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English for Real Life course icon

English for Real Life

Like Duolingo, but for English for Real Life. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.

For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.

24 bite-size levelsAbout 5 minutes each

Free during early access · No credit card · iPhone & Android

Bax the Bulldog
English for Real Life
with Bax the Bulldog
24
Levels
3
Sections
5
Min/day
What you'll learn

Key ideas in English for Real Life

  • Formal greetings like 'Good morning' or 'Hello' are used with superiors or strangers
  • Informal greetings like 'Hey' or 'What's up' are reserved for friends and peers
  • Abruptly saying 'Bye' without a transition feels rude
  • A 'pre-closing' phrase signals the intent to leave before the final word
  • Choosing the appropriate greeting based on social context and relationship
  • The natural sequence of ending a conversation politely
  • Specific phrases signal different levels of intimacy
  • Time-of-day greetings (Good morning/evening) lean toward formal or polite distance
  • Matching the greeting to the intended social 'temperature' of the interaction
  • Starting with a greeting and size helps the barista grab the right cup immediately
  • Customizations like milk or temperature should follow the base drink name to avoid confusion
  • Using 'Could I have' or 'I'd like' is more effective than 'Give me'
  • Adding 'please' at the end of the request signals respect in a service environment
  • The standard sequence of information baristas expect to hear for maximum clarity
  • Using polite structures to turn a demand into a socially appropriate request
  • Size and temperature are the primary descriptors used to narrow down the order
Why not just Google it

You've tried the other tabs

Wikipedia

Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.

YouTube

You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.

ChatGPT

One answer, then back to scrolling.

Online courses

Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.

Tomo gives English for Real Life the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.

Try a question

Here's what playing it feels like

A real question from this course. Take your best guess.

Mastering the First Impression

Picture this: You are walking into a high-stakes job interview. Which greeting sets a professional tone?

Get it right to open this lesson and 23 more in the app.

Course map

Where English for Real Life takes you

Stop memorizing grammar rules and start speaking. Learn how to handle everyday situations, express your personality, and understand the logic behind the language.

  1. 1

    Survive Your First Conversation

    • Saying Hello and Goodbye
    • Ordering Your Favorite Coffee
    • Asking for Directions Without Stress
    • Talking About Your Job and Hobbies
    • Numbers for Shopping and Prices
  2. 2

    Express Yourself Clearly

    • Describing People and Places
    • Talking About Your Day
    • Sharing Your Future Plans
  3. 3

    The Secret Logic of English

    • How Word Order Changes Meaning
    • Why English Spelling is Weird
    • Understanding Common Idioms
    • The History of English Words

3 sections · 12 units · 24 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.

How it's taught

You pick the voice

This course
The Storyteller

English for Real Life is taught in the The Storyteller style: every lesson is a story. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.

Keep going

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Start free

Start English for Real Life today.

Download Tomo, search English for Real Life, and play your first lesson in under a minute.