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Level-graded English lessons with reading, listening, activities, and discussion.

Lesson Info

Type
Article
Level
4 / B2
Published
Title
Americans Start New Lives Abroad
Webpage
https://eslnewsstories.com/articles/2026-04-08-americans-start-new-lives-abroad/

Lesson Content

Warm-up, Vocab List, Reading and Audio

Understanding: Main Idea, True or False, Multiple Choice

Language: Words That Go Together

Use It: Discussion Builder, Sentence Unscramble, Discussion Questions

Answers

Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?

a) Most people who move abroad earn less than before.

b) The U.S. government now pays families to move overseas.

c) Some remote workers keep U.S. salaries while living where daily expenses are lower.

Illustrated map of the United States with large arrows pointing outward to other parts of the world.
More Americans are leaving.

Ask: (1) Where have you lived, and where have you traveled? (2) If you could live in another country for a year, where would you go?

Vocab List

net migration (n. phrase) — The difference between how many people enter and leave a country.
remote work (n. phrase) — Working from home or another place outside a company office.
estimate (v.) — To make a careful guess based on available information.
pace (n.) — The speed at which something happens or the speed of daily life.
expert (n.) — A person with a lot of knowledge about a subject.
social safety net (n. phrase) — Public support systems that help people during hard times.
wave (n.) — A period when many similar events happen at around the same time.
active shooter drill (n. phrase) — A school practice for how to react to an armed attack.
emigration (n.) — The act of leaving your country to live in another one.
wage (n.) — Money paid regularly for work, often by the hour, day, or week.
draw attention (v. phrase) — To make people notice something and see it as important.
quality of life (n. phrase) — How good and comfortable a person's daily life feels.
Reading

A rising number of Americans are leaving the United States and building new lives overseas. In 2025, the country entered a rare period of negative net migration, which means more U.S. citizens left than moved in. Researchers say this has not happened since 1935, and the pattern now draws attention across many age groups.

Exact numbers are hard to measure, but estimates suggest at least 180,000 Americans moved abroad last year. Experts believe the real total could be higher. Unlike earlier waves, this movement is not limited to one type of person. Retirees, students, and families with children are all part of the current rise in emigration.

For many people, money is a major reason. Housing, healthcare, and food prices have increased in many U.S. cities, so some households now compare costs in other countries. Portugal, Ireland, Thailand, and Bali are frequent choices. In addition, remote work lets some workers keep U.S. salaries while living where everyday expenses are lower.

But finances are only one part of the story. Some Americans say they want a slower pace of life and stronger social safety nets. Others describe feeling less stress and more safety abroad. One American living in Berlin said parents there do not expect active shooter drills in kindergarten, which changed how he judged daily life. He added that wages are often higher in the United States, but quality of life can feel better in Europe.

That contrast helps explain why this trend matters. Many people who move abroad are not only looking for lower costs or better jobs. They are also choosing the kind of daily life they want for themselves and their families.

Americans Start New Lives Abroad

Level 4 Article Source: people.com
Warm-up → or → Check Understanding → Language → Use It

Illustrated map of the United States with large arrows pointing outward to other parts of the world.
More Americans are leaving.

A rising number of Americans are leaving the United States and building new lives overseas. In 2025, the country entered a rare period of negative net migration, which means more U.S. citizens left than moved in. Researchers say this has not happened since 1935, and the pattern now draws attention across many age groups.

Exact numbers are hard to measure, but estimates suggest at least 180,000 Americans moved abroad last year. Experts believe the real total could be higher. Unlike earlier waves, this movement is not limited to one type of person. Retirees, students, and families with children are all part of the current rise in emigration.

For many people, money is a major reason. Housing, healthcare, and food prices have increased in many U.S. cities, so some households now compare costs in other countries. Portugal, Ireland, Thailand, and Bali are frequent choices. In addition, remote work lets some workers keep U.S. salaries while living where everyday expenses are lower.

But finances are only one part of the story. Some Americans say they want a slower pace of life and stronger social safety nets. Others describe feeling less stress and more safety abroad. One American living in Berlin said parents there do not expect active shooter drills in kindergarten, which changed how he judged daily life. He added that wages are often higher in the United States, but quality of life can feel better in Europe.

That contrast helps explain why this trend matters. Many people who move abroad are not only looking for lower costs or better jobs. They are also choosing the kind of daily life they want for themselves and their families.

Speaker: American Female  Duration: 1:53  YouTube

Listen Closely

Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio on eslnewsstories.com and complete the gaps below:

A rising number of Americans are leaving the United States and building new lives overseas. In 2025, the country entered a rare period of negative net migration, which means more U.S. citizens left than moved in. Researchers say this has not happened since 1935, and the (1) now draws attention across many age groups.

Exact (2) are hard to measure, but estimates suggest at least 180,000 Americans moved abroad last year. Experts believe the real total could be higher. Unlike earlier waves, this movement is not limited to one type of person. Retirees, students, and (3) with children are all part of the current rise in emigration.

