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Nicki Robertz

Learn 200+ natural English phrases that you can use in real life conversations.

Practise listening to British accents and expand your English vocabulary. Then try the practical tasks to become a more confident English speaker.

We'll cover useful real-life topics, such as:

  • jobs

  • eating out

  • shopping

  • recommending places

  • family

  • using public transport

  • money

  • making plans for your weekend

  • describing experiences

  • and more.

Read more

Learn 200+ natural English phrases that you can use in real life conversations.

Practise listening to British accents and expand your English vocabulary. Then try the practical tasks to become a more confident English speaker.

We'll cover useful real-life topics, such as:

  • jobs

  • eating out

  • shopping

  • recommending places

  • family

  • using public transport

  • money

  • making plans for your weekend

  • describing experiences

  • and more.

If you are planning to live in or visit an English speaking country, you'll have all the vocabulary and phrases you'll need. My aim is to help you stop translating from your own language and instead communicate in a natural way, with confidence.

Each video lesson comes with:

  • audio recordings

  • transcripts for the recordings

  • a useful language document you can download

  • Plus everything is in a simple step-by-step format so it's easy to make progress.  

This course is aimed at elementary level English learners and, by the end of the course, you can expect to be around intermediate level as each lesson increases in challenge.

My previous students have said that this course helped them to upgrade their English language skills and speak with confidence so I can't wait to help you do the same.

And it only takes a few hours :-)

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • You'll learn 200+ natural and essential english phrases for everyday situations
  • You'll practise listening to british accents / native english speakers
  • You'll improve and expand your english vocabulary
  • You'll become a more confident english speaker

Syllabus

Welcome to Section 2. Now we're moving onto 'Eating Out'. You'll learn how to book a table in a restaurant, how to order a meal and then how to chat about your food - all in lovely, natural English. Enjoy!

Read more

Welcome to section 3. In these lessons, we'll be covering natural language for booking a taxi, catching a train and giving directions. All essential for travelling. Happy learning!

Welcome to section 4. We're moving on to the topic of shopping and money now. You'll soon be a pro in the supermarket and in clothes shops. Plus you'll be able to use lots of great money vocabulary. Have fun!

Welcome to section 5. You've made it to the last section of the course where we'll be learning great vocabulary to plan activities, recommend places and to chat about your positive and negative experiences. Enjoy! 

Welcome to Section 1. This first unit sets the foundation with simple topics such as introducing yourself and talking about your family and your job. Have fun!

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Offers practical tasks and exercises, which will help learners apply their knowledge and build confidence in real-life conversations
Provides audio recordings and transcripts, which supports learners in improving their listening comprehension and pronunciation skills
Focuses on British accents, which is helpful for learners planning to live in or visit the United Kingdom
Aims to help learners stop translating from their own language, which encourages more natural and fluent communication
Requires learners to have access to audio recording equipment, which may not be readily available to all students
Teaches phrases for booking taxis and catching trains, which may not be relevant to learners who do not use public transportation

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Reviews summary

Survival english: practical spoken skills

Learners say this course offers highly practical phrases for real life conversations, particularly focusing on British accents. Many found it excellent for building confidence in speaking. While described as elementary, some absolute beginners found it perfect, helping them stop translating. However, a few reviewers noted it was very basic and quite short, suggesting it might be less suitable for elementary learners already familiar with basic phrases and may require additional practice elsewhere. Overall, it's seen as a great starting point for conversational English in everyday situations.
Good for beginners but may be too basic for some.
"Good basic phrases for survival. The structure is simple to follow. Wish there were more practice exercises."
"Too basic for me. I already knew most of these phrases. Might be okay for complete beginners..."
"Perfect for getting started with spoken English. The lessons are short and easy to digest."
"It's a good introduction but definitely need more practice elsewhere."
Well-structured lessons with helpful resources.
"The transcripts were very useful."
"Each video lesson comes with: audio recordings, transcripts... a useful language document you can download"
"everything is in a simple step-by-step format so it's easy to make progress."
"The structure is simple to follow."
Excellent listening practice with British accents.
"Loved the focus on British English. The audio was clear and the vocabulary is exactly what I needed for my trip."
"Practise listening to British accents and expand your English vocabulary."
"Helped me understand British native speakers better."
Helps learners feel more confident speaking English.
"Felt more confident quickly."
"My aim is to help you stop translating from your own language and instead communicate in a natural way, with confidence."
"Felt less nervous about speaking."
"My previous students have said that this course helped them to upgrade their English language skills and speak with confidence..."
Focuses on useful phrases for everyday life.
"Great practical phrases! Really helped me with everyday conversations."
"This course is exactly what it says - survival English. It gave me key phrases and confidence to speak without translating."
"Learned useful real-life topics like eating out and shopping."
"Valuable content for real situations."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Survival English: Spoken English for Real Life with these activities:
Review Basic Grammar Rules
Strengthen your understanding of fundamental grammar rules to improve sentence construction and overall fluency in spoken English.
Browse courses on Basic Grammar
Show steps
  • Review parts of speech and their functions.
  • Practice sentence construction with different tenses.
  • Complete online grammar quizzes for self-assessment.
Read 'English for Everyone: Level 1: Beginner, Course Book'
Supplement your learning with a structured textbook that reinforces vocabulary and grammar concepts covered in the course.
Show steps
  • Read each chapter and complete the exercises.
  • Review vocabulary lists and practice pronunciation.
  • Use the book as a reference for grammar questions.
Practice Common Phrases with a Language Partner
Enhance your spoken English skills by practicing common phrases and dialogues with a language partner.
Show steps
  • Find a language partner online or in person.
  • Choose a topic from the course syllabus.
  • Role-play conversations using phrases from the course.
  • Provide feedback to each other on pronunciation and grammar.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Record Yourself Speaking English
Improve your pronunciation and fluency by recording yourself speaking English and identifying areas for improvement.
Show steps
  • Choose a topic from the course syllabus.
  • Prepare a short speech or dialogue.
  • Record yourself speaking.
  • Listen to the recording and identify areas for improvement.
  • Record yourself again, focusing on those areas.
Follow British English Pronunciation Tutorials
Refine your pronunciation by following online tutorials that focus on British English accents.
Show steps
  • Search for British English pronunciation tutorials on YouTube.
  • Focus on tutorials that cover specific sounds or words.
  • Practice repeating the sounds and words in the tutorials.
  • Record yourself and compare your pronunciation to the tutorial.
Read 'Watching the English' by Kate Fox
Gain a deeper understanding of British culture to enhance your comprehension of spoken English in real-life contexts.
Show steps
  • Read chapters focusing on social interactions and customs.
  • Reflect on how cultural differences might affect communication.
  • Discuss the book with other learners to share insights.
Create a 'Survival English' Phrasebook
Solidify your learning by creating a personalized phrasebook of useful English expressions for various real-life situations.
Show steps
  • Review the phrases covered in the course.
  • Organize the phrases by topic (e.g., eating out, shopping).
  • Add your own examples and notes to each phrase.
  • Share your phrasebook with other learners.

Career center

Learners who complete Survival English: Spoken English for Real Life will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
English as a Second Language Teacher
An English as a Second Language Teacher helps students develop their English language skills. This course, focused on spoken English, provides a strong foundation for understanding common phrases, vocabulary, and real-life conversational scenarios. By learning over 200 natural phrases and practicing listening to British accents, you'll gain practical knowledge of the English language. This course helps you become familiar with topics like jobs, eating out, shopping, and using public transport, all of which are essential for teaching ESL. Anyone looking to teach English to non-native speakers should take this course.
Customer Service Representative
A Customer Service Representative interacts with customers to provide information, address inquiries, and resolve issues. This course emphasizing spoken English helps build confidence in communicating effectively and naturally. The course's focus on real-life conversations, including topics like making recommendations and describing experiences, equips you with practical language skills for handling customer interactions. Mastering the phrases and vocabulary taught in this course helps you provide exceptional customer service in English. Anyone wanting to excel in customer support should take this course.
Tour Guide
A Tour Guide leads groups of people on excursions, providing information about locations and landmarks. A course that focuses on spoken English equips you with the necessary communication skills to engage with tourists effectively. The course emphasizes practical, real-life topics such as recommending places, describing experiences, and using public transport, all of which are crucial for a tour guide. By improving your vocabulary and pronunciation, you can confidently lead tours and share your knowledge with others. Anyone aspiring to work as a tour guide should take this course.
Hospitality Staff
Hospitality staff members work in hotels, restaurants, and other establishments, ensuring guests have a pleasant experience. This course, which focuses on spoken English for real-life situations, is very relevant to this role. The course's curriculum covers areas such as eating out, making recommendations, and describing experiences, all of which are common interactions in the hospitality industry. This course will help you communicate effectively with guests and enhance their experience. Those looking to work in hospitality should take this course.
Call Center Agent
A Call Center Agent handles inbound and outbound calls, providing information and assistance to customers. This course emphasizing spoken English can be very helpful in improving your communication skills and confidence. The course's focus on real-life conversations, including topics like money, jobs, and public transport, will equip you with the necessary vocabulary and phrases to handle various customer inquiries. By practicing listening to British accents, you'll also develop a better understanding of different dialects. This course may prove helpful should you intend to work in a call center.
Receptionist
A Receptionist greets visitors, answers phones, and provides administrative support in an office or business setting. This course emphasizing spoken English builds a foundation for clear and effective communication. The course's focus on introductions, family, and handling everyday situations will provide practical language skills for interacting with clients and colleagues. Mastering the phrases and vocabulary taught in this course helps create a positive and professional impression. Those who are interested in becoming receptionists may want to take this course.
Sales Associate
A Sales Associate assists customers with their purchases, provides product information, and processes transactions in a retail environment. This course emphasizing spoken English builds confidence communicating with customers and colleagues. The course's focus on shopping, money, and describing experiences provides practical language skills for engaging with customers, answering questions, and closing sales. This course will help you provide excellent customer service and increase your sales performance. Prospective sales associates may find this course helpful.
Social Worker
A Social Worker provides support and assistance to individuals and families facing various challenges. This course, while focusing on practical English, may be useful for building communication skills. The course's emphasis on describing experiences and discussing family dynamics will give you practical language skills for interacting empathetically with clients. This course may help you communicate your support to the people you serve. Those looking to become social workers may find this course helpful.
Immigration Officer
An Immigration Officer interviews and assesses individuals seeking to enter or remain in a country. This course, with its focus on practical English, may assist in building verbal communication skills. The course's emphasis on jobs, nationalities, and describing experiences will provide you with vocabulary and phrases for interacting with individuals from diverse backgrounds. By practicing listening to British accents, you'll also develop a better understanding of different dialects. For those who want to become immigration officers, this course may be helpful.
Flight Attendant
A Flight Attendant ensures the safety and comfort of passengers during flights. This course emphasizing spoken English can provide a base for communicating effectively with passengers from diverse backgrounds. The course's focus on topics like using public transport and describing experiences will provide you with vocabulary and phrases for addressing passenger inquiries and providing assistance. This course may help you communicate with passengers clearly and confidently. Those looking to work as flight attendants may find this course a valuable reference.
Translator
A Translator converts written or spoken content from one language to another. While the course focuses on spoken English, it may broaden your vocabulary and improve your understanding of British accents, which can be useful in translation work. The course's emphasis on various real-life topics can give you additional context for providing accurate translations. The course may be useful for those interested in translation, though written translation is not taught. Individuals beginning a career as translators may find this course helpful.
Journalist
A Journalist researches, writes, and reports news and current events for various media outlets. This course, while focused on spoken English, can provide some support for enhancing communication skills. The course's emphasis on describing experiences and discussing real-life topics may offer you additional context for conducting interviews and writing stories. The course may be a useful companion for aspiring journalists. Those who want to become journalists may find this course a valuable reference.
Travel Agent
A Travel Agent assists customers in planning and booking trips, providing information about destinations, transportation, and accommodations. While this course emphasizes spoken English, it may be useful in improving communication skills for interacting with clients. The course's focus on topics such as recommending places and using public transport can give you practical language skills for advising customers. This course may be useful for those looking to become travel agents. Travel agents may want to consider taking this course.
Market Researcher
A Market Researcher collects and analyzes data to understand consumer behavior and market trends. This course, with its focus on spoken English, may be helpful in conducting interviews and gathering qualitative data. The course's emphasis on discussing real-life topics and describing experiences can provide additional context for understanding consumer perspectives. The course may be useful for those who are interested in conducting market research. As such, individuals intending to become market researchers might want to consider this course.
Librarian
A Librarian assists patrons in finding information, managing library resources, and promoting literacy. While this course focuses on spoken English, it may be helpful in improving communication skills for assisting library visitors. The course's emphasis on describing experiences and discussing various topics can provide additional context for understanding patrons' needs. For those who want to become librarians, this course may be useful.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Survival English: Spoken English for Real Life.
Provides a comprehensive introduction to basic English grammar and vocabulary. It is particularly useful for beginners who want to build a solid foundation in the language. The book covers essential topics such as introductions, family, jobs, and everyday activities, aligning perfectly with the course syllabus. It serves as an excellent reference tool and provides additional depth to the course materials.
Offers insights into British culture and social customs. While not directly a language textbook, it provides valuable context for understanding the nuances of spoken English in real-life situations. It is more valuable as additional reading to enhance cultural awareness. Understanding cultural context can improve communication skills and avoid misunderstandings.

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