U.S. Citizenship and English Practice

Prepare for the U.S. Naturalization Interview with reading, writing, civics questions, and N-400 personal information practice.

Practice with Eric

Personal Questions 3

Posted on Author teacherericPosted in Fall 2021, Personal Questions
  1. When were you born / What is your date of birth?
  2. Where were you born?
  3. Are you a citizen of that country?
  4. Are your mother or father US citizens?

What is your phone number?

My phone number is 503-111-1111

What is your date of birth? / When were you born?

I was born in May / I was born on May 1, 1980

Where were you born?

In _____ / I was born in ______

Are you a citizen of that country?

Yes, I am. / No, I’m not. I’m a citizen of ______.

Are your mother or father US citizens?

Yes, my mom is. / Yes, my dad is. / Yes, they both are. / No, they’re not.

Review

  • Personal Questions 1
    1. What is your full legal name?
    2. Have you used any other names?
    3. When did you become a lawful permanent resident?
  • Personal Questions 2
    1. Do you want to legally change your name?
    2. Where do you live? / What is your current address?
    3. What is your phone number? / Have you changed your phone number recently?
    4. Where were you born?
  • Personal Questions 3
    1. When were you born / What is your date of birth?
    2. Where were you born?
    3. Are you a citizen of that country?
    4. Are your mother or father US citizens?

Citizenship Steps: From the Application to the Oath

Posted on Author teacherericPosted in About Citizenship, Fall 2021, Uncategorized

Citizenship Process

  1. Have you filled out the N-400?
    1. Yes I have / No I haven’t
  2. Have you sent the N-400?
  3. Have you gotten the receipt of the N-400?
  4. Have you gotten an appointment for biometrics?
  5. Have you gone to the USCIS office for biometrics?
  6. Have you gotten an appointment for your interview?
  7. Have you gone to the USCIS office for an interview?
  8. Have you taken the oath of citizenship?

US and Oregon Leaders

Posted on Author teacherericPosted in Civics and Reading A, Fall 2021, Uncategorized

Reading and Civics: Leaders

Congress has two parts: the Senate and the House.

The leader of the House of Representatives is called the Speaker of the House.

Right now, the Speaker of the House is Mike Johnson.

He is a Republican. Mike Johnson became Speaker of the House in October 2023.

What is the name of the Speaker of the House now? –> Mike Johnson

The highest court in the United States is the Supreme Court.

The leader of the Supreme Court is called the Chief Justice.

Swearing in of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

Right now, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is John Roberts.

Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now? –> John Roberts

The leader of the federal government is the president.

The leader of a state is called the governor. In most states, we elect a governor for 4 years.

Extra information: In Vermont and New Hampshire, they elect a governor for only 2 years.

You need to know the governor of your state. Right now, the governor of Oregon is Tina Kotek. In Washington state, the governor is Jay Inslee.

Who is the Governor of your state now? –> Tina Kotek (Oregon)

Who is the Governor of your state now? –> Jay Inslee (Washington)

Every state has two senators who go to Washington D.C. They work in the Senate.

  • Ron Wyden
  • Jeff Merkley

Senators work for all of the people in the state. You need to know at least one of the names of your state’s senators.

Oregon’s senators are Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley.

Washington’s senators are Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.

Who is one of your state’s US Senators now? –> Ron Wyden or Jeff Merkley (Oregon) –> Patty Murray or Maria Cantwell (Washington)

Each state also has representatives in the House of Representatives.

Some states have more representatives because they have more people. For example, Oregon has 5 representatives. But, Washington state has 10 representatives.

If you don’t know who your representative is, you can check using your zip code or address on the US House website.

The representative for Portland, Gresham, and some other places is Earl Blumenauer.

The representative for Beaverton and Washington County in Oregon is Suzanne Bonamici.

The representative for Clackamas and some other parts of Oregon is Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

The representative for Salem, Woodburn, Tigard, Tualatin, and some other parts of Oregon is Andrea Salinas.

Kristina Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (If you live in Southwest Washington state, your representative is probably Jaime Herrera Beutler. She works for people in Vancouver, Longview, and other parts of Southwest Washington.

  • Jaime Herrera Beutler’s district

Name your US Representative. –> Earl Blumenauer (Portland), Suzanne Bonamici (Beaverton and Washington County), Kurt Schrader (Lake Oswego, Wilsonville, and farther south), Jaime Herrera Beutler (Southwest Washington)

The United States is a democracy. This means every person has a voice, and every citizen has a vote.

American citizens can do many things to be part of our democracy. They can participate in many ways.

For example, citizens can vote for leaders they like. In Oregon and Washington, citizens can also vote on new laws for the state.

Another way Americans can participate is calling or emailing your representative.

When you call your representative, you can tell them your opinion about important things. A good representative will listen to the people.

A bad representative will not get your votes in the next election. 🙂

What are 2 ways that Americans can participate in their democracy? –> Vote and Call your Representative

Civics Review

  1. What is the capital of the United States?*
  2. What is the capital of your state?*
  3. What is the name of the President of the United States now?*
  4. What is the political party of the President now?
  5. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
  6. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
  7. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
  8. Who is the Governor of your state now?
  9. Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?*
  10. Name your U.S. Representative.
  11. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?

About the Application

Posted on Author teacherericPosted in About Citizenship, Fall 2021
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Review: The Citizenship Test

  1. How many parts are in the citizenship test?
  2. How many sentences do you need to read clearly for the reading test?
  3. How many clear sentences do you need to write for the writing test?
  4. Why does the officer ask you questions about your N400 Citizenship Application?
    • Reason 1:
    • Reason 2:
  5. What information is in the civics test?
  6. How many correct questions do you need?

