In this 60-lesson series, you'll learn vital English phrases in each lesson that will help prepare you for an upcoming trip to the United States. Topics covered include ordering at a restaurant, taking public transportation, asking directions, checking into a hotel, and much more. If you simply want to master basic phrases without getting into the details of English grammar, this is the series for you.
| Lesson |
Title |
Topic |
Function |
Target Phrases |
Key Vocab |
Cultural Insight |
| 1 |
How to Say Thank You in English |
Gratitude |
Thanking people |
- Thank you
- Thank you very much
- Thanks
- Thanks a lot |
very much
thank you
thanks
a lot |
Different ways to say "Thank you" |
| 2 |
How to Say You're Welcome in English |
Gratitude |
Saying "You're welcome" |
- you're welcome
- no problem
- my pleasure
|
You're welcome
no problem
pleasure |
Different ways to say "You're welcome" |
| 3 |
Getting What You Want Using English |
Asking questions |
Asking for something |
- Please
- This please
- Tthat please
- This one please
- That one please
|
please
this
that |
Usage of "those" and "these" |
| 4 |
Basic English Greetings |
Greetings |
Exchanging basic greetings |
- Hello
- Goodbye
- Bye
- Good morning
- Good afternoon
- Good evening
- Good night
|
hello
goodbye
bye
good morning
good afternoon
good evening
goodnight |
"Good afternoon" and "Good evening" |
| 5 |
How to Say Goodbye in English |
Greetings |
Saying goodbye |
- See you later
- Take care
- Have a nice day
- Have a good evening
|
see you later
take care
have a nice day
have a good evening
| Different ways to say goodbye |
| 6 |
How to Ask "Where is the Bathroom?" in English |
Asking questions |
Asking where something is |
- Where is the bathroom?
- Excuse me, where is the bathroom?
|
where
to be
bathroom
excuse me |
Words that mean "bathroom" |
| 7 |
Use English to Your Advantage in English (NOTE: Umm...) |
Asking questions |
Asking if someone can speak a certain language |
- Do you speak Spanish? |
to do
to speak
Spanish
Chinese
French
German |
Signs in different languages |
| 8 |
How to Say "I Don't Understand" in English |
Basic conversation |
Saying that you can't speak a language |
- I don't understand. I don't understand. I don't understand.
- What does this mean? What does this mean? What does this mean?
|
to do
not
to understand
this
to mean |
Asking about the meaning of a word |
| 9 |
Learn English Using English with This Unbelievably Simple Phrase |
Basic conversation |
Asking someone to repeat something |
- Can you repeat that please?
- Slowly please.
- Can you repeat that slowly please?
|
to repeat
slowly
please
excuse me
pardon me |
Different ways to ask for a repeat |
| 10 |
How to Say "I'm Sorry" in English |
Apologies |
Apologizing |
- I'm sorry
- I'm really sorry
- My apologies
- My bad
- No problem
- Don't worry about it
|
sorry
apology
bad
problem
to worry |
Usage of "I'm sorry" |
| 11 |
Eating Out in English |
Restaurant |
Giving the number of people in your party |
- How many people in your party?
- Three people
- for one
|
how many
people
party
three
one |
Eating out in the U.S. |
| 12 |
Restaurants: Choosing a Seat in English |
Restaurant |
Reserving a table |
- I would like to make a reservation please.
- For how many people?
- For four please
- What time would you like to reserve it for?
- At eight o'clock, please.
|
reservation
time
to reserve
table |
How to drink alcohol in the U.S. |
| 13 |
American Restaurant, Part 3: Smoking or Nonsmoking? |
Restaurant |
Asking for smoking or non-smoking seats |
- Excuse me, is smoking allowed here?
- Smoking area please.
- Non-smoking area please.
|
smoking
to allow
area |
Cigarettes in the U.S. |
| 14 |
American Restaurant, Part 4: At the Table |
Restaurant |
Ordering food and drinks |
- Can I get a menu please.
- A coke please.
- Can you give us a minute?
- Can I get the chicken with fries please? |
menu
coke
minute
chicken
fries |
How to ask for a menu |
| 15 |
American Restaurant, Part 5: Check, Please! |
Restaurant |
Getting the check |
- Is everything okay?
- Excuse me, can I get the check please?
|
okay
check
tip |
Friendly staff and tip culture |
| 16 |
Counting 1-10 in English |
Numbers |
Counting 1-10 |
- Can I get six t-shirts please.
- Can I get three bottles of wine.
- Can I get 5 slices of bread. |
t-shirt
bottle
wine
slice
bread |
Shopping in the U.S. |
| 17 |
Counting 10-100 in English |
Numbers |
Counting 11 - 100 |
11 eleven
12 twelve
13 thirteen
14 fourteen
15 fifteen
16 sixteen
17 seventeen
18 eighteen
19 nineteen
20 twenty
30 thirty
40 forty
50 fifty
60 sixty
70 seventy
80 eighty
90 ninety
100 one hundred
|
11 eleven
12 twelve
13 thirteen
14 fourteen
15 fifteen
16 sixteen
17 seventeen
18 eighteen
19 nineteen
20 twenty
30 thirty
40 forty
50 fifty
60 sixty
70 seventy
80 eighty
90 ninety
100 one hundred
|
Correct ways to read numbers |
| 18 |
How Much in English? |
Shopping |
Asking prices |
- How much is this?
- How much is this shirt?
- Do you have any plus-size clothing? |
shirt
pants
jeans
plus-size |
Staff at shops in the U.S. |
| 19 |
Lower the Price in English |
Shopping |
Asking for a discount |
- Can you lower the price a little?
- I'll give you $50 for it.
|
lower
really
ouch |
Sales and shopping |
| 20 |
American Currency |
Money |
Counting currency |
- Twenty eight dollars and fifty cents
- Four ninety nine.
- Twenty eight fifty
- Buck
- Benjamin
- Dough
|
dollar
cent
penny
nickel
dime
quarter |
Bills in the U.S. |
| 21 |
American Internet Café! |
Internet |
Using an internet cafe |
- Excuse me, how much is it per hour?
- It's $4.00 an hour. |
per hour
Wi-Fi |
Internet connections |
| 22 |
Riding the American Bus, Part 1: Getting a Ticket |
Bus |
Buying bus tickets |
- How much is it?
- One-way ticket to Chicago please.
- Return ticket to Chicago please.
|
bus
ticket
one-way
return |
Bus tickets in the U.S. |
| 23 |
Riding the American Bus, Part 2: Does This Bus Go To...? |
Bus |
Confirming bus destinations |
- Excuse me, does this go to...
- Excuse me, does this stop at...
- How long does it take to...?
|
to take
to stop |
Bus drivers and schedules |
| 24 |
Riding the American Bus, Part 3: What's the Next Stop? |
Bus |
Confirming bus stops |
- Excuse me, what's the next stop?
- Excuse me, is Fisherman's Wharf the next stop? |
next
stop |
What to do on a crowded bus |
| 25 |
Riding the American Rails, Part 1 |
Train |
Buying a subway ticket |
- Excuse me, a subway ticket please.
- Excuse me, a ticket to Fairview Mall please.
- Excuse me, a return ticket to Fairview Mall please. |
|
Buying tickets from a machine |
| 26 |
Riding the American Rails, Part 2 |
Train |
Using a day pass |
- Do you have any day passes?
- How many rides is it worth?
- What's the price for _____?
|
day pass
worth
baby |
Tourist buses |
| 27 |
Riding the American Rails, Part 3 |
Train |
Selecting a seat |
- An aisle seat to the city, please.
- A window seat to the city please. |
window
aisle |
Seating in trains |
| 28 |
Riding the American Taxi |
Taking a taxi |
Taking a taxi |
- To the Sears Tower please.
- Could you take me to the Sears Tower please.
- Could you drop me off here?
- Do you have change for $50?
|
taxi
to drop off
change |
Sharing taxis |
| 29 |
Where Can I Get...in the U.S.? |
Directions |
Asking where something is located |
- Where can I find...?
- Excuse me, could you tell me where can I find a pay phone?
- Excuse me, could you tell me where can I find a tobacco shop?
|
where
tobacco shop
pay phone
to find |
How to get directions to certain places |
| 30 |
Where is the Closest Store in the U.S.? |
Directions |
Looking for the closest store/ATM |
- Is there a drugstore near here?
- Is there an ATM near here?
|
ATM
drugstore
pharmacy |
How to find drugstores |
| 31 |
Directions in English |
Directions |
Giving directions |
- Go straight
- Turn right
- Turn right at the traffic light.
- It's on the right side.
|
to go
straight
to turn
right
left
traffic |
Knowing your directions |
| 32 |
Can You Take My/Our Picture in the U.S.? |
Photos |
Asking someone to take your picture |
- Can you take our picture?
- Can you take my picture?
