Which ESL Fast Materials Should I Start With Based on My English Level?

Updated

Start with the section that matches your current level, not the one that sounds most interesting. ESL Fast organizes its free lessons into two main tracks — For Beginners and For Intermediate Learners — and each track lists materials roughly from easiest to hardest. If you are unsure where you belong, begin with the easiest item in the beginner track and move down the numbered list until the material feels slightly challenging but still understandable.

If You Are a Beginner (Little or No English)

The beginner track on ESL Fast is built around very short, highly supported material. Work through it in this order:

  1. Speak Kindergarten English — the simplest speaking material, useful for basic words and phrases.
  2. Speaking Is Easy — short speaking practice that builds on the first step.
  3. Easy Conversations — simple dialogues with audio.
  4. Start Reading for Children (I), (II), (III) — graded reading that gets progressively longer.
  5. Super Easy Reading, then Easy Reading — the bridge from children's material to general beginner reading.
  6. English Level 1 through Level 6 — a numbered sequence, so Level 1 is easier than Level 6.
  7. New Graded Reading 1–3 — additional graded reading at the beginner end.
  8. Grammar Notes, Easy Grammar Exercises, and Scrambled-Sentence Exercises (I) and (II) — grammar and sentence-building practice to run alongside the reading.

The site describes this track as "For Beginners," and the numbering (Level 1–6, Reading I–III) is your main signal for difficulty order.

If You Are an Intermediate Learner

The intermediate track assumes you can already read and listen to short passages. Its materials include:

  • Speak English Fast and English Conversations — speaking and conversation practice at a faster pace.
  • New Graded Reading 4 and 5 (New Sciences) — continues the graded reading sequence from the beginner track.
  • 365 Essays for English Learners — one essay per day, longer than beginner passages.
  • 100 American People and 100 Essays: America Is Great! — content-based reading on American topics.
  • American Culture and Customs and English for New USA Immigrants — cultural and practical reading.
  • ESL Mini-Novels and A Young Couple's Life in America — extended reading for learners ready for longer texts.
  • Sentence Structure Writing Practice, Advanced Grammar Exercises, and Vocabulary Lists — writing, grammar, and vocabulary work.

Because the intermediate list is not strictly numbered, use this rough order: conversation and graded reading first, then essays and culture reading, then mini-novels and advanced grammar.

How to Decide Where to Start

The site itself does not include a placement test, so choose your entry point by checking your weakest skill:

Your situation Start here
You know almost no English Speak Kindergarten English → Easy Conversations
You can read simple sentences but listening is hard Easy Conversations + Super Easy Reading
You can handle short passages but want more structure English Level 1–6 in order
You read well but speak slowly Speak English Fast, English Conversations
You want longer reading and real topics 365 Essays, American Culture and Customs
You want to build grammar and writing Grammar Notes, Easy Grammar Exercises, then Advanced Grammar Exercises

A practical method: pick one item from listening, one from reading, and one from grammar at your estimated level. If you understand roughly 70–80% without translating every word, the level is right. If it feels effortless, move to the next numbered item; if it feels overwhelming, step back one level.

What You Need to Know Before You Start

ESL Fast states it offers 2,500+ ESL conversations with high-quality audio, thousands of short stories and essays, and interactive exercises covering listening, reading, speaking, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. The site also mentions a Points-Based Reward System and an ESL Robot 5.0 AI tutor, but the core lesson lists above are the main starting points for level-based study.

The site shows Login, Register Now, and Membership Dashboard options, so some features may involve an account. The page does not state that all content requires login, and it does not list prices — so treat account-related features as something to check on the site rather than assume.

One more note: the materials are shared across rong-chang.com and eslfast.com, and the site includes a search tool covering both. If a link seems to lead elsewhere, that is expected.