The N400 Application

New Americans Campaign | New N-400 Naturalization Application Form Published

The application for citizenship is also called Form N-400. You can find the N400 application online, here.

The application has 20 pages of questions. It is very important to understand the questions and your answers.

If there are mistakes or incorrect information, the application can be denied (stopped, cancelled).

Image by wendy julianto from Pixabay

One important question is about eligibility. This means: can you become a citizen?

If you want to apply to become a citizen, you must:

  • Be a lawful permanent resident for 4 years and 9 months or more
    • Or: Be a lawful permanent resident married to a US Citizen for 3 years or more
  • Lived in the United States for 30 months or more in the last 5 years
  • Never have taken a trip outside of the US that was more than 1 year
  • Lived in your state for 3 months or more
  • Be a good person 😊

SOAR Immigration Legal Services can help people prepare the application. Usually, you can consult with a lawyer or immigration representative for $50. Four times every year, you can meet with them on “Citizenship Day” for free. You can find their information here.

If you apply by yourself, please check all the information online about what documents you should send with the N400.

With the application and documents, most people must send a check or money order for $725 to the Department of Homeland Security. This is the application fee.

There is still a fee waiver that makes the application fee less, or free. SOAR can help answer questions about this, or you can read more online.

What is the Citizenship Test?

Posted on Author teacherericPosted in About Citizenship

What are the 4 parts of the citizenship interview?

  • Civics:
    • History, Government, People, Places
    • 100 Questions
    • 6 correct questions / 10
  • N-400 Personal Questions
    • Questions from your application for citizenship
    • The officer will check your information
    • Test of English:
      • Can you use English to communicate?
      • Do you understand the questions and your answers?
  • Reading:
    • 1 short question / 3 opportunities
    • Short, easy words
    • Can the officer understand you?
  • Writing
    • 1 short sentence / 3 opportunities
    • Write it on the computer tablet
    • Spelling and small mistakes are ok
    • Can the officer understand you?

Questions:

  • What part is easy for you?
  • What English skills do you need in each part?
  • How can you practice?
  • What part do you need help with?

Places and People 1

Places and People 1

Posted on Author teacherericPosted in Civics and Reading A, Fall 2021
Where is this? How do you know?

The federal government meets in Washington, D.C. Congress meets here.

It is the capital of the United States. The president lives here. The supreme court is here, too.

But, it does not have a state. So, it does not have any senators or representatives.

What is the capital of the United States? –> Washington, D.C.

This is the Oregon capital building.

The largest city in Oregon is Portland, but it is not the capital.

The capital of Oregon is Salem.

For our friends in Washington state, the capital of Washington is Olympia.

What is the capital of your state? –> Salem

Official portrait of Vice President Joe Biden in his West Wing Office at the White House, Jan. 10, 2013. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann).

The leader of the federal government is the president. We elect a president every four years.

When we have a new president, they start to work in January. Joe Biden became president on January 20th, 2021.

What is the name of the President of the United States now? –> Joe Biden / Biden

The two major political parties are Democratic and Republican.

What is the political party of the President now? –> Democratic / Democrat

The Vice President works with the President.

If the President can no longer serve, the Vice President becomes president.

Now, the Vice President is Kamala Harris. She is from California.

What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? –> Kamala Harris

Review

94. What is the capital of the United States?*
44. What is the capital of your state?*
28. What is the name of the President of the United States now?*
46. What is the political party of the President now?
29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?

Writing Practice

Life in the US

Posted on Author teacherericPosted in Online Class, Spring 2021, US Civics

Review

  1. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.*
  2. Who was President during World War I?
  3. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
  4. Who did the United States fight in World War II?
  5. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
  6. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
  7. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
  8. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?*
  9. What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?

Civics and Reading

Americans have many special days. Some days are for religion, like Christmas. Some days are to celebrate, like New Years Day.

The Unites States Government has 8 national holidays. On those days, government offices and schools are closed.

Name two national U.S. holidays. –> Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

We also have special days for responsibilities. One important responsibility is to pay taxes.

People in the US usually have to send in federal income tax forms on April 15.

When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?* –> April 15th

Portland Farmer’s Market picture by Flickr user Vis-A-Vi

The economic system of the United States is a market economy. This is another name for a capitalist economy.

This means that people and businesses are free to buy and sell things.

What is the economic system in the United States?* –> Market Economy / Capitalist Economy

When there is a war or emergency, the government can ask young men to join the military. This is called the draft or Selective Service.

All men must register for the Selective Service from age 18 to 26. Even immigrants and refugees need to register.

Registration is free and quick. And, from age 18 to 26 is only 8 years. After that, most people don’t worry about this registration.

When must all men register for the Selective Service? –> 18 to 26

By Flickr User Marc Nozell

In many schools, every class begins with the Pledge of Allegiance. This is a promise of loyalty to the United States. Loyalty means love, and never leaving someone.

Here’s an example of the Pledge of Allegiance. Don’t worry! You don’t need to memorize the words.

When we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we show loyalty to the flag. This means we also show loyalty to the United States.

What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?

These people are taking the Oath of Allegiance. This is the promise to become a citizen.

One thing you promise is to follow the laws of the United States. The oath is long and difficult, but you don’t have to remember it 100%.

What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?

Review

  1. Name two national U.S. holidays.
  2. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?*
  3. What is the economic system in the United States?*
  4. When must all men register for the Selective Service?
  5. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
  6. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?

US Citizens and the Test

How will these American citizens do on the Civics test questions?

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