Week 2: Your everyday life abroad (Pre-Intermediate in 34 weeks)

If you’ve already done the level check and it showed Pre-Intermediate – perfect. This is another good week to slow down and move your English forward, step by step.

If this is the first article you see and you have no idea what’s going on, don’t worry 🙂

Start with Week 0 (introduction) here: https://dzen.ru/a/aVNKgNLHgkQM22jP

Then Week 1 (“First days in a new city”): https://dzen.ru/a/aVw209JHaSg_pWCh

This course works week by week.

Each week = one real-life topic + simple grammar + useful vocabulary on the Pre-Intermediate level.

Week 2 – Your everyday life abroad

The topic for Week 2 is Your everyday life abroad – your typical day, work schedule, family, personality, and how life now is different from “back home”.

This week we focus on:

• Grammar: present simple – affirmative, negative, questions (+ adverbs of frequency)
• Vocabulary: family, personality adjectives, daily routines
• Speaking: talking about yourself, your family, your habits, and how your life changed after moving

How we work: 5 days, small steps

Same format as last week:

• Day 1 (Monday) – Reading: one short text + understanding
• Day 2 (Tuesday) – Vocabulary: words and phrases from the text
• Day 3 (Wednesday) – Grammar: present simple, easy rules + practice
• Day 4 (Thursday) – Speaking & Writing: talk and write about your everyday life
• Day 5 (Friday) – Listening + Revision + More Speaking: repeat everything and speak along with the audio

Extra practice in SpeakingCamps

At the end of the week, you can repeat this topic in my app SpeakingCamps – there is a Pre-Intermediate camp with the same name as this article.

App Store link: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/speakingcamps/id6448212314

In the app you can also sign up for live Speaking Clubs with me (small groups, up to 8 people – enough practice, not too much pressure).

Кратко по-русски

Неделя 2 — «жизнь за границей»: распорядок дня, семья, характер, привычки и чем жизнь сейчас отличается от «домашней». Тренируем Present Simple (утверждения, отрицания, вопросы + наречия частоты), лексику по теме семьи и рутины и учимся рассказывать о себе и своей жизни за границей.

A: DAY 1 – READING: My everyday life in Metropolis

A1. Read the text

My everyday life in Metropolis

My name is Sophia and I live in Metropolis. I moved here six months ago, and now I have a new routine. On weekdays I get up at 7:00. I’m not an early bird, but my job starts at 9:00, so I need some time to wake up. I usually make coffee and eat a quick breakfast – toast or yoghurt. Then I walk to my shared office space. It takes about fifteen minutes.

I work for a tech company. I answer emails, have online meetings and prepare documents. I like my job because I work with people from different countries. My colleagues are friendly and quite relaxed, but they work hard. We usually have lunch together at 12:30. Sometimes we go to a small café; sometimes we bring food from home.

After work I often go for a walk in my neighbourhood. Metropolis is busy, but my street is quiet. Two evenings a week I go to the gym. I don’t love exercise, but it helps me feel better after a long day in front of the computer. On other evenings I cook dinner, watch a series in English or call my family.

My family still lives in my home country. My parents are retired now, and my younger brother studies at university. We speak on video call every weekend. They always ask me the same questions: “How is work? Do you like your colleagues? Do you eat enough?” I laugh, but I know they worry about me.

Life in Metropolis is very different from life back home. I use public transport every day; at home I usually drive. Here I meet people from many cultures; in my home town people usually know everyone. Sometimes I miss my old life, but I enjoy my new freedom. I study English almost every day and I try to say “yes” to new experiences.

On Saturdays I normally clean my flat, do the shopping and have a long coffee in my favourite café. On Sundays I sleep longer, then I do my homework in English and plan my week. My life is not perfect, but it feels like my life now – not my parents’ plan, not my friends’ plan. Just mine.

A2. Check your understanding

Answer aloud and/or in writing.

1. How long has Sophia lived in Metropolis?
2. What time does she usually get up on weekdays?
3. How does she go to her office and how long does it take?
4. What does she do at work? (2–3 things)
5. Where do she and her colleagues usually have lunch?
6. What does she often do after work? (name 2–3 activities)
7. How often does she go to the gym?
8. Where does her family live now and what do her parents/brother do?
9. How is life in Metropolis different from life in her home town?
10. What does she usually do at the weekend?

If you’re learning with a friend/tutor – discuss your answers out loud.

B: DAY 2 – VOCABULARY: family, personality & routine

Let’s save some useful words and phrases from the text.

B1. Match words (1–10) with their meanings (a–j)

1. early bird
2. routine
3. shared office space
4. neighbourhood
5. retired
6. to worry about someone
7. public transport
8. freedom
9. to miss (something / someone)
10. to plan (your week)

a) the normal way you live your life, your usual schedule
b) not working anymore because of age; finished work life
c) feel bad or nervous because you think someone has problems
d) bus, metro, tram, etc. that many people use
e) part of a city where you live; your area
f) to feel sad because something or someone is not with you now
g) a place where people from different companies work together at different desks
h) the ability to choose what you want to do
i) organise days and tasks in advance
j) a person who likes getting up early

B2. Complete the sentences

Use words from B1. Change the form if needed.

1. My __________ is simple: I get up, go to work, cook dinner and read before bed.
2. My grandfather is __________ now, but he still helps in the garden.
3. I don’t have a car, so I use __________ every day.
4. I sometimes __________ my old room and my school friends.
5. The café in my __________ is small but very friendly.
6. I am not an __________; I hate getting up before 8 a.m.
7. When I move to a new city, my parents always __________ me.
8. Working in a __________ is great; I meet people from different companies.
9. I love the __________ of living alone – I can eat breakfast at midnight if I want!
10. On Sunday evening I like to __________ my week in my notebook.

