Settling In
Today, you will learn a new phrasal verb: To Settle In or settling in. Learn how to use it, it will make you super-duper fluent. Enjoy:)
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Transcript (Phrasal Verb: to settle in)
Hey guys, you are listening to the English Made Simple show, this is episode 1-4-0, number one hundred and forty, numero ciento cuarenta
What’s up amigos y amigas? Welcome to the English Made Simple show, my name is Milena from www.englishmadesimple.net.
So today is another special episode of the EMS show… and that’s not to say that none of the previous episodes were special…. They were of course, they were! haha
So today, I want to teach you a couple of things, a couple of new words and new phrases. They are to do with moving and settling in.
The majority of us had experienced moving or migrating from one place to another in the past, it could be that you moved houses or suburbs or cities like I did. Heck, I even moved countries. I had moved countries twice and had moved multiple cities, many times
Nomad, vagabond – call me what you will – (isn’t that the song by Metallica, sure it was that was a line from one of the songs by Metallica called: Wherever I may roam)
That song was written about me. Haha ok no it wasn’t… it would’ve been nice though.
So, I had moved from Serbia to Auckland in New Zealand, then from Auckland moved to the Gold Coast in Australia then to Melbourne, from Melbourne to Santiago de Chile, then back to Melbourne and now to Adelaide.
Adelaide, what can I say?
Adelaide is in a different time zone to Melbourne. It’s half an hour back from Melbourne.
Time Zone is Zona horaria in Spanish.
Basically when I have to speak with my family in Melbourne, I have to look at my wwatch and think 30 minute back…. it is a 30 minute difference in time.
Only 30 minutes, so annoying! Really annoying!
Anyway, I’ve got a lot of experience with moving. However, having said this I have to admit that my home is still Melbourne. I have to admit that Melbourne is still my home.
Melbourne just feels familiar and I am used to it. I have spent 8 years living there, just feels like home. That’s all. That’s all I am saying guys.
I am sure some of you can resonate with my story. We’ve all had experience with moving, maybe you moved out of your parents’ home you know. That’s an experience.
You will go through the same stages of trying to adapt to your new life, starting a new routine for example.
So now, why am I telling you all this? (Because I am a wuss, I am a cry baby, I like to complain – my husband says, stop complaining Milena, no-body cares)
I want to use my personal experience to teach you some new vocabulary, because I know we share the same experiences.
So listen up amigos y amigas, the phrase I’d like to teach you today is to settle in.
Settle In – two words – this is a phrasal verb, (we love those things, we love it) it’s one that you will hear spoken by native speakers very often, it’s very common to hear this phrase. Settle In.
If you can remember this phrase it will make you super-duper fluent.
Let’s bring in Weon Inteligente here, according to Weon Inteligente or the Online Dictionary, the phrasal verb – to settle in – means “to become familiar with somewhere new, such as a new house, job, or school, and to feel comfortable and happy there”
Examples of using the phrase SETTLING IN
To settle in – to feel like home, to feel comfortable with your new surroundings, new environment.
You can settle in at work, at school or at your new house.
To settle in – in Spanish is establecerse o acostumbrarse
For my non-Spanish speakers, this would translate to – to be accustomed or to get accustomed to, to get used to, to adapt.
I will give you a few examples to explain….
A friend of mine asked me the other day, how’s Adelaide? Have you settled in yet?
And I reply:
Not yet, I am still settling in.
And then she asked me, what about your husband? Has he settled in at work?
Yup, he is pretty much settled. He settled in Ok.
My Mum asked me the other day, Milena, have you settled in into your new place?
Not yet Mum, we are still trying to familiarize ourselves with the new neighbourhood. So we haven’t settled in yet.
Easy peasy japanesey?
Cool. Cool bananas!
You know what I miss the most from Melbourne, I miss going out to the cafés. I think Melbourne is the coffee and food capital of Australia. My husband thinks I am just spoiled. Spoiled like a princess haha
He also says I should stay at home to prepare my own coffee. To which I reply… naaaaaaah! No way Jose! Shut Up & Callate!
When I prepare coffee at home it doesn’t taste anywhere as good as the one prepared by a professional barista. Barista is a person who makes coffee in a café.
So someone needs to drink that coffee, that would be me!
Honestly, when I arrived in Adelaide I had a bit of a culture shock.
Do you know this term: culture shock?
If you are a migrant who had moved countries before – you would suffer from something called a culture shock. If you imagine, traveling from one country where you are used to one type of culture, then moving to another country with a completely different culture where you have to adapt to another way of life.
It’s hard to assimilate into a different culture. These things take time.
You know what, I have a little confession to make:
It may had taken me 8 years to call Melbourne my home but the first time I landed there I didn’t think it would turn out to be my home.
Well it took me a year just to settle in. To feel comfortable driving around the city, getting to know the suburbs and so on. It just didn’t feel like home at that time.
Coming from a small city like Auckland in New Zealand, it was kind of a culture shock to move across the Tasman Sea all the way to Melbourne.
It sounds like I was swimming across the Tasman, haha – nah I was flying. Because I am spoiled, remember?
No way I am gonna swim.
Amigos y amigas, let’s think about the phrase we have learnt today: to settle in.
Think about this: What changes have happened to you recently?
Have you started a new job? If so, how are you settling in?
Have you started going to the University?
Have you moved to a new home?
Have you moved countries? Are you settling in?
And the way to answer this question would be: Yes, I am doing quite well, I feel more settled, thank you, thank you for asking. If you say no, then say – Not yet, I am still settling in.
Great, cool bananas! If you enjoyed this episode of the English Made Simple Show, please share it with your friends and your enemies, too who may also find it helpful as well! Have you got friends or know of someone who is moving overseas? Get them to listen to this episode.
Thanks for joining me in today’s show, you’ve been jamming with Milena from www.englishmadesimple.net, it’s been a pleasure as always. Catch ya later muchacachos y muchachas. Until next time, hasta la proxima!

Looking for more examples of the phrasal verb ‘Settle in’?
Check out the links below to my recommended books on Amazon:
1. English Phrasal Verbs In Use: Advanced
2. Learn Phrasal Verbs through Context
3. Top 100 Most Commonly Used Business Idioms and Phrasal Verbs for Advanced Non-Native English Speakers: A simple and easy way to understand business idioms.
4. English Phrasal Verbs in Use Intermediate Book with Answers: Vocabulary Reference and Practice
5. English Phrasal Verbs in Use Intermediate

Milena Vujnic
Podcast Host at English Made Simple Podcast
Milena is the host of the English Made Simple Podcast and is passionate about helping English learners break their fear of speaking English so they can confidently make conversation and be understood by other English-speakers.
Milena lives in Australia with her Chileno husband and loves anything podcasting and online coaching and is honoured to be supporting and guiding immigrants from all over the world with her products, programs and coaching services.
Click here to learn more about how you can work with Milena.
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