If you’ve already done Weeks 0–3 – welcome back.
If this is your first article and you’re lost, start here:
- Week 0 (intro): https://dzen.ru/a/aVNKgNLHgkQM22jP
- Week 1 (First days in a new city): https://dzen.ru/a/aVw209JHaSg_pWCh
As always, this course works week by week:
1 real-life topic + simple grammar + useful vocabulary (Pre-Intermediate).
Week 4 – People who help you in a new country
This week we talk about people who save your life abroad – the colleague who explains local rules, the neighbour who tells you where to buy good bread, the pharmacist who understands your very strange description of a headache.
Focus of the week:
- Grammar: defining relative clauses – a person who…, a thing which…
- Vocabulary: paraphrasing phrases – like, for example, it’s a thing which…
- Speaking: describing people/objects; explaining words when you forget them
- Writing: short “Devil’s Dictionary” style funny definitions with who/which
Format: 5 days – small steps
- Day 1 (Mon) – Reading: short “Devil’s Dictionary” of people who help you
- Day 2 (Tue) – Vocabulary: paraphrasing phrases & “a person who / a thing which”
- Day 3 (Wed) – Grammar: relative clauses (who / which / that)
- Day 4 (Thu) – Speaking & Writing: your own helpers + funny definitions
- Day 5 (Fri) – Listening + Revision + Shadowing (+ practice in SpeakingCamps)
Кратко по-русски
Неделя 4 — люди, которые помогают вам в новой стране: коллега, который объясняет документы, сосед, который показывает, где покупать хлеб, фармацевт, который понимает ваш «ломаный» английский.
Тренируем defining relative clauses (a person who…, a thing which…) и фразы-“костыли”, когда забыли слово (it’s a thing which…, like…, for example…). В конце недели пишем свои «злые словарные» определения.
A: DAY 1 – READING
The unofficial guide to people who save your life abroad
A1. Read the mini-definitions
1. The Helpful Colleague
A person who always answers your “quick questions” on chat. This is the colleague who knows how the printer works, where the good coffee is, and who to ask when HR doesn’t reply.
2. The Magic Pharmacist
A person in the pharmacy who understands your wild body language. You say, “It’s like a fire in my throat,” and make strange faces. They calmly give you the exact medicine you need.
3. The Neighbour With All the Secrets
A person who lives in your building and who knows everything: where the cheap supermarket is, which bus actually comes on time, and which café which looks nice but has terrible coffee.
4. The Bank Person Who Saves Your Salary
A person who explains the bank contract which you don’t understand at all. They are the one who quietly says, “You don’t need this extra fee,” and you suddenly love them forever.
5. The Immigration Hero
A person who tells you which document you really need and who checks your form before you send it. Sometimes it’s a lawyer, sometimes it’s just a friend who already survived this process.
6. The Barista Who Learns Your Order
A person behind the counter who remembers your name and your coffee. On bad days they are the only person who says “How are you?” and really looks at you.
7. The Random Stranger on the Street
A person who sees your confused face with Google Maps and who says, “Are you lost?” They walk with you for five minutes and suddenly you are in the right place.
8. The Friend in Another Time Zone
A person who answers your messages when it’s 2 a.m. in your new country. They are the one who listens to your “I can’t do this anymore” speech and then sends you a stupid meme.
A2. Check your understanding
Answer in English (aloud or in writing).
- What does the Helpful Colleague help you with? (Name 2–3 things.)
- Why is the pharmacist “magic”?
- What information does the neighbour have?
- How does the bank person save your money?
- Who can be the “Immigration Hero”?
- Why can a barista be important on bad days?
- What does the random stranger do when you look lost?
- Why is the friend in another time zone helpful, even far away?
- Which “hero” do you have in your life now?
- Which “hero” do you still need? Why?
If you study with a partner – ask and answer these questions to each other.
B: DAY 2 – VOCABULARY: paraphrasing & “a person who…”
Today we practise phrases you use when you forget a word and typical patterns for definitions.
B1. Match the English phrases with Russian meanings
- It’s a person who…
- It’s a thing which…
- It’s a place where…
- It’s a kind of…
- It’s similar to…
- It’s like…
- For example, …
- You use it when…
- You go there when…
- It’s something you need for…
a) это человек, который…
b) это место, где…
c) это похоже на…
d) это вещь, которую… / это штука, которая…
e) вы идёте туда, когда…
f) вы используете это, когда…
g) это что-то, что нужно для…
h) это пример…
i) это какой-то вид…
j) это похоже / подобно…
(You can just check yourself at the bottom; Stas doesn’t need to translate, only understand.)
B2. Who are they? Choose the correct “hero”
Choose from the list: helpful colleague / magic pharmacist / neighbour / bank person / immigration hero / barista / stranger / friend in another time zone
- It’s a person who explains your work systems and answers all your small questions. → __________
- It’s a person who gives you medicine when you feel sick and don’t know the word for your problem. → __________
- It’s a person who knows all the good and bad places in your area. → __________
- It’s a person who tells you which documents you need for visas and permits. → __________
- It’s a person who explains contracts and hidden fees at your financial institution. → __________
- It’s a person who remembers your usual drink and talks to you a little every morning. → __________
- It’s a person who suddenly helps you find your way when you look lost. → __________
- It’s a person who doesn’t live with you, but always answers your messages late at night. → __________
B3. Paraphrasing objects – complete the definitions
Use the phrases from B1 (a person who / a thing which / a place where / a kind of / similar to / for example / you use it when…)
- A pharmacy is a __________ you buy medicine.