For many people, money is a major reason. Housing, healthcare, and food prices have increased in many U.S. cities, so some households now compare (4) in other countries. Portugal, Ireland, Thailand, and Bali are frequent choices. In addition, remote work lets some (5) keep U.S. salaries while living where everyday expenses are lower.

But finances are only one part of the story. Some Americans say they want a slower pace of life and stronger social safety nets. Others describe feeling less (6) and more safety abroad. One American living in Berlin said parents there do not expect active shooter drills in kindergarten, which changed how he judged daily life. He added that wages are often higher in the United States, but quality of life can feel better in Europe.

That contrast helps explain why this trend matters. Many people who move abroad are not only looking for lower costs or better (7) . They are also choosing the kind of daily life they want for themselves and their families.

Listen and Fill Gaps

Loading listening activity...

Discussion Builder

  1. Q: If you could choose, would you prefer higher pay or lower stress? Why?

    A:

  2. Q: Do you think moving abroad is easier for singles or for families? Why?

    A:

  3. Q: In your view, what makes a place feel safe for children?

    A:
Use It

Discussion Builder

Choose the best phrase for each gap:

  1. Q: If you could choose, would you prefer higher pay or lower stress? Why?

    A: lower stress matters more than a high salary.

    To me, / For example, / Because of that, / But,

    To me, lower stress matters more than a high salary.

  2. Q: Do you think moving abroad is easier for singles or for families? Why?

    A: Moving abroad may be easier for singles they usually have fewer family needs to manage.

    and / because / but / so

    Moving abroad may be easier for singles because they usually have fewer family needs to manage.

  3. Q: In your view, what makes a place feel safe for children?

    A: A place can feel safer for children when schools seem calm and well prepared. parents may worry less there.

    Also, / Because of that, / For example, / But,

    A place can feel safer for children when schools seem calm and well prepared. Because of that, parents may worry less there.

Sentence Unscramble

Sentence Unscramble

  1. A. One hard part B. is leaving C. and close friendships D. family routines E. of emigration F. behind.

    One hard part of emigration is leaving family routines and close friendships behind.

  2. A. can offer B. For some people, C. higher pay D. at home. E. than F. life abroad G. a better daily balance

    For some people, life abroad can offer a better daily balance than higher pay at home.

  3. A. may continue B. this trend C. I could be wrong, D. but E. remote work F. if G. stays common.

    I could be wrong, but this trend may continue if remote work stays common.

Discussion Questions
  1. What are the biggest living costs in your city right now?
  2. If you could choose, would you prefer higher pay or lower stress? Why?
  3. Do you think moving abroad is easier for singles or for families? Why?
  4. Would you rather live in the United States, Portugal, Ireland, Thailand, or Bali? Why?
  5. What can people lose when they leave their home country?
  6. What can people gain from building a life in a new country?
  7. Should governments worry when many citizens move abroad? Why or why not?
  8. What advice would you give someone thinking about emigration?
  9. In your view, what makes a place feel safe for children?
  10. Could this migration trend continue, or might it slow down? What could change it?

Discussion Questions

  1. What are the biggest living costs in your city right now?
  2. If you could choose, would you prefer higher pay or lower stress? Why?
  3. Do you think moving abroad is easier for singles or for families? Why?
  4. Would you rather live in the United States, Portugal, Ireland, Thailand, or Bali? Why?
  5. What can people lose when they leave their home country?
  6. What can people gain from building a life in a new country?
  7. Should governments worry when many citizens move abroad? Why or why not?
  8. What advice would you give someone thinking about emigration?
  9. In your view, what makes a place feel safe for children?
  10. Could this migration trend continue, or might it slow down? What could change it?

Answers Americans Start New Lives Abroad / Level 4

Listening: (1) pattern, (2) numbers, (3) families, (4) costs, (5) workers, (6) stress, (7) jobs

Main Idea: The article explains why more Americans are moving abroad for lower costs and a better daily life.

True or False:

  1. True. The story says 2025 was a rare period of negative net migration, with more citizens leaving than moving in.
  2. False. The article says this has not happened since 1935, so it is unusual.
  3. False. The article says money matters, but people also mention safety, stress, and quality of life.

Multiple Choice: a, c, c

Vocabulary:

  1. Build: new lives
  2. Draw: attention
  3. Measure: exact numbers
  4. Compare: costs
  1. Feel: less stress
  2. Want: a slower pace of life
  3. Expect: active shooter drills
  4. Look for: better jobs

Discussion Builder:

Hints: 1) Opinion. 2) Reason. 3) Result.

  1. To me,
  2. because
  3. Because of that,

Sentence Unscramble:

  1. One hard part of emigration is leaving family routines and close friendships behind.
  2. For some people, life abroad can offer a better daily balance than higher pay at home.
  3. I could be wrong, but this trend may continue if remote work stays common.

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