Moving to another country is exciting, but it can also be surprisingly challenging. You may be comfortable reading English, watching films or having conversations with friends, but everyday life can introduce a completely different kind of language.

You suddenly need to talk to a landlord, make a doctor's appointment, open a bank account, order food, speak to your neighbours or deal with a problem at work. These situations often require practical phrases that you may not learn in a traditional English course.

That's why learning English for living abroad should focus on more than grammar and vocabulary. You need English that helps you handle real situations with confidence.

In this guide, you'll find useful phrases for everyday life abroad, along with tips for preparing for your move and improving your spoken English.

What English Do You Need When Living Abroad?

You don't need to know every English word before moving abroad.

In fact, trying to learn everything before you leave is usually unrealistic. What matters more is being able to communicate in common situations and knowing how to ask for help when you don't understand something.

Depending on your situation, you may need English for:

  • renting or buying accommodation
  • shopping and ordering food
  • speaking to neighbours
  • visiting a doctor or pharmacy
  • using public transport
  • dealing with banks and bills
  • talking to colleagues
  • making appointments
  • contacting customer service
  • meeting new people
  • handling unexpected problems

You also need something that is harder to learn from a vocabulary list: the confidence to actually speak.

English for Renting an Apartment

Finding accommodation is often one of the first situations where you'll need to use English extensively.

You may need to contact a landlord, arrange a viewing, ask about the contract or report a problem after moving in.

Useful phrases include:

“I'm interested in renting this apartment. Is it still available?”

“I'd like to arrange a viewing.”

“How much is the deposit?”

“Are bills included in the rent?”

“How long is the contract?”

“When would the apartment be available?”

If you're already renting and something goes wrong, you might say:

“There's a problem with the heating.”

“The shower isn't working properly.”

“Could someone come and take a look at it?”

A useful tip

Don't worry about making every sentence complicated. Simple, clear English is often enough.

Instead of trying to say:

“I was wondering whether it might perhaps be possible for someone to come and inspect the heating system...”

you can simply say:

“The heating isn't working. Could someone come and check it?”

Being understood is more important than sounding sophisticated.

English for Shopping and Everyday Errands

Shopping is one of the easiest ways to practise English because you'll encounter many of the same situations repeatedly.

You might need to ask:

“Excuse me, where can I find this?”

“Do you have this in a different size?”

“Can I pay by card?”

“Do you accept cash?”

“Could I have a receipt, please?”

At a café or restaurant:

“Could I have a coffee, please?”

“I'd like the chicken, please.”

“Does this contain nuts?”

“Could we have the bill, please?”

You don't need to memorise dozens of sentences. Learn a few basic patterns and replace the important words depending on the situation.

For example:

“Could I have...?”

can become:

  • “Could I have a coffee?”
  • “Could I have some water?”
  • “Could I have the bill?”
  • “Could I have a receipt?”

This makes it easier to produce language spontaneously.

English for Talking to Neighbours

Speaking to your neighbours can feel surprisingly difficult because these conversations are usually informal and unpredictable.

You might say:

“Hi, I'm your new neighbour.”

“I've just moved into the apartment next door.”

“How long have you lived here?”

“Do you know a good supermarket around here?”

“Could I ask you a quick question?”

Small talk can also help you feel more connected to the place where you live.

You don't need to have an interesting story every time. Simple questions about the neighbourhood, weather, local events or restaurants can be enough to start a conversation.

English for Work

If you're moving abroad for work, professional English may be just as important as everyday English.

You may need to:

  • introduce yourself to colleagues
  • participate in meetings
  • ask for clarification
  • explain a problem
  • make small talk
  • talk to customers
  • arrange appointments
  • discuss deadlines

Useful phrases include:

“Could you explain that again?”

“Could you speak a little more slowly?”

“Just to make sure I understand...”

“What do you mean by...?”

“I'll get back to you on that.”

“Could we schedule a meeting?”

“I'm still getting used to the system.”

One particularly useful phrase for anyone living abroad is:

“I'm not familiar with that yet.”

It allows you to admit that you don't know something without feeling embarrassed.

English for the Doctor and Pharmacy

Healthcare situations can be stressful, especially when you're communicating in another language.

It's useful to know how to describe basic symptoms and explain what you need.

For example:

“I'd like to make an appointment with a doctor.”

“I've had a headache for three days.”

“I have a sore throat.”

“I'm allergic to...”

“I'm taking medication for...”

“How often should I take this?”

“Do I need a prescription?”

You don't need to learn every medical term before moving abroad. Start with vocabulary relevant to your own needs and learn additional expressions as situations arise.

English for Banks, Bills and Official Documents

Administrative situations are another area where practical English becomes important.

You may need to open a bank account, pay bills, sign a contract or ask about a document.

Useful phrases include:

“I'd like to open a bank account.”

“What documents do I need?”

“Could you explain this charge?”

“When is the payment due?”

“I'd like to change my address.”

“Could you help me fill this out?”

One of the most useful skills here is knowing how to ask someone to explain something.

Try:

“Could you explain what this means?”

or:

“I'm not sure I understand this part. Could you explain it?”

There is no reason to pretend you understand an official document if you don't.

English for Public Transport

Getting around a new city often means dealing with tickets, routes, delays and unfamiliar systems.

You might ask:

“Does this bus go to the city centre?”

“Where can I buy a ticket?”

“Which platform does the train leave from?”

“How long does the journey take?”

“Is this the right bus for the airport?”

If something goes wrong:

“Is there a delay?”

