Course description

Living in a new country means using English every day: in shops, on the bus, on the phone, at the GP surgery, at your child's school, with your landlord and at work. This course gives you the English for those real situations, in simple language, one situation at a time.

There are 11 sections and 55 written lessons. Each lesson is built around one situation, with the phrases you need, pronunciation help in the text, a table of useful words, a dialogue, a mistake to watch out for, answers to common questions and a practical task. Grammar comes in only when a situation needs it. You follow a weekly conversation group in Southampton: Halima, Tiago, Ka Yan, Najib and Rahwa, who come from five different countries, and Elaine, the volunteer who runs the group. They register with a GP, return a broken kettle, report a broken boiler, call 999 for a neighbour, go to parents' evening and start a new job. Every section has a worksheet with model answers, a cheat sheet and a glossary file, plus practical tools: a details card, a phone call planner, a health details card, an emergency card for next to your phone, school message templates, a repair report template and role play cards.

What you'll learn

• Getting started: introducing yourself, spelling your name and address, numbers, dates and times, and what to say when you don't understand.
• Shops and shopping: finding things, prices and offers, food shopping and markets, taking something back and online deliveries.
• Getting around: buses, trains and stations, asking for and giving directions, taxis, and what to do when a journey goes wrong.
• Phone calls and appointments: making and answering calls, booking and changing appointments, automated lines, voicemail, reading back numbers, texts and emails.
• Health: registering with a GP, getting an appointment, describing symptoms, the pharmacy, NHS 111 and when to go to A&E.
• Emergencies and staying safe: calling 999, saying where you are, gas, fire, power cuts and leaks, the police and 101, and spotting scams.
• Children and school: how school works, getting a place, the school office, talking to teachers and asking for extra help.
• Home, repairs and neighbours: renting, reporting repairs, damp and mould, following up in writing, energy and water bills and getting on with neighbours.
• Banks, council tax, forms and letters: bank accounts, statements and bills, council tax, filling in forms and understanding official letters.
• Work: job adverts, a simple CV, application forms, interviews, your first days and everyday work talk.
• People, culture and your next steps: small talk, UK politeness and indirect language, accents, a final project with your own phrasebook, and how to keep learning.

Who it's for

Adults who have moved to the UK and want more confidence with everyday English, at about A2 to B1 level (you can read simple English and have short conversations). It's also useful for ESOL learners who want extra practice, and for volunteers and family members who help them. The lessons use short sentences and explain every new word. There's no audio, so pronunciation is shown in the text. The course covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and says where things are different. It teaches English, not legal or immigration advice: for rules about your own situation, it points you to GOV.UK and Citizens Advice.

What will I learn?

• Introduce yourself, spell your name and address, and say numbers, dates and times clearly
• Ask for help when you don't understand, using simple rescue phrases
• Shop, check prices, return a faulty item and sort out a delivery problem
• Use buses, trains and taxis, and ask for and give directions
• Make phone calls, book and change appointments, use automated lines and read back numbers
• Register with a GP, describe symptoms, use the pharmacy and know when to use NHS 111, A&E or 999
• Call 999, say where you are, deal with gas, fire and leaks, and spot common scams
• Talk to your child's school, write absence messages and speak to teachers
• Rent a home, report repairs in speech and writing, understand bills and get on with neighbours
• Open a bank account, understand council tax, fill in forms and read official letters
• Read job adverts, write a simple CV, answer interview questions and manage your first days at work
• Make small talk, understand UK politeness and different accents, and plan how to keep learning

Frequently asked questions