Image of course American English for Life and Work in the USA

American English for Life and Work in the USA.

Avatar - Clara

Relocating to the United States can feel exciting and exhausting, even when your English is strong. This course helps you close the gap between good English and practical American English for real life. Each lesson places you inside a concrete situation: viewing an apartment, ordering dinner and tipping, calling a doctor, joining a Zoom meeting, pushing back on a deadline, or networking at a conference. You notice how American speakers actually sound, compare this with the English you learned before, and practice more natural options. Along the way you explore U.S. norms around small talk, feedback, hierarchy, and boundaries, and learn how to adapt without losing your identity. By the end, you can handle a full day of life and work in the U.S. with the language, tone, and confidence of someone who truly belongs there.

Course methodology:

Clara

You learn American English in context through realistic U.S. situations that match your real life: renting an apartment, visiting a doctor, joining meetings, writing emails, networking, and more. Every lesson focuses on one clear can do outcome in a concrete scene, with short dialogues, texts, and mini case studies that show how Americans actually speak and write. You notice useful chunks and patterns, compare them with what you usually say, and then practice through guided tasks, role-play style activities, and short writing so you can reuse the language in your own life.

Course objectives:

  1. Handle common daily-life interactions in the U.S. (shopping, restaurants, housing, healthcare) using natural, polite American English.
  2. Use key American words, phrases, and idioms accurately in context, including high-frequency British–American differences that matter in real life.
  3. Apply typical U.S. politeness patterns with please, thank you, sorry, and small talk so you sound friendly but not overly formal.
  4. Make, change, and confirm appointments with U.S. service providers and offices confidently by phone or online.
  5. Resolve problems with landlords, stores, and customer-service agents by explaining issues clearly and asking for solutions politely but firmly.
  6. Introduce yourself and your role in American professional settings and build rapport with colleagues through safe, effective small talk.
  7. Participate actively in American-style meetings, including giving updates, jumping in, clarifying, and disagreeing without sounding rude.
  8. Write clear, concise American-style work emails with natural greetings, closings, subject lines, requests, and follow-ups.
  9. Use core American business vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and office jargon such as touch base, circle back, and bandwidth appropriately.
  10. Understand fast, informal American speech from colleagues, neighbors, and service workers, including common reductions and connected speech.
  11. Adjust your own pronunciation, stress, and intonation toward a clear, neutral American model so U.S. listeners understand you comfortably.
  12. Adapt your level of directness and formality to different U.S. situations, from casual chats to manager meetings and customer calls.
  13. Use communication strategies such as checking understanding, asking for repetition, and repairing misunderstandings in a calm, confident way.
  14. Notice when a challenge is linguistic versus cultural and choose how to adjust your language, tone, or behavior in response.
  15. Create and follow a personal adaptation plan for your first months in the U.S., including target phrases, behaviors, and learning strategies.

What will you learn?

