Making a big move abroad
When you decide to make the move to a new country, it's a huge step. This B1 lesson explores the real-life story of a couple who left the U.S. to buy a house in Spain, offering a fascinating look at the challenges and rewards of starting a new chapter. You'll practise discussing significant life changes, comparing past experiences with present realities, and expanding your vocabulary related to international relocation and lifestyle choices.
Expand your vocabulary
This lesson introduces essential vocabulary for discussing life changes and moving abroad. You'll learn how to talk about improving your daily circumstances with phrases like improve your quality of life, and understand financial aspects such as the cost of living. We also cover expressions for settling into a new place, including settle down and how to embrace a new culture. For those interested in property, you'll discover what a fixer-upper is. Beyond these core terms, we explore related ideas like deciding to make the move, enjoying a slower pace of life, finding useful local amenities, learning to fit in, and the exciting prospect of starting a new period in your life by saying start a new chapter. For example, after moving, many people hope to find a place where they can truly settle down and feel at home.
Present perfect vs. past simple
Master the difference between the present perfect vs. past simple. This grammar point is crucial for describing actions that started in the past and continue to the present, or for past experiences where the exact time isn't important. In contrast, the past simple is used for completed actions at a specific time. You'll see how both are used when talking about big life changes, such as "We have lived in Spain for two years now" and "They bought their house in Cordoba last year."
Discussing big life changes
Learn practical phrases to discuss the idea of moving abroad or making any significant life change. You'll practise expressions like "I've been thinking a lot about making a big change, like moving abroad" to introduce the topic, and "Have you ever considered moving to a different country?" to ask for others' opinions. We also cover explaining your motivations, such as "For me, it's really about improving my quality of life and finding a lower cost of living."
Engage in discussion
The lesson includes a speaking activity designed to help you share your thoughts and experiences on moving abroad and making significant life decisions with your classmates.
Reading comprehension
A dedicated reading passage will further enhance your understanding and vocabulary related to the theme of international relocation and adapting to new environments.
