Starvard.
Starvard University · English for Everyday Life (ESL)
You will speak, read, and write the everyday English you need at work, at the doctor, at school, and in your neighborhood. Short sentences, model conversations, and phrase lists, written as original Starvard lessons in plain, graded English you can practice out loud.
Hello, my name is Finn, and I'm going to help you understand this course.
Here it is, explained like you are 10:
This course teaches the English you need every day. You will learn to say your name and address, buy food, ask for directions, talk to a doctor, and speak with your child's teacher. Each lesson gives you short, clear sentences and small conversations you can copy and use right away. Speak slowly, practice out loud, and do not worry about small mistakes. People will understand you, and you will get better every week.
Every lesson in this course is original Starvard material, written for this course in plain, simple English. The sentences are short on purpose. You can read them, say them out loud, and use them the same day at a store, a school, a clinic, or a job. Model conversations show both sides, what you say and what the other person may say back, so nothing in real life comes as a surprise.
Work through the lessons in order if you can, because each one builds on the words before it. But you may also jump to the lesson you need today: the doctor before an appointment, or job interviews before an interview. Say every conversation out loud, more than once. Your mouth learns English too, not only your eyes, and five minutes of speaking practice helps more than an hour of silent reading.
The whole course in brief
What you will be able to do after this course
This course gives you a real start, not fluency. Practice a little every day, use English in real life, and your English will keep growing.
The twelve lessons
Lesson 1
Start with the most useful sentences in English: the sentences about you. Learn to say them slowly and clearly. My name is Ana. I am from Mexico. I live in Denver. I speak Spanish and a little English. Practice your full name, your address, and your phone number. Many people will ask for these things: a doctor, a school, a boss, a bank. Say them the same way every time, and spell your name if the person needs to write it.
Here is a model conversation. A: Hello. What is your name? B: My name is Ana Ruiz. A: Nice to meet you, Ana. Where are you from? B: I am from Mexico. Now I live here, in Denver. A: Do you speak English? B: A little. I am learning. Please speak slowly. That last sentence is gold. Use it any time you need help. People are happy to slow down when you ask with a smile.
Practice out loud today. Say your name, your city, and your phone number three times. Then practice with a friend: you ask, your friend answers, then change places. Short practice every day is better than long practice one time.
Lesson 2
Numbers open many doors. You need them for prices, for addresses, for the time, and for dates. Learn the numbers from zero to one hundred first. Then learn hundred, thousand, and million. Money words are simple: a coin, a dollar bill, cents, change, cheap, and expensive. In a store you can ask: How much is this? The answer may be fast. It is okay to say: Please say it again, slowly. Then look at the screen or the price tag and check.
Dates and time have their own small words. The days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The months go from January to December. Say the date like this: My appointment is on Friday, May 3. For time, say: It is three thirty. The bus comes at six fifteen. Two questions will help you every day: What time is it? And: When is my appointment? Write dates and times in a notebook or on your phone as soon as you hear them.
Practice with real life. Look at a clock and say the time. Look at a calendar and say today and tomorrow. Count the money in your pocket in English. Small real practice makes the numbers yours.
Lesson 3
Shopping English is friendly and short. In a store you can say: I am looking for rice. Where is the milk? Do you have this in a bigger size? The worker may answer with a place: Aisle five, next to the bread. Listen for the key words, the number and the place. If you do not understand, say: Please show me. A smile and a pointing finger are also a language, and everyone speaks it.
Paying is the last step. The cashier may say: Cash or card? And: Do you need a bag? And: Here is your receipt. You can say: I will pay with a card. Or: I will pay cash. Keep the receipt. It is your proof, and you need it if you must return something. To return an item, say: I want to return this, please. Here is my receipt. Practice this model talk at home until the words feel easy in your mouth.
Before you shop, make your list in English. At the store, read the list out loud in a quiet voice. After you pay, check your change and your receipt. Every trip to the store is a free English lesson.
Lesson 4
New places need new words. The key words for directions are left, right, straight, near, far, next to, across from, and between. Useful questions are: Where is the bus stop? How do I get to the clinic? Is it far from here? A kind answer may be: Go straight two blocks. Turn left. The clinic is next to the library. Listen for the action words first: go, turn, stop. Then listen for the place words.
