Everyday English for Newcomers

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What is Everyday English for Newcomers?
Target students
Key features
Lesson details & links

**What is Everyday English for Newcomers?**

Everyday English for Newcomers is a new series of lessons that provides newcomers with the language and skills they need to successfully navigate specific situations and events inside and outside of school. While English language education usually focuses on developing general language proficiency, Everyday English for Newcomers ensures students are prepared and confident for potentially challenging scenarios like a visit to the doctor’s office, finding an apartment, understanding school and traffic safety information, applying to college, and much more. Teachers can use Everyday English for Newcomers lessons sequentially or dip in and out when their students need a lesson covering a specific topic. Lessons target students in the beginner (CEFR A1, WIDA 1.0 Entering) to upper beginner (CEFR A2, WIDA 2.0 Emerging) range, but can also be used with students at higher proficiency levels.

Target students

Newcomers: Students who have arrived in the US within the last 3 years and who are still learning English. Most newcomers will have no previous experience with English and there may be little or no language support for them as they adapt to an English-language school environment.
SLIFE: Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education. These students may have limited formal classroom or language-learning experience and will need significant support to function successfully in an English-language school environment.
LTEL: Long-term English Learners. Students who have been in the US school system for several years and who have not achieved proficiency in English. A lack of language skills in specific contexts often prevents these students from progressing.

Key features

All lessons in this series are based around the following elements and concepts:

Relevant topics Lessons cover potentially challenging situations that newcomers often encounter, ensuring that the lesson content is immediately applicable and can have maximum impact for learners.
Authentic language Lessons are built upon authentic, level-appropriate conversations and language chunks. Students familiarize themselves with the language actually used in each context, meaning there is no gap between what they study in the classroom and what they encounter in the real world.
Non-sequential structure The units within Everyday English for Newcomers can be studied in any order, meaning teachers can dip in and out as required to address their students’ needs without being locked into a defined sequence.

Lesson details & links

The lesson name (with link) and objectives are listed below for a quick overview of each lesson. Click a lesson name to launch it directly from this article. To see a spreadsheet of all Off2Class lessons, click here.

Lesson & Link	Objectives
1.1 Personal information	By the end of this unit, students will be able to give and write basic personal information (such as name, address, telephone number, email, birthday, age, and emergency contact).
2.1 Doctor's appointment	By the end of this unit, students will be able to make a simple doctor’s appointment by phone or in person. They will be able to ask for an appointment, give basic information (such as insurance card, provider ID, preferred day and time), and understand appointment details (morning or afternoon).
2.2 At the school nurse	By the end of this unit, students will be able to communicate basic health information at the school nurse’s office. They will be able to understand and complete simple school health forms and describe basic symptoms. They will also be able to identify common medical items such as an inhaler and Epi-pen and understand when they are used.
2.3 At the pharmacy	By the end of this unit, students will be able to understand and use basic pharmacy language, including how often to take medicine (once a day, every 6 hours, as needed). Students will be able to follow simple medicine instructions and safety warnings, ask for help at a pharmacy, and understand key terms such as prescription, over-the-counter, refill, dosage, and expiration date.
2.4 Emergency language	By the end of this unit, students will be able to use basic emergency language to ask for help, describe an urgent situation, and express when they or someone else is in danger (e.g., “Help!”, “Call 911!”, “I don’t feel safe.”). Students will also be able to give simple location and personal information, such as their address or where they are.
3.2 Apartment problems	By the end of this unit, students will be able to use basic housing vocabulary to ask and answer questions about apartments, such as “How much is the rent?” and “Is it furnished?” Students will also be able to understand key terms used when looking for or applying for an apartment.
3.1 Finding an apartment	By the end of this unit, students will be able to report common apartment problems using simple sentences. They will also be able to use basic apartment vocabulary (sink, toilet, light, floor, roof) and communicate with a landlord or property manager about repairs and payments.
3.3 Bills and utilities	By the end of this unit, students will be able to use basic language for paying bills and managing utilities, including asking and answering questions such as “How much is the bill?” and “How can I pay?” Students will be able to report problems with services like electricity, water, gas, or internet, using simple phrases like “No power” or “The service is broken.
4.1 Traffic signs and safety	By the end of this unit, students will be able to recognize and understand common traffic signs and their meanings, including movement and control signs (stop, yield, one way) and warning signs (caution, curve, school zone). Students will also be able to understand parking rules and restrictions (no parking, handicapped, loading zone) and use basic directional language (north, south, exit, next right/left) to follow signs and navigate roads safely.
4.2 Getting a driver's license	By the end of this unit, students will be able to apply for a driver’s license by providing basic personal information (name, address, birth date). Students will also be able to answer simple yes/no legal questions, indicate choices about organ donation and voter registration, and understand the need for a signature and parent/guardian consent for minors.
4.3 Public transportation	By the end of this unit, students will be able to use basic language to navigate public transportation, including buying tickets, reading maps, and understanding schedules. Students will also be able to ask and answer questions about stops, transfers, and directions, and use key words and phrases such as “get on,” “get off,” “downtown,” and “uptown” to travel safely and independently.
5.2 Using town services	By the end of this unit, students will be able to use basic language at the bank to talk about accounts, deposits, withdrawals, and balances. They will also be able to ask and answer simple questions about money, forms, and transactions, and understand common banking terms.
5.1 At the bank	By the end of the lesson, students will be able to use basic language to understand and talk about common town services (such as trash pickup, the library, the community center, road maintenance, and the post office). Students will also be able to ask simple questions to get help or information from these services.
6.3 School safety	By the end of this unit, students will be able to use basic language at school to talk about people (teacher, principal, assistant principal) and places (classroom, bathroom, library, cafeteria). They will also be able to ask and answer simple questions about their schedule, grade, and class, and use simple phrases to communicate effectively at school.
6.2 Parent / teacher communication	By the end of this unit, students will be able to communicate with teachers about school events, meetings, and student progress. They will be able to ask and answer simple questions about school events and student behavior.
6.1 At school	By the end of this unit, students will be able to understand and follow basic school safety rules during emergencies such as fire drills. They will also be able to respond to simple directions from teachers and staff, using phrases like “Line up,” “Go to your classroom,” or “Stay inside,” to stay safe at school.
7.2 Mental health	By the end of this unit, students will be able to ask for help and express basic needs at school or work using simple phrases like “I need help,” “Can you help me?” and “I don’t understand.” They will also be able to request support or accommodations, such as asking for an interpreter, more time, or someone to explain instructions slowly.
7.1 Support and services	By the end of this unit, students will be able to talk about their feelings and emotions and ask for help from school support services such as counselors, social workers, or the school nurse. They will also be able to describe problems like stress, bullying, or sadness and use simple phrases to seek support, make friends, and express their needs.
8.1 Online safety	By the end of this unit, students will be able to understand basic online safety rules and use simple language to stay safe on the internet, including protecting passwords, avoiding scams, and recognizing strangers. They will also be able to report problems or unsafe situations to a trusted adult and explain when they feel uncomfortable online.
9.1 Applying to college	By the end of this unit, students will be able to understand basic information about college and university. They will also be able to ask and answer simple questions about admissions, requirements, and deadlines, and understand key terms such as application, transcript, recommendation letter, and essay.