6-Week "Banking English for Newcomers" Curriculum
A free printable ESL curriculum for adult educators, refugee resettlement caseworkers, community college ESL programs, public library literacy volunteers, and family members teaching at the kitchen table.
Last updated June 2026 · For use with the CustomBank banking simulator (free, iOS & Android, 13 languages)
Aligned to
CASAS Life and Work Reading — Banking and Personal Finance · BEST Plus 2.0 — Functional Banking Competencies · English Language Proficiency Standards for Adult Education — Standard 4: Banking and Financial Literacy.
Each week is one 60–75 minute session. The structure assumes a small group (3–10 learners) but every session works for one-on-one tutoring with a library volunteer, caseworker, or family member. Set CustomBank to the learner's first language for Week 1; switch to English in Week 2 and after as comfort builds. Every session pairs on-screen practice with a verbal role-play in English — the on-screen practice builds the routine, the role-play builds the human exchange.
Week 1 — Opening a checking account
Learning objectives
- Learners can name the difference between a checking and a savings account in English.
- Learners can list 3 documents a real US bank typically asks for to open an account.
- Learners can explain in English the difference between a big bank and a credit union, and at least one reason to consider a credit union as a newcomer.
Session walkthrough
- Open and orient (15 min) — Each learner opens CustomBank in their first language. Pick a starting balance of $500. Walk the dashboard together: balance, transfer, deposit, statement.
- Checking vs. savings (15 min) — In each learner's first language: when do you use checking, when do you use savings? Then introduce the English words. Transfer $100 to savings in the app together.
- Account-opening vocabulary (15 min) — Look at a real (or sample) account-application form in English. Identify each field. Discuss what documents a real US bank typically asks for: photo ID (passport or driver's license), proof of address, and either an SSN or an ITIN (depends on the bank — many credit unions accept ITIN, many big banks do not).
- Credit unions vs. big banks (10 min) — Short discussion: many credit unions waive minimums and accept ITIN; many big banks do not. Where is the nearest credit union to the program? What community has experience with it?
- Closing role-play (10 min) — In pairs: one learner is the teller, one is opening an account. Practice the verbal exchange in English. "I'd like to open a checking account." "What's the minimum balance?" "Do you accept ITIN?"
CustomBank scenario to run: Open the app with a $500 starting balance. Move $100 to savings. Open the account-details view together and identify the routing and account numbers.
Role-play prompt for homework: Practice the teller exchange with a family member at home, in English. Bring back one question you want to ask next week.
Week 2 — Reading a bank statement
Learning objectives
- Learners can identify opening balance, closing balance, deposits, withdrawals, and fees on a bank statement in English.
- Learners can read US date format (MM/DD/YYYY) on a bank statement and explain how it differs from formats used in their home country.
- Learners can identify one unexpected fee on a sample statement and explain why a bank might charge it.
Session walkthrough
- Statement vocabulary (15 min) — Open the statement view in CustomBank (now in English). Identify each section: balance at top, transactions in middle, totals at bottom. Translate the English words into learners' first languages where helpful.
- Date formats (10 min) — US uses MM/DD/YYYY (month-first). Most of the rest of the world uses DD/MM/YYYY (day-first). On 07/05/2026, a US bank statement says July 5; the same notation in many other countries means May 7. This single difference causes more newcomer confusion than any other formatting issue.
- Real-world statement reading (20 min) — Hand out a sample US bank statement. Find each field. Identify any fees (often hidden in the description column). Discuss: what would you do if you saw a fee you didn't recognize?
- Reconciling against personal records (15 min) — Practice the habit of writing down purchases in a notebook (or phone) and checking against the statement each month. Why? Catching unauthorized charges, finding billing errors, building the habit of knowing your balance before tapping pay.
- Closing role-play (10 min) — In pairs: one is the customer calling the bank about a charge they don't recognize. The other is the customer service rep. Use English vocabulary from the lesson.
CustomBank scenario to run: Make several deposits and withdrawals in the app. Open the statement view. Identify each line. Discuss what each transaction would mean in real life.
Role-play prompt for homework: Find a real bank statement (yours or a family member's — black out the account number first). Bring it next week and identify the fees in English.
Week 3 — Deposits and ATMs
Learning objectives
- Learners can describe in English the steps to deposit a check at an ATM.
- Learners can name two reasons to take a receipt from an ATM, and what to do if the machine fails to give one.
- Learners can explain in English the difference between a "cash deposit" and a "check deposit."
Session walkthrough
- ATM screen sequence (15 min) — Walk through a printed diagram of an ATM screen sequence: insert card → enter PIN → select language (if offered) → select transaction → cash or check → enter amount → confirm → take card → take receipt. Many US ATMs offer Spanish; not all offer other languages. Discuss what to do when only English is offered.
- CustomBank deposit practice (15 min) — Run a $200 cash deposit in CustomBank. Then a $400 check deposit. Notice how each appears differently in the statement (cash often available immediately; checks often held 1–2 business days).
- Endorsing a check (10 min) — Why "endorse"? In US banking, the receiver signs the back of the check before depositing. Practice on a sample paper check. The signature must match what's on file with the bank.
- Receipts and what to do if a deposit goes wrong (15 min) — Always take the receipt. If the machine swallows your card or fails to dispense cash, call the bank immediately (number on back of card). Practice the phone-call vocabulary.
- Closing role-play (10 min) — In pairs: one is depositing at the ATM and narrates each step in English. The other is a friend explaining what to do next. Switch roles.
CustomBank scenario to run: Deposit $200 in cash and $400 as a check. Open the statement and compare. Discuss what would be different at a real ATM.
Role-play prompt for homework: Practice the deposit-step sequence aloud in English, in front of a mirror or with a family member. Three times each.
Week 4 — Sending money home
Learning objectives
- Learners can name the fields a real bank will ask for when initiating an international wire transfer.
- Learners can compare the cost of a bank wire transfer vs. a remittance service for the same amount.
- Learners can list three red flags that indicate a remittance or "loan" scam.
Session walkthrough
- Wire transfer in CustomBank (15 min) — Open CustomBank, initiate a simulated wire transfer of $500 to a recipient. Identify each field: recipient name, recipient bank, SWIFT/BIC code, IBAN (where applicable). The fields will look identical in a real bank app.
- Cost comparison (15 min) — Bank wire transfer typically costs $25–$50 per transfer. A remittance service (Western Union, MoneyGram, Remitly, Wise, etc.) often costs $5–$15 and is faster. Calculate which is cheaper for a $500, $1,000, and $3,000 transfer.
- Exchange rate literacy (10 min) — Real wire transfers and remittance services apply an exchange rate that includes a markup over the mid-market rate. Show a learner how to look up the real exchange rate (Google "USD to [their currency]"), then how to compare it to the rate the bank or service offers.
- Scam red flags (15 min) — Many newcomers are targeted by remittance scams: "Send $200 now and your relative will receive $500." "I'm from your bank — verify your account by sending a code." Real banks never ask you to send a wire transfer to "verify" anything. Discuss real examples from the community.
- Closing role-play (10 min) — In pairs: one receives a suspicious text claiming to be from their bank, asking for a wire transfer. The other is a friend they call for advice. Practice the verbal "let me check first" response in English.
CustomBank scenario to run: Initiate a $500 wire transfer. Then try a "suspicious" transfer where the recipient bank name doesn't match what was requested — practice the habit of stopping and verifying before tapping confirm.
Role-play prompt for homework: Look up the real exchange rate from USD to your home currency today. Compare it to what a remittance service near you offers. Bring the difference to next week.
Week 5 — Your first US paycheck
Learning objectives
- Learners can identify gross pay, net pay, federal tax, state tax, and FICA on a US paystub.
- Learners can fill in a sample direct-deposit form using the routing and account numbers from CustomBank.
- Learners can explain in English what a "pay cycle" is and why the first paycheck at a new job often takes 2–3 weeks to arrive.
Session walkthrough
- Reading a paystub (20 min) — Hand out a sample US paystub. Identify gross pay (what you earned), net pay (what you receive), and each withholding line. Discuss why net pay is always smaller — and what each withholding pays for (federal tax, state tax, Social Security, Medicare).
- Direct deposit form (15 min) — Hand out a sample direct-deposit form. Open CustomBank's account-details screen. Practice copying the routing number and account number onto the form, accurately. Stress that one wrong digit means a paycheck goes to the wrong account.
- Pay cycle (10 min) — Most US employers run a 2-week pay cycle, but the first paycheck often arrives 2–3 weeks after the first day of work (because of how pay periods are timed). This often catches newcomers off guard — plan accordingly when budgeting first-month expenses.
- Cash vs. direct deposit (10 min) — Why is direct deposit safer than cash or a paper check? No check to lose, no trip to cash the check, no cash to carry. Many large employers require direct deposit. The bank credits the account on payday automatically.
- Closing role-play (10 min) — In pairs: one is starting a new job and HR hands over a direct-deposit form. The other is the new hire asking clarifying questions in English. Practice: "Where do I write the routing number?" "How long until my first paycheck?"
CustomBank scenario to run: Deposit a $1,200 paycheck via the simulated direct-deposit. Move 5% to savings. Discuss: what would you do differently if it were $2,400 instead?
Role-play prompt for homework: If you have a real US paystub, bring it next week. Identify the gross, net, and one withholding line in English.
Week 6 — Staying safe (and culminating role-play)
Learning objectives
- Learners can identify 2 red flags in a bank-phishing text or email in English.
- Learners can describe in English the first three steps to take if a debit card is lost or stolen.
- Learners can complete the culminating role-play: a 5-minute teller exchange covering opening, depositing, asking a question, and closing — entirely in English.
Session walkthrough
- Phishing in English (15 min) — Show 2–3 real bank-phishing texts and emails. Identify the red flags: urgency, unfamiliar link, request for PIN or code, generic greeting, grammar errors. The rule: real banks never ask for a PIN, password, or one-time code by text or email. Ever.
- Lost or stolen card (15 min) — Walk the steps in English: 1) Call the number on the back of the card immediately (or use the bank app's "freeze card" feature). 2) Check transactions for anything you didn't make. 3) Report fraud and order a new card. Practice the phone-call vocabulary.
- What to do during a real teller visit (10 min) — Quick review: greet the teller, state what you need, listen, ask if anything is unclear, sign anything they hand you (after reading), thank them. The "ask if unclear" step is the one most learners skip out of embarrassment — practice the words.
- Culminating role-play assessment (20 min) — Pairs of learners run a 5-minute teller exchange entirely in English. Scenario: open a checking account, deposit $300 in cash, ask a clarifying question (their choice), then close out. Instructor observes and scores using a simple rubric (Vocabulary / Fluency / Confidence — each 1–5).
- Wrap-up and graduation (10 min) — Each learner names one thing they'll do at a real bank in the next month. Hand out CASAS/BEST-aligned certificates of completion if your program issues them.
CustomBank scenario to run: Run the full culminating teller exchange entirely inside CustomBank — open account, deposit $300, check balance, transfer $50 to savings, close. The app screens are the prompts; the verbal exchange is the assessment.
Beyond Week 6: Encourage learners to re-open CustomBank monthly for refresher practice. Suggest pairing the next real-life banking task (depositing a first US check, sending a remittance, setting up direct deposit) with a CustomBank rehearsal the day before.
Adapt freely. Print this curriculum, photocopy it for your cohort, translate it into your learners' first languages where helpful (CustomBank itself already supports 13 languages — the curriculum text is in English to model the target vocabulary). Attribution to CustomBank is appreciated but not required. If your program builds on this and wants to share back, we'd love to hear from you at info@customapps.us.
Run this curriculum with your learners
CustomBank is free in 13 languages with no SSN, no ITIN, no immigration documents required. The whole curriculum runs in the app on each learner's phone.
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