Table of contents
Lesson 1. Starting Everyday Conversations in a U.S. City
In this first lesson you land in a typical U.S. city and start handling the small but important conversations that shape your day. You practice greeting baristas, cashiers, and neighbors, ordering coffee and small items, and asking for directions or help in a way that sounds friendly and natural to Americans. We compare very formal or British-sounding requests with the shorter, more relaxed phrases you will actually hear at a cafe, drugstore, or corner shop. You notice common patterns for please, thanks, and sorry, and see how much small talk Americans often expect, even for a quick purchase. By the end of the lesson, you can open and close short service encounters smoothly, check information without feeling awkward, and feel more confident that your tone fits local expectations from your very first week in the U.S.
Lesson 2. Renting an Apartment and Talking with a Landlord
In this lesson you step into the U.S. rental market and speak with a landlord or leasing agent about an apartment. Through phone calls, messages, and an in-person viewing, you learn the language you need for rent, leases, deposits, utilities, and building rules. You notice how American landlords typically explain conditions and what polite but clear questions you should ask to protect yourself, such as what the security deposit covers or who pays for repairs. We highlight key differences from British or international English, including common U.S. terms on rental listings and forms. You also practice pushing back softly if something seems unclear or unfair. By the end, you can ask for details, confirm important points, and show that you are a responsible, informed tenant, not an easy target or a confused newcomer.
Lesson 3. Ordering Food, Tipping, and Returning Items in Stores
In this lesson you join friends for dinner and then stop by a store, so you can handle two classic U.S. situations: eating out and returning items. You practice reading menus, asking questions, customizing orders, and responding to the rapid questions servers often ask. You learn natural ways to talk about allergies and preferences, and how tipping usually works, including what to say if you are not sure what is expected. In the second part, you visit a shop to return or exchange a product, using language that is firm but polite when something is wrong with your purchase or the bill. Along the way you compare more British-style phrases with common American choices, so you sound friendly, confident, and not overly formal. By the end, you can enjoy meals out and fix small problems in stores without stress.
Lesson 4. Making Appointments and Solving Problems on the Phone
In this lesson you pick up the phone to deal with real-life tasks: booking a medical appointment, scheduling a haircut, and calling a service provider about a problem. You practice the full call from start to finish, including automated menus, spelling your name, giving dates and times in American formats, and confirming key details. You notice how receptionists and agents typically open and close calls, and which polite phrases they expect from you. We also look at how Americans describe simple problems quickly, without long background stories, and how they ask you follow-up questions. You compare the phrasing you might use in your own variety of English with natural U.S. options for making, changing, and canceling appointments. By the end, you can handle common phone calls clearly and calmly, even when the other person speaks quickly.
Lesson 5. Introducing Yourself and Building Small Talk at Work
In this lesson you walk into your new workplace, either in person or on Zoom, and meet your colleagues for the first time. You practice introducing yourself, explaining your role, and asking others about theirs in a concise, friendly way that suits U.S. office culture. Through short dialogues at the coffee machine, before meetings, and in chat, you learn safe small-talk topics, how to respond to How are you, and how to show interest without feeling fake. We explore how informal many American workplaces sound, even when people are still being professional, and when to use first names or titles. You also notice questions that may feel too personal and learn strategies to set gentle boundaries. By the end, you can start relationships at work with confidence and read the tone of your new environment more easily.
Lesson 6. Linking Emails and Chats in a Typical U.S. Workday
In this mid-course lesson you follow a full U.S. workday for one character and manage communication across channels: email, chat, and quick conversations. You rewrite overly formal or indirect messages into clear, American-style emails with strong subject lines and action-focused requests. You practice sending short chat messages on tools like Slack or Teams, choosing a tone that is friendly but efficient. You also connect written messages with spoken follow-ups, for example sending a reminder and then checking in during a brief hallway or video-chat conversation. Throughout the lesson you review and recycle key phrases from earlier units for asking for help, clarifying, and nudging people without sounding pushy. By the end, you can manage a busy inbox and chat stream in a U.S. office, and you start building your own phrase bank for future workdays.
Lesson 7. Participating Actively in American-Style Meetings
In this lesson you sit at the virtual or physical table of a fast-moving American team meeting. You practice giving short updates, asking clarifying questions, and jumping into the conversation without waiting forever for a perfect pause. You learn common phrases for interrupting politely, agreeing and disagreeing, and bringing the discussion back to the main point. We pay special attention to how U.S. colleagues often soften disagreement while still being direct about problems and next steps. You also work on summarizing decisions, assigning action items, and confirming deadlines at the end of the meeting. By the close of the lesson, you can participate actively instead of silently listening, and you know how to sound confident and collaborative, even when you are not the most fluent person in the room.
Lesson 8. Disagreeing and Giving Feedback in a U.S. Office
In this lesson you move into more delicate conversations: performance reviews, one-to-ones with your manager, and moments when you need to push back. Through realistic dialogues, you listen for how Americans mix praise and criticism, and how they use softening phrases to introduce concerns. You practice talking about your strengths and growth areas, asking for concrete examples, and checking that you understood expectations. You also try out ways to say no or question a decision without sounding negative or disloyal, and to respond professionally when feedback feels unclear or unfair. Throughout the lesson you compare typical phrases from your own culture with American patterns such as I see your point, but I am not sure that will work or I have a slightly different perspective. By the end, you can handle difficult workplace conversations more calmly, confidently, and strategically.
Lesson 9. Networking and Meeting New People at Events
In this lesson you leave the office for a meetup, conference, or internal networking event. You practice starting conversations with strangers, giving a short and memorable description of who you are and what you do, and asking good follow-up questions. You notice how Americans often mix small talk with professional talk, moving smoothly between weekend plans, hobbies, and projects. You learn practical language for exchanging contact details, mentioning LinkedIn, and ending conversations politely so you can move on without awkwardness. You also explore cultural expectations around friendliness, enthusiasm, and self-promotion, and how to present yourself confidently without overselling. By the end, you can walk into a room full of new people in the U.S. and feel ready to connect, not hide in a corner.
Lesson 10. Understanding Fast Informal American Speech in Context
In this lesson the focus shifts to understanding, not just speaking. You listen to short clips of neighbors, baristas, rideshare drivers, and coworkers using fast, informal American English. You get used to common reductions like gonna and wanna, friendly slang, and the relaxed way many Americans pronounce numbers and times. You practice predicting meaning from context, catching key words even when you cannot hear every sound, and asking people to repeat or rephrase themselves in a natural way. We also highlight differences between literal and real meaning in casual comments and invitations. By the end, everyday speech on the street, in the elevator, or at the office coffee machine will feel less like noise and more like understandable, manageable language.
Lesson 11. Adapting Your Accent and Intonation for U.S. Listeners
In this lesson you turn the camera on your own speech and work on sounding clear and comfortable to U.S. listeners. You identify a small set of high-impact words and phrases that often cause misunderstandings and practice saying them with a more American sound. You experiment with sentence stress and rhythm so that important words stand out and requests, offers, and disagreements sound friendly, not sharp. You also practice short strategies for checking whether people understood you and inviting gentle correction when needed. Instead of trying to eliminate your accent, you focus on control and flexibility, so you can adjust your pronunciation slightly for formal calls, technical presentations, or relaxed conversations. By the end, you have a personal micro-pronunciation plan for the situations that matter most to you.
Lesson 12. Handling a Full Day of Life and Work in the U.S.
In this capstone lesson you put everything together in one realistic day of life and work in the United States. You follow a story that takes you from a quick landlord call in the morning, through a commute, a doctor question, a busy workday of emails, chats, and meetings, and finally to an evening networking event. At each step you choose or create language that fits the situation, recycling phrases from earlier lessons and adjusting your tone for different people and channels. You also reflect on cultural moments in the day that felt easy or uncomfortable and design your own short adaptation plan for the next few months. By the end, you can imagine and plan your first real days in the U.S. with much more language, awareness, and confidence.
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