- Do you mind taking our picture?
|
to take
picture
do you mind |
What to say before taking a picture |
| 33 |
Can I Take Your Picture in the U.S.? |
Photos |
Asking permission in German |
- Can I take your picture?
- Can I take a picture here?
|
to take
picture |
How to use the verb "can" |
| 34 |
How Do You Say This in English? |
Asking questions |
Asking how to say something in English |
- How do you say "manzana" in English?
- How do you say this in English?
- What do you call this in English?
|
how
to say
to call |
How to celebrate |
| 35 |
Learn to Write in English without Lifting a Pen |
Asking questions |
Asking someone to write something down |
- Can you write it down please?
- How do you pronounce this?
- Do you have a pen and paper?
|
to write
to pronounce
paper
pen |
Names of places |
| 36 |
Read English Instantly! No Knowledge of English Required |
Asking questions |
Asking pronunciation, meaning, etc |
- How do you read this?
- What does this word mean?
- What's another word for it?
|
to read
another |
English and pronunciation |
| 37 |
The American Hotel Check-In is Only Half the Battle |
Hotel |
Checking into a hotel |
- I have a reservation.
- I would like a room.
- Your name please.
- Can you spell it?
|
reservation
room
to spell |
What to do to get a room at a hotel |
| 38 |
American Hotel, Part 2: Check-Out |
Hotel |
Checking out of a hotel |
- What time is checkout?
- Can I have a towel please?
- Can I have some soap please? |
soap
towel
toothbrush
toothpaste
shampoo
checkout |
Prices of hotels |
| 39 |
Using the Post Office in the U.S., Part 1 |
Post office |
Sending something at the post office |
- I would like to send this to Italy.
- I would like to send this postcard to Italy.
- I would like five eighty-cent stamps please. I would like five eighty-cent stamps please. |
to send
postcard
letter
package |
Postal service in the U.S. |
| 40 |
Using the Post Office in the U.S., Part 2 |
Post office |
Sending a package |
- I would like to send this package to Italy.
- What's in the package?
- Just some candy. |
to send
package |
Pounds and ounces |
| 41 |
Foreign Exchange in the U.S. |
Money |
Exchanging currency |
- Is there a bank near here?
- Where can I exchange currency?
- Smaller bills please.
- Could you break this?
|
ATM
currency
bill
to break |
How to pay for dinner |
| 42 |
Buying Phone Cards in America |
Phone card |
Buying a phone card |
- Do you have calling cards?
- Can I get a $5 calling card please?
- May I have a $5 calling card please?
- Is there a payphone near here?
|
near
local
pay phone |
Different calling cards |
| 43 |
Buying an American SIM Card |
Cell phone |
Renting phones |
- I would like to rent a cell phone.
- I would like to rent two phones.
- How much are calls to Greece?
|
to rent
cell phone
to call |
How to call other countries from America |
| 44 |
Admissions in the U.S. |
Tickets |
Buying tickets |
- One ticket, please.
- Four tickets please.
- Your ticket, please.
|
ticket |
Art forms |
| 45 |
Do You Have Information Guides in My Language in the USA? |
Info guide |
Asking for an info guide in another language |
- Do you have an English information guide?
- Do you have a French information guide?
- Do you have a German information guide?
|
information guide |
Widely spoken English |
| 46 |
How Do You Eat This American Food? |
Food |
Asking how to eat something |
- How do you eat this?
- Is this hot?
- Is this spicy?
|
hot
to eat
spicy |
How to avoid stuff you don't like in American restaurants |
| 47 |
I Am a Vegetarian in the U.S. |
Food |
Saying you are a vegetarian/asking if a certain dish has something |
- I am vegetarian.
- I don't eat meat.
- I don't eat cheese.
- Does this have meat? |
vegeterian
meat
cheese |
Different diets in the U.S. |
| 48 |
Help! in English |
Help |
Asking for help |
- Help!
- Fire!
- Police!
|
to help
fire
police |
What to do after losing something |
| 49 |
Medical Assistance in the U.S. |
Medical assistance |
Asking for medical assistance |
- Please take me to the hospital.
- Please take me to the doctor.
- Please take me to the pharmacy.
- Do you have a prescription?
|
pharmacy
to take
hospital
doctor
prescription |
Health insurance check |
| 50 |
Expressing Symptoms in English |
Medical assistance |
Explaining symptoms |
- Do you have any medicine for a cold?
- I have a headache.
- I have a stomachache.
|
headache
cold
medicine
stomachache |
American pharmacies |