On a bus, simple sentences do the work. One ticket, please. Does this bus go downtown? Please tell me when we get to Fifth Street. Thank you. Drivers help many new riders every day, so ask with confidence. If you use a phone map, learn its English words too: start, arrive, walk, and your stop is coming. Practice your home address and the names of the streets near your home until you can say them fast and clear.
Try a practice trip. Choose a place near your home. Ask one person for directions, even if you know the way. Real questions build real courage, and courage is half of learning a language.
Lesson 5
At the doctor, clear words help you get good care. First, name the place on your body: my head, my back, my stomach, my knee. Then say the problem: It hurts here. I have a fever. I have a cough. I feel dizzy. Say when it started: It started on Monday. It started three days ago. The doctor may say: Open your mouth. Breathe in. Take this medicine two times a day. Listen, nod, and repeat the plan in your own words to check it.
It is always okay to ask for help with language. Say: I need an interpreter, please. Please speak slowly. Please write the name of the medicine. At the pharmacy, ask: How do I take this? With food or without food? How many days? If a word is new, point and ask: What is this in English? Write new health words in your notebook. Good health English can protect you and your family, so give this lesson your best practice.
Before a visit, write your problem in two short sentences and take the paper with you. Doctors like clear, short information, and your paper will speak for you if you feel nervous.
Lesson 6
Your child's school wants to talk with you, and a little English goes a long way. Learn the school words first: teacher, class, homework, lunch, bus, absent, and meeting. The most common message is about absence. Call or write and say: My son is sick today. He will not be at school. Or: My daughter has a doctor appointment on Friday. Schools like to hear from you early in the morning.
At a meeting with the teacher, these sentences help. How is my child doing? Is her reading good? What can we do at home? Please write that down. And the golden sentence for every meeting: Please speak slowly, I am learning English. You can also ask: Can we have an interpreter at the next meeting? Many schools can give one. Take notes, or take a photo of papers with your phone, and ask a friend to help you read them at home.
Keep all school papers in one folder. Write the teacher's name and the school phone number on the folder. You are a good parent, and your English practice is part of how you care for your child.
Lesson 7
Phone English is harder because you cannot see the person. Speak slowly and do not be afraid. Start every call the same way: Hello, this is Ana Ruiz. I am calling about my appointment. If you do not understand, say: Sorry, please say that again, slowly. Or: Please spell that. Have a pen ready before you call. Write names, numbers, dates, and times. At the end, repeat the plan: So, Friday at ten. Thank you. Goodbye. That repeat checks your understanding and sounds very polite.
Voicemail works both ways. When you leave a message, say four things: your name, your phone number, why you call, and your phone number again, slowly. Like this: Hello, this is Ana Ruiz. My number is 555 0134. I call about my appointment on Friday. My number is 555 0134. Thank you. When you listen to a message, play it two or three times. Write the words you know. The numbers and dates are usually the most important part.
Practice with a friend by phone this week. Call, say your four message parts, and hang up. Then listen together. The phone feels scary for one week, and then it feels normal.
Lesson 8
Life in a new country comes with paper. Forms ask for the same things again and again: first name, last name, date of birth, address, phone number, and signature. Learn those labels by heart, and most forms become easy. Write with clear letters. If a box is not for you, leave it empty. If you do not know a word, ask: What does this mean? Never sign a paper you do not understand. It is your right to take a form home and get help first.
Signs and notices use short, strong words. Learn the ones that keep you safe and on time: open, closed, entrance, exit, no smoking, danger, office, wait here, push, pull, and emergency. Notices from school, work, or your building usually answer three questions: what, when, and where. Read a notice three times. First find the date and time. Then find the place. Then read the rest. Circle new words and look them up later, at home, with tea and time.
Make a photo album on your phone: forms, signs, and notices you see. Read one every evening. In one month you will read the paper world around you with new, calm eyes.
