model conversation, you will hear Tom and Emma meeting at a language class. Listen to the order of the phrases they use. Notice that they start with a greeting, then ask about languages, then talk about themselves, and finally make a plan to practise together.

When it is your turn to speak, you will first read two sentences aloud to practise the pronunciation of can and can't. Speak clearly and remember the difference between /æ/ and /ɑː/. Then you will have a live roleplay with the AI. The AI will play a new classmate who wants to know what languages you can speak. Your goal is to introduce yourself, talk about your language abilities, and ask the same questions back.

During the roleplay, try to use can and can't correctly, give short clear answers, and ask a follow-up question such as What languages can you speak? You do not need to use perfect grammar. The most important thing is to communicate clearly. If you forget a word, you can describe it in simple English — for example, if you forget the word for Spanish, you can say the language from Spain. Take a deep breath before you start, speak slowly, and enjoy the conversation. This is your chance to use can and can't in a real situation.

بتتكلم عن اللغات اللي تعرفها

في السيكشن ده هتتعلم إزاي تقول لأي حد بتتعرف عليه إيه اللغات اللي بتعرفها، وإيه مستواك في كل لغة. السر في كله بيكون في كلمتين بسيطات جداً: can و can't.

القاعدة الأساسية

Can معناها "أقدر" أو "بعرف أتكلم/ أفهم"، و can't معناها "مش بقدر". لما تتكلم عن لغة، الشكل بيكون كده:

I can speak [language] — يعني أنا بعرف أتكلم اللغة دي. مثلاً: I can speak English.
I can understand [language] a little — يعني بقدر أفهم شوية بس مش بتكلم. مثلاً: I can understand French a little.
I can't speak [language] — لما تبقى عايز تقول بوضوح إنك مش بتعرف لغة. مثلاً: I can't speak Japanese.

مستويات اللغة

عشان توصّل مستواك بالظبط، بتضيف كلمة قبل اللغة:

quite well = كويس شوية، مش ممتاز
very well = كويس جداً
fluently = بطلاقة، وده أعلى مستوى
a little = شوية بسيط

مثال كامل من الحوار: I can speak German fluently, and I can speak English quite well. ركّز إزاي كل مستوى بيتوصف بكلمة مختلفة.

حركات إضافية مفيدة

لو بتعلم لغة دلوقتي، بتقول I'm learning [language] at university زي Emma بالظبط. ولو عايز تبادل تدريب لغوي مع حد، بتقول I want to practise Italian more — can you help me? دي طريقة ذكية جداً تفتح باب التعاون.

نصيحة للـ roleplay

في المحادثة اللي جاية مع الـ AI، هو هي扮演 زميل جديد عايز يعرف إنت بتعرف إيه. خلّي بالك من الخطوات دي:

ابدأ بترحيب بسيط زي Hi! What's your name?
استخدم can و can't في إجاباتك
اسأل سؤال رجوعي زي: What languages can you speak?
اطلب تبادل لغوي في الآخر

متقلقش من الغلط، أهم حاجة توصّل فكرتك بوضوح. خد نَفَس عميق، اتكلم بهدوء، واستمتع بالمحادثة.

Tom and Emma meet at a language class. Notice how they use 'can' and 'can't' to exchange information about their language abilities.

T
Tom Hi! What's your name?
E
Emma Hi Tom! I'm Emma. What languages can you speak?
T
Tom I can speak English and a little Spanish. I can understand French quite well. And you?
E
Emma I can speak German fluently. I can speak English well, and I'm learning Italian at university.
T
Tom That's great! Can you teach me a little German?
E
Emma Of course! I want to practise Italian more — can you help me?

I can speak English quite well, and I can understand a little French.

Read this key model sentence. It uses 'can' twice with two different verbs in the base form.

Required

Read this sentence aloud. Make the /æ/ in 'can' short and clear.

I can speak three languages.

Required

Read this sentence aloud. Make the /ɑː/ in 'can't' long, and finish with a clear /t/.

I can't speak Japanese, but I want to learn it.

Required

You are at a language school and you meet a new classmate. Greet them, introduce yourself, and have a short conversation about your language abilities. Use 'can' and 'can't'. Try to ask at least one question back.

Required

I CAN use can and can't for ability
I CAN talk about language abilities

Vocabulary

6 cards

When we talk about languages, we need a small set of very useful words. These words help us describe what we can do, what we are learning, and how well we can use a language. In this section, you will meet eight key words that appear again and again in this lesson.

