Everyday English for living abroad

Moving to an English-speaking country means a hundred small conversations you never practiced: registering at a clinic, explaining a problem to the landlord, opening a bank account, chatting with neighbours, talking to your child's teacher. Each one is simple for locals and stressful for you.

Airi plays the other person in every one of them. Rehearse describing symptoms to a doctor, reporting a broken heater, asking about a bank fee, or making small talk at a school gate, in the natural, everyday English people actually use. Practice them before they happen and daily life stops feeling like a test.

A quick example with Airi

I'm your landlord. You said something about the heating?

Yes, the heater in the living room is not working since Monday. It is very cold.

Small fix: "hasn't been working since Monday." I'll send someone. Is Thursday morning okay?

Thursday morning is fine, but could you come after nine? I take my daughter to school first.

Perfect — polite and clear. That's exactly how to handle it.

Try a conversation like this, free600 free credits, about 8 minutes of speaking. No card.

The questions you will be asked in your first weeks abroad

Many first conversations abroad start with a short question from someone behind a counter. Each of these five is really a request for something specific, so answer the request.

The question	What they need from you	A clear answer
Apartment viewing: "Do you have references?"	A past landlord or an employer who can say that you are reliable.	I'm new to the country, but I can give you my employer's contact information and a letter from my last landlord.
Bank: "Do you have proof of address?"	A document showing your name and home address, such as a recent bill.	Not yet. I only arrived last week. What else do you accept?
Clinic reception: "Can I get your date of birth?"	A way to find your record. Say the month as a word, because 04/03 is April 3 in the US and 4 March in the UK.	It's March fourth, 1994.
Doctor's office: "What brings you in today?"	Your main symptom and how long you have had it.	I've had a sore throat and a fever for three days.
Pharmacy: "Are you on any medication?"	Everything you take regularly, including vitamins and anything you bought without a prescription.	Just one, for blood pressure. I wrote the name down.

Living-abroad words that change from country to country

The same thing has a different name in each country, and the local name is the one on the forms. The terms below are the ones used on government and health-service pages in each country; the emergency numbers are those given by MedlinePlus (US), the NHS (UK) and Healthdirect (Australia).

What it is	United States	United Kingdom	Australia
Your regular doctor	primary care provider (PCP)	GP	GP
Hospital department for emergencies	emergency room (ER)	A&E (accident and emergency)	emergency department (ED)
Emergency phone number	911	999	triple zero (000)
Refundable payment to a landlord	security deposit	deposit	bond
Personal number for work and tax	Social Security number	National Insurance number	tax file number (TFN)

Two more pairs: "lease" (US) and "tenancy agreement" (UK) for the rental contract, and "checking account" (US) and "current account" (UK) for everyday banking. Canada's government pages say "lease", "chequing account" and "Social Insurance Number (SIN)".

Phrases for your landlord, bank, clinic and child's school

When you need to	Say
Ask what the rent covers	Are utilities included in the rent, or do I pay for them separately?
Report a repair	The washing machine has been leaking since Sunday. Could you send someone to look at it?
Ask about bank fees	Is there a monthly fee, and is there a minimum balance I need to keep?
Question a charge	There's a charge here that I don't recognize. Could you tell me what it's for?
Find a regular doctor	I just moved here. Are you accepting new patients?
Get your medicine	I'm here to pick up a prescription for Amara Okafor.
Enroll a child	I'd like to enroll my son in school. He's eight. What do I need to bring?
Call the school about a sick child	My daughter isn't feeling well, so she won't be in today.

The repair line is a pattern for any problem: what is wrong, since when, and what you would like to happen. In the UK the usual word for utilities is "bills" ("Are bills included?"), and you "register with a GP surgery". In England, the NHS says you do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status to register.

Mistakes learners make at the clinic, the bank and the rental office

Instead of	Say	Why
I'd like to take an appointment.	I'd like to make an appointment.	The verb is "make". "Schedule" and "book" also work, but "take" does not.
I have a cough since two weeks.	I've had a cough for two weeks.	"For" goes with a length of time. "Since" needs a starting point: "since Monday".
The doctor gave me a recipe.	The doctor gave me a prescription.	A recipe is for cooking, and a receipt shows that you paid. Medicine needs a prescription.
Could you explain me this fee?	Could you explain this fee to me?	You explain something "to" a person.
My landlord rose the rent.	My landlord raised the rent.	Prices "rise" on their own. A person "raises" them.

A rehearsal with Airi before your next appointment abroad

Rehearse the appointment that is closest on your calendar. Your free credits are about eight minutes of speaking, enough for one scene and a second attempt (steps 1 to 4). The other scenes are for later sessions.

Name the country and the role: "Be a receptionist at a doctor's office in Canada. I'm a new patient. Ask me what a receptionist would ask."
Answer as you would at the desk: spell your last name and give your date of birth with the month as a word.
Each time a small fix appears, repeat the corrected sentence aloud before you answer the next question.
Run the same scene again from the start, using the corrected sentences.
Next session, the consultation: "Be the doctor. Ask about my symptoms one question at a time." Say what is wrong, when it started, and what makes it better or worse.
A harder scene: "Be a bank employee and tell me one of my documents is not accepted." Then ask exactly what to bring instead.
Housing: "Be a landlord showing me an apartment. Ask me what a landlord would ask." Then ask about the rent, the deposit and repairs.

How to get the most from it

Rehearse before appointments

Doctor, bank, school meeting — practice the conversation with Airi the day before.

Learn the everyday phrases

"Could you...?", "I'd like to...", "Sorry, what does that mean?" — small phrases that unlock daily life.

Practice small talk

Neighbours and colleagues judge warmth, not grammar. Rehearse light conversation.

Start speaking today

Your first 600 credits are free — no credit card. Sign in and have your first conversation with Airi.

Start free with Google

Frequently asked questions

Which situations can I practice?

Any everyday situation: healthcare, housing, banking, shopping, schools, government offices and small talk. Tell Airi the situation and she plays the other person.

Is it useful before I move?

Yes. The first conversations abroad are predictable: a rental viewing, a bank, a doctor's office, a school. Rehearsing them out loud before you go means the counter is not the first place you say the words.

What should I ask a landlord before renting an apartment?

Ask whether utilities are included in the rent, how much the deposit is and when you get it back, how long the lease runs, and who to call about repairs. Expect questions too. Canada's housing agency, CMHC, lists what a landlord there can ask about: your income and where you work, how many people will live in the home, pets, smoking, references and permission to run a credit check.

What should I say if I don't understand the doctor?

Say so at once. The NHS tells patients not to be afraid to ask, with the example "Can you say that again? I still do not understand", and to ask for unfamiliar words to be written down and explained. You can also ask for an interpreter. In England, NHS guidance for primary care says patients should always be offered a registered interpreter and should not be asked to pay. Elsewhere, ask when you book the appointment whether one is available.

What do I say to open a bank account in English?

Start with "I'd like to open an account. What documents do you need?" Expect to be asked for photo ID and something that shows your address. The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's checklist for newcomers lists photo ID plus a second item such as "a bill with your name and address on it", and Citizens Advice says UK banks usually want two documents, one proving who you are and one proving where you live. If you have just arrived and have no bills yet, say so and ask which other documents the bank accepts. Citizens Advice adds that if you have none of the documents a UK bank wants, it should accept a letter from a responsible person who knows you, such as a GP or a teacher.

Is it free to try?

Yes. You get 600 free credits when you sign up with Google, about eight minutes of speaking, with no credit card. That is enough to rehearse one appointment. After that there are one-off credit packs from USD 5, with no subscription.

Last updated: 2026-10-02