Lesson 9
A job interview is a short, kind conversation with rules you can learn. The questions are often the same. Tell me about yourself. Why do you want this job? What are your strengths? When can you start? Prepare short answers and practice them out loud. For the first question, use three sentences: your name and experience, your best skill, and why you want this work. Like this: I am Ana. I worked in a kitchen for four years. I am fast and careful, and I want to work with your team.
You can ask questions too, and asking shows interest. What are the work hours? What is the pay? When do I start? If you do not understand a question, do not guess. Say: Sorry, can you say that in other words? Or: Please speak slowly. Dress clean, arrive early, smile, and shake hands if the other person offers a hand. At the end, say: Thank you for your time. I hope to hear from you. Then send a short thank you message the same day, using the writing skills from lesson twelve.
Practice your three sentences in a mirror every morning this week. An interview is not a test of perfect English. It is a test of a clear, ready, friendly worker, and that is you.
Lesson 10
At work, small talk is part of the job. Morning words are easy: Good morning. How are you? I am fine, thank you. How was your weekend? These sentences build friendships, and friends at work help you learn faster. Work words matter too: shift, break, schedule, manager, team, task, and done. Learn to say: What time is my break? Where do I put this? I am finished with this task. What is next?
Asking for help is a work skill, not a weakness. Say: Can you help me, please? Can you show me how to do this? I do not understand. Please show me one more time. Good workers ask early, before a small problem grows. If there is a problem, report it in simple words: The machine is not working. We need more boxes. I am sorry, I made a mistake. Honest, short reports earn trust, and trust is the road to better work and better pay.
Learn one new work word every day and use it the same day. Greet one person by name every morning. Work English grows the same way gardens grow: a little care, every day.
Lesson 11
Clear speech is not perfect speech. You do not need to lose your accent. You need the key sounds to be clear, so people understand your words the first time. Start with the sound at the end of many English words. English loves final sounds: bus ends with a hiss, bed ends with a soft d, and night ends with a t. Do not drop those endings. They carry meaning: cap and cab are different words only because of the last sound.
Some sounds need practice for many learners. The th in this and think, the r in right, and the short i in ship versus the long ee in sheep. Practice in pairs: ship and sheep, live and leave, full and fool. Say them slowly, then in a sentence: The ship is big. I see a sheep. Record your voice on your phone and listen. Your ear will teach your mouth. Five slow minutes a day beats one fast hour a week.
Read one lesson conversation out loud every day, slowly, with clear endings on every word. Read it to a friend, a child, or your phone. Clear and slow always beats fast and hard to hear.
Lesson 12
Writing gives you time to think, so writing can be your strongest English. A short email needs five parts: a greeting, one line about why you write, the facts, a kind close, and your name. Like this: Hello Ms. Lee, I write about the meeting on Friday. I can come at ten. Thank you for your help. Best, Ana Ruiz. That is a complete, polite email. Short is not rude. Short and clear is professional.
Texts are shorter still, but the same rules help. Say who you are if the person may not know your number. Give the facts. Ask your question clearly. Examples: Hello, this is Ana from work. I am sick today. I cannot come. Sorry, and thank you. Or: Hi Tom, the bus is late. I will arrive at nine fifteen. Before you send any message, read it one time slowly. Check names, dates, times, and numbers. One slow read catches most mistakes.
Keep your best messages. Copy a good email into a notebook and use its shape again with new facts. Writers call that a template. Workers call it smart. Your English, saved and reused, works for you every day.
Sources
This course is original Starvard material. The lessons, model conversations, and phrase lists were written for this course in plain, graded English, and no textbook or broadcast text is copied here. The two public references below were used only to check that the topics and skills match what public English programs teach: speaking, listening, reading, and writing for everyday life.
Graduation
You can now introduce yourself, use numbers and money, shop and pay, ask for directions, visit the doctor, talk with a school, use the phone, read forms and signs, interview for a job, talk at work, practice your pronunciation, and write short emails and texts. Keep practicing a little every day. Small steps, taken daily, become real English.
Keep learning
This course is part of Starvard University, striving for greatness.
A note on accuracy: Much of what you read at Starvard was created with help from AI agents, working alongside people. We check what we can, but we cannot guarantee that everything here is true, current, or complete. If something really matters, your health, your money, a grade, a job, please verify it with a trusted source before you rely on it.