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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

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

Key ideas in English for Real Life

  • Eye contact combined with a verbal greeting signals openness
  • Greetings like 'Hi' or 'Hello' act as a social green light
  • Certain phrases are dedicated to 'opening' a social interaction
  • Specific 'sign-off' phrases signal that the interaction is finished
  • Abruptly walking away is impolite
  • Choosing the appropriate greeting to signal readiness for a conversation
  • A transition phrase signals the intent to leave before the final goodbye
  • Matching specific phrases to their social function (starting vs. ending)
  • The logical sequence of politely exiting a conversation
  • Using 'I would like' is more polite than 'I want'
  • The size of the drink usually comes before the drink name
  • Adding 'please' at the end of a request softens the tone
  • Politeness markers like 'please' typically conclude the sentence
  • Modifiers like 'iced' or 'hot' specify temperature
  • Specific milk types are used to customize the drink base
  • Matching specific drink modifications to their common labels
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.

The Social Green Light

Which of these acts as a 'social green light' to let someone know they can start a conversation with you?

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 tables and start speaking. Learn how to handle everyday situations, express your personality, and understand the logic behind the language.

  1. 1

    Get What You Need

    • Saying Hello and Goodbye
    • Ordering Your Favorite Drink
    • Asking for the Bathroom
    • Buying Things at a Store
    • Asking for Help When Lost
  2. 2

    Make Some Friends

    • Talking About Your Day
    • Sharing What You Like
    • Asking Others About Themselves
  3. 3

    How the Language Works

    • The Secret to English Word Order
    • Talking About the Past
    • Describing Things with Color
    • Why Spelling is Sometimes Strange

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

How it's taught

You pick the voice

This course
The Bestie

English for Real Life is taught in the The Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. 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.

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Start English for Real Life today.

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