A1 — Countries & Nationalities: Theory
Level A1
Countries • Cities • Languages
Goal
Talk about your country and city, say your nationality and language, ask about other people’s countries, and understand basic country names in English.
Country vs nationality
- Country = place / state: Armenia, France, Japan.
- Nationality = who you are from that country: Armenian, French, Japanese.
- We use be + nationality: I’m Armenian. / She’s Spanish.
- We use be from + country/city: I’m from Armenia. / He’s from Berlin.
Asking about country & city
- Where are you from? — I’m from Italy.
- Where do you live? — I live in Yerevan.
- What’s your nationality? — I’m French.
- What’s the capital city of …? — The capital city of Spain is Madrid.
Languages
- Language names are usually the same as the nationality: English, Spanish, Russian.
- We use speak + language: I speak English. / She speaks Italian.
- To ask: Do you speak English? — Yes, a little.
Spelling & capital letters
- Countries, cities, nationalities and languages start with a capital letter: Armenia, Yerevan, Armenian, English.
- Some country names need the: the UK, the USA.
- Nationality words do not use the:
I’m American. (not
the American).
Vocabulary — 30 countries, nationalities & basic words
1. country
Armenia is my country.
2. city
Yerevan is a big city.
3. capital city
Paris is the capital city of France.
4. map
Look at the map of the world.
5. flag
This is the Armenian flag.
6. world
There are many countries in the world.
7. Armenia
I’m from Armenia.
8. Armenian
I’m Armenian.
9. Russia
He is from Russia.
10. Russian
She is Russian.
11. England
England is part of the UK.
12. English
We study English.
13. the UK
London is in the UK.
14. British
He is British.
15. the USA
They live in the USA.
16. American
She is American.
17. France
We go to France on holiday.
18. French
He is French.
19. Germany
Berlin is in Germany.
20. German
My friend is German.
21. Spain
We travel to Spain in summer.
22. Spanish
She is Spanish.
23. Italy
Rome is in Italy.
24. Italian
He is Italian.
25. China
This product is from China.
26. Chinese
She is Chinese.
27. Japan
Tokyo is in Japan.
28. Japanese
I like Japanese food.
29. Turkey
They go to Turkey on holiday.
30. Turkish
He is Turkish.
Tip: practise two patterns — I’m from + country and I’m + nationality: I’m from Spain. I’m Spanish.
Booster — 20 extra countries, nationalities & useful words
1. Canada
Canada is a big country.
2. Canadian
She is Canadian.
3. Australia
They live in Australia.
4. Australian
He is Australian.
5. Brazil
Brazil is famous for football.
6. Brazilian
She is Brazilian.
7. Mexico
They travel to Mexico.
8. Mexican
He is Mexican.
9. India
India is a large country.
10. Indian
She is Indian.
11. Ukraine
My friend is from Ukraine.
12. Ukrainian
He is Ukrainian.
13. Georgia
Georgia is near Armenia.
14. Georgian
She is Georgian.
15. Poland
They live in Poland.
16. Polish
He is Polish.
17. Greece
We go to Greece in summer.
18. Greek
She is Greek.
19. abroad
I want to study abroad.
20. foreign
I like foreign languages.
Tip: make your own list: My country, My nationality, Languages I speak. Say it out loud every day.
Mini-dialogues
- A: Where are you from? — B: I’m from Armenia. And you? — A: I’m from Spain.
- A: What’s your nationality? — B: I’m French. I live in Paris.
- A: Do you speak English? — B: Yes, a little.
Conversation pattern
- I’m … (name).
- I’m from … (country). I live in … (city).
- I’m … (nationality). I speak … (language).
Keep your sentences short and clear. Repeat this pattern with different countries and nationalities to build automatic speaking habits.