Overseas Life Foundations Course
Five practical lessons that prepare you for living abroad: time zones, money, units, travel, transport, banking, renting, health, and everyday English.
What you will learn
- Explain UTC offsets and daylight saving for your new city.
- Compare prices and convert currencies without losing money to fees.
- Use common metric and imperial units for weather, recipes and road signs.
- Navigate airports, train stations and public transport with key vocabulary.
- Handle banking, renting, health needs and polite everyday English.
Before you start
- Basic English reading skills.
- Willingness to practice real-life scenarios.
- About 75 minutes of study plus regular practice.
Lesson 1 Time zones, schedules and money
When you move to another country, the first practical skills are reading the local clock and understanding money. Time zones are measured against UTC, and some countries change their clocks for daylight saving. Currency works the same way: compare prices in one currency, watch exchange-rate spreads, and keep an eye on bank fees. Start by checking the UTC offset of your new city and the currency you will use every day.
Build a daily routine: keep two conversions ready: your home time to local time, and local prices to prices you already understand. If your city is UTC+2 and home is UTC+8, subtract 6 hours from home time to get local time.
- Write the local emergency and bank numbers in your phone before you need them.
- Compare the total cost, not just the exchange rate: include fees and commission.
- Round prices up when budgeting so small charges do not surprise you.
For money, convert with a simple benchmark first. If 1 USD is about 85 yen, then 50 USD is about 4,250 yen. A quick estimate helps you spot a wrong rate at a cash machine or shop.
Example
If your city is UTC+2 and your family calls at 20:00, tell them to call at 18:00 UTC so they can calculate their own local time. Before exchanging money, compare the airport rate with a bank rate.
Example: Your family usually calls at 20:00 in UTC+2. At what time should they call you if they live in UTC+8?
Solution: Local 20:00 = 18:00 UTC. Add 8 hours for home: 18:00 + 8 = 02:00 the next day.
Answer: They should call at 02:00 home time. Always convert through UTC first when the two zones are not simple offsets from each other.
Lesson 2 Units, weather and everyday measurements
Everyday life uses different units in different countries: kilometers or miles, Celsius or Fahrenheit, liters or gallons. Learning the common conversions helps you understand weather forecasts, road signs, recipes, and product sizes. Keep a small reference for the units used in your new country, and always confirm whether a measurement is metric or imperial before making a decision.
Conversion shortcuts: °C to °F: multiply by 9, divide by 5, add 32. Common anchors: 0°C = 32°F, 10°C = 50°F, 20°C = 68°F, 30°C = 86°F.
- For length, 1 mile is about 1.6 km, and 1 inch is about 2.54 cm.
- For volume, 1 gallon is about 3.8 liters, and 1 liter is about 4 cups.
- For weight, 1 kilogram is about 2.2 pounds.
When a sign, label, or recipe uses a unit you do not know, stop and convert before acting. A small mistake with liters and gallons can matter for medicine, fuel, or cooking.
Example
A forecast of 32°F means the temperature is freezing, which is 0°C. A 500 ml bottle is half a liter, useful when a recipe asks for 0.5 liters.
Example: A weather app shows 68°F. What is the temperature in Celsius?
Solution: Subtract 32: 68 − 32 = 36. Multiply by 5: 180. Divide by 9: 20.
Answer: 20°C. Check with the anchor: 68°F is a comfortable room temperature, and 20°C feels the same.
Lesson 3 Travel, transport and getting around
Airports, train stations, buses, and ride-hailing apps all have their own vocabulary. Learn the words for boarding gate, platform, transfer, departure, and arrival, and keep your passport and boarding pass easy to reach. When you are unsure, ask a staff member or use a map app instead of guessing.
Station vocabulary drill: gate (boarding point), platform (train track area), transfer (change to another line), departure (leaving), arrival (coming in), and terminal (part of an airport).
- Check the screen twice: once before you move and once after you arrive at the gate or platform.
- Keep your passport, boarding pass, and phone in the same pocket or small bag.
- If a ride-hailing app is not available, learn the local bus or train line that covers the same route.
When you need help, show the destination name in writing and say a polite phrase such as Can you help me? Written names reduce misunderstanding with accents and unfamiliar station names.
Example
If your flight is delayed, check the departures screen for the new ETA. To catch a connecting train, find the platform number before you leave the station.
Example: Your connecting train leaves from platform 7, but you are on platform 2.
Solution: Check the departure screen for the departure time, find the stairs or elevator to platform 7, and confirm the train number before boarding.
Answer: Move to platform 7 only after verifying the train number and departure time on the screen; never board a train based only on the platform number.
Lesson 4 Banking, renting and local admin
Opening a bank account, paying rent, and handling local paperwork are important steps after you arrive. Know the difference between debit and credit cards, understand withdrawal limits, and keep receipts for large payments. Before signing a lease, read the notice period, deposit rules, and whether utilities are included.
Paperwork checklist: keep your passport, visa, rental agreement, bank statements, and tax documents in separate labeled folders. For bank accounts, know your daily withdrawal limit, online transfer limit, and how to freeze the card in the app.
- Before signing a lease, confirm the monthly rent, deposit, notice period, and who pays for water, electricity, gas, and internet.
- Ask for a receipt for every large payment and store it digitally.
- If you are unsure about a contract clause, ask the landlord or a local advice service before signing.
Renting scams often pressure you to pay before viewing. Never send money to a person you have not met or to an account you cannot verify.
Example
A lease that says utilities included means electricity and water are already covered. If your bank card is lost, freeze it immediately, then ask for a replacement.
Example: A lease says utilities included. What should you still ask about?
Solution: Check whether internet, parking, maintenance fees, and winter heating are included, and whether there are usage limits.
Answer: Ask for the exact list of included utilities in writing. Utilities included can mean different things in different cities.
Lesson 5 Health, emergencies and everyday English
In a medical emergency, call the local emergency number and give your location first. For non-urgent problems, visit a walk-in clinic or pharmacy. Simple polite phrases such as Could you help me? and Could you say that again? make daily interactions much easier when you are still learning the local language.
Emergency plan: save the local emergency number, the non-emergency medical line, and the address of the nearest walk-in clinic in your phone. Practice saying your address in the local language.
- Call first in an emergency; do not drive or wait for a friend when someone is seriously hurt.
- At a pharmacy, bring the medicine package or a photo of it if you need a refill.
- Learn phrases for pain, fever, dizziness, and allergies before you need them.
Survival phrases matter in daily life too: Could you help me?, Could you say that again?, and I do not understand keep conversations moving while you learn the language.
Example
If someone is unconscious, call emergency services immediately and tell them the address. At a pharmacy, you can say: I need something for a headache, please.
Example: Someone at the park faints and does not wake up.
Solution: Call emergency services, give the exact address, and stay with the person. Do not give food or water to someone who is unconscious.
Answer: Call the local emergency number first and describe the situation briefly; the operator can guide you until help arrives.