First, four action verbs: speak, understand, read and write. They describe the four main language skills. We can use them after can to talk about ability: I can speak French, She can understand Italian. Notice that the verb stays in its base form — we never say I can speaks.

Then two learning verbs: learn and study. Learn means to get a new skill over time. Study means to work on it in a focused way, often at school or with a book. We usually learn a language for fun, but we study it for an exam.

Finally, two describing words: fluent and accent. We say someone is fluent when they speak a language very well, like a near-native speaker. An accent is the special way someone pronounces words because of their first language. Everyone has an accent, including you.

Look at the table below. The first column shows the word, the second shows its part of speech, the third shows the meaning in your language, and the fourth gives a short example. Read each example carefully — you will need to recognise these sentences in the listening and reading parts of the lesson.

Word	Part of speech	Meaning	Example
speak	verb	يتكلم	I can speak three languages.
understand	verb	يفهم	I can understand French quite well.
read	verb	يقرأ	She can read Arabic slowly.
write	verb	يكتب	He can write in Japanese.
learn	verb	يتعلم	I want to learn Spanish.
study	verb	يدرس	They study English at school.
fluent	adjective	بطلاقة	She is fluent in Italian.
accent	noun	لكنة	He has a strong French accent.

Pay attention to the verb form in the example column. The verb never changes after can — there is no -s, no -ing, no -ed. This is one of the most important patterns in this lesson, and we will look at it again in the grammar section.

الكلمات اللي هنشوفها النهاردة كلها بتيجي في سياق الكلام عن اللغات. هي كلمات بسيطة بس مهمة جداً، وهتساعدك تقول إنت بتعرف إيه وإنت بتعلم إيه. هنقسهم لثلاث مجموعات عشان نفهمهم بسهولة.

أفعال المهارات الأساسية

عندنا أربع أفعال أساسية بيوصفوا الأربع مهارات لأي لغة:

speak يعني بيتكلم، زي: I can speak English.
understand يعني بيفهم، زي: She can understand French.
read يعني بيقرأ، زي: He can read Arabic slowly.
write يعني بيكتب، زي: She can write in Japanese.

الفرق بين learn و study

الكلمتين الاتنين معناه يتعلم، بس فيه فرق لطيف بينهم:

learn يعني إنك بتكتسب مهارة جديدة مع الوقت، غالباً بطرق طبيعية أو للمتعة. مثلاً: I want to learn Spanish for my holiday.
study معناها إنك بتذاكر أو بتراجع بشكل منظم، زي في المدرسة أو قبل امتحان. مثلاً: They study English at school every day.

القاعدة ببساطة: لو بتتعلم حاجة للمتعة استخدم learn، لو بتذاكر مادة استخدم study.

كلمات الوصف

fluent معناها بطلاقة. لما تقول حد fluent في لغة معينة، يعني بيتكلمها بطلاقة عالية وقريب من صوت أهل اللغة. مثلاً: She is fluent in Italian because she lived there for ten years.
accent هي اللكنة، يعني الطريقة المميزة اللي بينطق بيها الشخص الكلمات بسبب لغته الأولى. كل الناس عندها accent، حتى لو مش واخد باله. مثلاً: He has a strong French accent when he speaks English.

قاعدة مهمة جداً

لما تستخدم أي فعل من دول بعد can، الفعل بيفضل زي ما هو من غير أي إضافات. يعني مش بنقول I can speaks أو She can understands. الصح: I can speak و He can write. ركز على النقطة دي عشان هتتقابل معاها كتير في الدرس.

Eight key words for talking about languages. Read each one, then look at the examples in the table above.

accent ˈæksənt
The way a person pronounces words, which often shows where they are from or their social background. For examp
fluent ˈfluːənt
Able to speak or write a language smoothly and accurately, without hesitation or errors.
learn lɜːn
to get knowledge or a new skill by studying, practicing, or being taught
read riːd
to look at words or symbols and understand what they mean : to say the words that are printed or written: to u
speak spiːk
to say words, to use the voice , or to have a conversation with someone: talking from a particular point of vi
study ˈstʌdi
To spend time learning about a subject by reading, going to classes, or examining information.
understand ˌʌn.dəˈstænd
to know the meaning of something that someone says: to know why or how something happens or works : to know ho
write raɪt
to make marks that represent letters , words, or numbers on a surface , such as paper or a computer screen , u