- A printer is a __________ makes paper copies of documents.
- A visa is a __________ you need for entering or staying in a country.
- A coworking space is a kind of office __________ people from different companies work.
- A support ticket is a thing __________ you create when you have a problem with a service.
- Instant noodles are a kind of food; they are __________ fast food.
- A Power of Attorney is a document; it is something you need for important processes, for example buying property.
- A Google review is a short text __________ you write when you like or don’t like a place.
- A line (queue) is a group of people __________ wait for something, like at the bank or at the pharmacy.
- A Residence Permit is a card __________ shows that you can live in a country for a long time.
C: DAY 3 – GRAMMAR: defining relative clauses (who / which / that)
Today is the grammar heart of the week.
C0. Quick rule (simple)
We use who for people and which for things.
We can use that instead of who/which in many cases (informal speech).
- She is the colleague who helps me with everything.
- He is the barista who remembers my order.
- This is the form which you need to send.
- That’s the café which has terrible coffee.
=
- the colleague that helps me…
- the form that you need…
No comma → it’s a defining relative clause (it defines which person/thing we mean).
C1. Circle the correct option
- She is the neighbour who / which lives on the third floor.
- This is the medicine who / which the pharmacist recommended.
- He’s the only colleague who / which explains things slowly.
- That’s the app who / which helps you track your expenses.
- Do you know anyone who / which already went through this process?
- This is the form who / which / that you need for your residence permit.
- She works in the office who / which / that is next to the bank.
- He’s the person who / which / that always answers my late-night messages.
- That’s the café who / which / that looks nice but has terrible coffee.
- Is there a lawyer who / which / that speaks your native language?
C2. Join the sentences with who or which
Use one sentence with a relative clause.
Example:
This is Anna. She helps me with my documents. →
This is Anna, who helps me with my documents. (for A2 you can skip the comma if you want to keep it simple)
- This is my colleague. He checks my emails before I send them.
- That is the neighbour. She gave me the Wi-Fi password.
- Here is the bank contract. You don’t understand it.
- This is the form. You need it for your work permit.
- That is the café. We always meet there after work.
- This is the pharmacist. She explained everything very clearly.
- That is the app. I use it for translation.
- These are the people. They helped me move my boxes.
C3. Your own sentences
Write 5–6 sentences about people/things in your life, using who or which:
- a colleague who…
- a neighbour who…
- a family member who…
- an app which…
- a place which…
Example:
I have a neighbour who always brings me soup when I am sick.
D: DAY 4 – SPEAKING & WRITING
D1. Speaking – describing “your helpers”
If you have a partner / tutor:
- Think of 3–4 people or things that help you in your life abroad.
- Describe them without saying the name first. Use a person who / a thing which.
Example:
This is a person who helps me when I don’t understand letters from the government. She is my…
Your partner guesses: “immigration hero / colleague / neighbour / lawyer”, etc.
Swap roles.
If you study alone:
- Record yourself: describe at least 3 people and 2 things that help you.
- Use relative clauses (“who / which”) and paraphrasing phrases (“it’s like…, it’s something you use when…”).
D2. Writing – your own “Devil’s Dictionary”
Write 5–8 funny definitions using who and which.
Example models:
The Over-Helpful Colleague – a person who answers your questions before you ask them and who sometimes creates three extra tasks for you.
Monday Morning Metro – a place which looks normal from outside but which eats your time and your sanity.
Ideas you can define:
- The Immigration Office
- The Bus Which Never Comes
- The Friend Who Sends Memes Instead of Advice
- The Bank App Which Crashes on Pay Day
- The Group Chat Which Never Sleeps
Focus on:
- simple grammar (who/which)
- a bit of humour
- real situations from your life
E: DAY 5 – LISTENING, REVISION & SHADOWING
📚📝 Option 1 – Offline practice (without the app)
- Read “The unofficial guide to people who save your life abroad” aloud and record it.
- Play the recording and do shadowing – speak together with yourself, copy rhythm and intonation.
- Close the text and try to retell 3–4 “heroes” from memory.
- Say at least 8–10 sentences about people or things in your life, using who / which:
- I have a colleague who…
- There is a café which…
- I use an app which…
👩💻🔥 Option 2 – Practice in SpeakingCamps (with the app)
If you use SpeakingCamps, this week is perfect for speaking practice:
Open the app → Pre-Intermediate camp with the same name as this post (Week 4: People who help you in a new country).
There you can:
- listen to the Week 4 text as audio;
- do shadowing with the built-in recording;
- revise patterns like a person who… / a thing which…;
- practise paraphrasing: “It’s a thing which…, for example…”;
- talk to an AI agent who asks you about people in your life and helps you correct your grammar.
You can also sign up for a live Speaking Club (up to 8 people), where we share stories about “heroes” in our new countries and write funny definitions together.
Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/speakingcamps/id6448212314
If you have any questions, you can message me at @olga_dobrozhan on Telegram or email support@speakingcamps.com.
See you in Week 5! 🙌
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P.S: Correct answers for self-check: