From Sidewalks to Skylines: Teaching the Language of Life in the City
Skyscrapers, subways, traffic, and trains—cities are built environments, but they’re also lived-in ones. And for English learners, knowing how to talk about them in English is key to fully participating in urban life.
The topic of cities and infrastructure opens up a world of practical, everyday English. Whether students are reading transit signs, asking for directions, describing their commute, or talking about landmarks, the language of urban infrastructure is everywhere. It’s not just about buildings and roads—it’s about movement, interaction, and community.
In class, this topic supports highly relevant language learning: describing transportation systems like trains, buses, and subways; understanding traffic signs; navigating construction zones; or recognizing famous landmarks. These are not abstract concepts—these are the daily experiences of students who live, study, or work in urban environments.
It also prepares students to engage in civic life. They can talk about the changes happening in their city, understand announcements about infrastructure projects, and describe their opinions about public spaces. It’s empowering to be able to participate in conversations about your neighborhood, your commute, or your city’s future—in English.
This topic also naturally sparks classroom discussion. Students can compare city layouts, share images of their favorite bridges or stations, talk about transportation struggles, or describe the busiest street they’ve ever crossed. It’s visual, engaging, and highly personalized.
Cities are also where many jobs are found—so being able to speak clearly about transportation, construction, landmarks, and directions is key for interviews, customer service roles, and logistics work. Even small talk often involves questions like, ‘How do you get to work?’ or ‘Have you been to the new station?’ Students need this vocabulary to keep the conversation flowing.
When you include cities and infrastructure in your lessons, you’re helping students understand not just how a city functions, but how they fit into it.
Add this set of visuals and related language to your teaching library today and equip your students with the words they need to move through the city—with confidence, purpose, and a better sense of place.