“Has the train been cancelled?”

“Is there another way to get there?”

These are simple phrases, but knowing them can make your first few weeks abroad much less stressful.

English for Making Friends

Living abroad isn't only about handling practical situations. You'll also want to build a social life.

This can actually be one of the hardest parts of moving to another country.

You might meet people at work, in a gym, at a language exchange, through hobbies or at local events.

Some useful conversation starters are:

“How do you know everyone here?”

“Have you been living here long?”

“What do you usually do around here?”

“Have you tried this place before?”

“Would you like to grab a coffee sometime?”

“Are you doing anything this weekend?”

You don't need perfect English to make friends. Being willing to start a conversation matters much more.

What to Say When You Don't Understand

This may be the most important part of learning English for living abroad.

At some point, someone will speak too quickly, use an unfamiliar expression or say something you don't understand.

That's completely normal.

Instead of simply saying “Sorry?”, learn a few useful phrases:

“Sorry, could you say that again?”

“Could you speak a little more slowly?”

“I'm not sure I understood that.”

“What does that mean?”

“Could you explain that another way?”

“Did you mean...?”

These phrases give you control over the conversation.

You don't need to understand every word. Your goal is to keep the conversation moving.

English for Unexpected Problems

One of the biggest differences between learning English in a classroom and living abroad is that real life doesn't follow a lesson plan.

Your flight may be cancelled. Your internet may stop working. Your card may not work. You may lock yourself out of your apartment.

In these situations, you need to explain what happened and ask what to do next.

Useful phrases include:

“There's a problem with...”

“It isn't working.”

“I can't access my account.”

“My card has been declined.”

“What should I do?”

“Could you help me with this?”

“Is there anything I can do?”

A simple structure like this can be surprisingly powerful:

Explain the problem → ask for help → clarify the next step.

For example:

“My internet isn't working. Could you help me? What should I do next?”

You don't need advanced English to solve many everyday problems.

How to Prepare Your English Before Moving Abroad

If you know you're moving abroad, don't try to memorise an enormous list of vocabulary.

Instead, think about your future daily life.

Ask yourself:

Where will I live?

Will I work or study?

How will I travel?

What situations will I deal with every week?

What am I most worried about?

Then build your English practice around those situations.

For example, if you're moving to another country for work, spend more time practising meetings, introductions, workplace small talk and professional vocabulary.

If you're moving abroad to study, focus on university-related conversations, accommodation, social situations and everyday communication.

The more closely your practice matches your real life, the more useful it becomes.

Don't Just Learn Phrases — Practise Using Them

Knowing a phrase on paper doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to use it during a real conversation.

Imagine learning:

“Could you possibly help me with this?”

You may recognise it immediately when reading. But when someone is standing in front of you waiting for an answer, you might suddenly forget it.

That's why active practice matters.

Try saying useful phrases aloud. Create short dialogues. Role-play situations. Change the details and repeat the conversation.

For example:

Situation: You need to return something to a shop.

First practise:

“I'd like to return this, please.”

Then make it more challenging:

“I'd like to return this. I bought it yesterday, but it's the wrong size.”

Then add an unexpected question from the other person.

This type of practice helps you move from recognising English to actually using it.

Learn to Communicate, Not Just to Be Correct

When you move abroad, you may initially focus heavily on grammar.

Of course, grammar matters. But communication is more than grammatical accuracy.

You need to be able to:

  • ask questions
  • clarify information
  • explain problems
  • react quickly
  • keep conversations going
  • understand different accents
  • use familiar words in unfamiliar situations

Sometimes a simple sentence that gets the message across is much more useful than a grammatically complex sentence that you are too nervous to say.

Your goal should not be perfect English from day one.

Your goal is to become increasingly comfortable using English in real life.

Practise English for Living Abroad with a Teacher

Self-study can help you build vocabulary and learn useful phrases, but speaking practice is where you can really test whether you can use them naturally.

A teacher can create realistic situations based on your future life abroad. You can practise renting an apartment, making a doctor's appointment, speaking to colleagues, dealing with customer service or simply having a conversation with a new neighbour.

You can also get immediate feedback on your pronunciation, grammar and word choice.

If you're preparing to move abroad, you don't have to wait until you arrive to start practising.

You can find an English teacher on Langu and build your lessons around the situations you'll actually encounter.

Find an English teacher on Langu

Final Tips for Living Abroad in English

Before you move, focus on practical communication rather than trying to learn everything at once.

Remember these principles:

  • Learn phrases, not just individual words.
  • Practise situations you are likely to encounter.
  • Say new expressions aloud.
  • Don't be afraid to ask people to repeat themselves.
  • Learn how to explain when you don't understand.
  • Use English in small everyday interactions.
  • Don't wait until your English is perfect before speaking.
  • Practise conversations before you need them.

The first few weeks in a new country may feel uncomfortable. You will probably misunderstand something, forget a word or have a conversation that doesn't go as planned.

That's part of the process.

Every time you successfully order something, solve a problem, make a phone call or have a conversation with a stranger, you're building another piece of practical English.

Conclusion

Learning English for living abroad is less about memorising thousands of words and more about preparing for the situations you are actually going to experience.

You need to know how to ask for help, explain a problem, make small talk, deal with everyday tasks and keep a conversation going even when you don't understand everything.

Start with the situations that matter most to you. Practise the phrases aloud, use them in conversations and gradually expand your vocabulary.

You don't need perfect English before moving abroad.

You need enough English to start communicating — and the confidence to keep going.