B3. Adverbs of frequency – choose the best option

Choose the word that fits the sentence.

(always / usually / often / sometimes / hardly ever / never)

1. I __________ get up at 7:00 on weekdays; it’s my normal time.
2. I __________ drink coffee after 6 p.m. – if I do, I can’t sleep.
3. We __________ go to the café near the office, but not every day.
4. I __________ speak to my family at the weekend; it’s our tradition.
5. I’m busy, so I __________ go to the cinema – maybe once or twice a year.
6. On Friday evenings we are tired, so we __________ cook something simple at home.
7. I __________ feel bored in Metropolis; there is always something interesting to do.
8. I __________ clean my flat on Saturday morning and do the shopping.
9. I __________ watch TV; I prefer series on my laptop.
10. We __________ have big family dinners now – everyone lives in different cities.

(You can read your answers aloud: it’s a good way to connect frequency words with your real habits.)

C: DAY 3 – GRAMMAR: present simple (affirmative/negative/questions)

Today we focus on present simple – for habits, routines and facts.

C0. Quick rule

We use present simple to talk about:

• routines: I get up at 7; She goes to work by bus.
• facts: My parents live in another country.
• likes/dislikes: I like coffee; He doesn’t like crowds.

Positive:

• I / you / we / they work in an office.
• He / she / it works in an office.

Negative:

• I / you / we / they don’t work at night.
• He / she / it doesn’t work at night.

Questions:

• Do you work online?
• Does she live in Metropolis?

Short answers:

• Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
• Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t.

C1. Complete the sentences (positive)

Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

1. I __________ in a shared office space. (work)
2. My friend Sophia __________ in Metropolis. (live)
3. We __________ lunch at about 12:30. (have)
4. My parents __________ in a small town near the sea. (live)
5. My brother __________ at university. (study)
6. Our office __________ at 9:00 and __________ at 6:00. (open / close)
7. I __________ English almost every day. (study)
8. My colleagues __________ coffee in the same café every morning. (drink)
9. The metro __________ about fifteen minutes to my office. (take)
10. On Sundays I __________ late and __________ my week. (sleep / plan)

C2. Make negative sentences with don’t / doesn’t

Use the prompts. Write full sentences.

1. I / watch TV / in the morning
2. My parents / speak English at work
3. Sophia / drive / to the office
4. We / cook / big dinners during the week
5. My brother / like / crowded places
6. I / go / to the gym every day
7. My colleagues / work / on Sundays
8. Our neighbours / make / a lot of noise at night
9. My family / live / in Metropolis
10. I / feel / bored in my new city

C3. Make questions (use do / does)

1. you / get up / at 7 on weekdays?
2. your parents / live / in your country?
3. your best friend / work / online or in an office?
4. you / cook / at home in the evening?
5. your colleagues / speak / any other languages?
6. your boss / send / many emails?
7. you / go / for a walk after work?
8. your city / have / good public transport?
9. you / miss / your old life sometimes?
10. your family / call / you every weekend?

(Then answer your own questions in full sentences.)

D: DAY 4 – SPEAKING & WRITING

Your main goal today is to speak 🙂

D1. Speaking – “My everyday life abroad vs back home”

If you have a partner / tutor:

• Step 1. Ask each other about your daily routines now.
  Use questions from C3 and add your own.
• Step 2. Ask:
• How is your life now different from your life back home?
• What is better?
• What is more difficult?

If you are studying alone, record yourself on your phone. Talk for 1–2 minutes about:

• your typical weekday,
• your weekend,
• one difference between “life now” and “life back home”.

You can start like this:

On weekdays I usually…
At the weekend I…
In my home country I… but now I…

D2. Writing – “About me and my family”

Write 8–10 sentences.

Include:

• Who is in your family (and where they live now)
• What you do in your everyday life (work/study + routine)
• 2–3 personality adjectives about you and one family member
• 3–4 adverbs of frequency (always, usually, often, sometimes, hardly ever, never)

Example starter:

My name is… and I live in…
I usually…
My mother/father/brother/sister is… (friendly, serious, etc.)
We often… / We never…

First, write a simple draft. Then read your text and underline:

• all present simple verbs,
• all adverbs of frequency.

E: DAY 5 – LISTENING, REVISION & SHADOWING

📚📝 Option 1 – Offline practice (without the app)

1. Read the text “My everyday life in Metropolis” aloud and record it on your phone.
2. Play the recording and do shadowing – speak together with yourself, copying the intonation and rhythm as much as possible.
3. Close the text and try to retell it in your own words.
4. Say at least 10 sentences about your own routine, using adverbs of frequency (always, usually, often, sometimes, hardly ever, never).

👩‍💻🔥 Option 2 – Practice in SpeakingCamps (with the app)

If you use the SpeakingCamps app, it’s easier and more interactive.

Open the app → Pre-Intermediate camp with the same name as this post (Week 2: everyday life abroad).

There you can:

1. Listen to the Week 2 text as audio.
2. Do shadowing directly with the built-in audio.
3. Revise key vocabulary and grammar for present simple.
4. Test your understanding with short tasks.
5. Speak with an AI agent that is trained to ask you about your everyday life, your family and your habits – and helps you correct grammar and mistakes.

You can also sign up for a live Speaking Club, where we talk about our everyday life abroad in small groups (up to 8 people).

Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/speakingcamps/id6448212314

If you need help or have any questions, you can message me at @olga_dobrozhan on Telegram, or email support@speakingcamps.com.

Talk soon! 😊

____

P.S: Correct answers for self-check: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wgvv7bgZ89Ace_91eE7fXhp_LCLe44UZvMPx1uiymQs/edit?usp=sharing