Section 1 — The Language of Money
Session 1 of 16
Monday, April 6, 2026
What is money? Core vocabulary
In our first session we explore the most fundamental question in finance: what is money, really? You'll learn the core vocabulary for talking about money in English — from everyday words like "cash" and "coin" to concepts like "value", "exchange", and "wealth". Understanding what money actually is gives you a foundation for everything that follows in this course — and raises questions most people never think to ask.
Vocabulary for this session
moneycurrencycashcoinnote/billvalueworthpricecostbarterexchangewagesalaryincomewealthpoverty
Grammar focus
Grammar focus: Uncountable nouns — "money", "cash", "wealth" have no plural form. Contrast with countable nouns: dollar, coin, bill. Key question forms: "How much money do you have?" vs "How many coins?"
Come prepared to discuss
"Is money the most important invention in human history?" Come prepared to argue both sides using the vocabulary from this session.
Before this session
Prepare: Think about 3 objects you own that have value — why do they have value? Then consider: what is the difference between the words "money" and "currency"? Look them up if you are not sure. Come ready to share your definitions in your own words.
Task-Based Activity
The barter game. Each student is given a "resource card" (e.g. 3 apples, 1 hour of work, a chicken, a bag of rice). They must negotiate trades with other students using only English — no money allowed. After 10 minutes, debrief as a class: Why is barter difficult? What problems did you encounter? What problem does money solve? Key debrief questions: "What happened when you couldn't agree on a fair trade?" "What would make this easier?" Lead students to discover: money solves the double coincidence of wants problem.
Career-Oriented Take — How to Frame It
In any job, you negotiate your value. Understanding what money is — a store of value, a medium of exchange, a unit of account — helps you talk confidently about salary, rates, and what your work is worth. Professionals who can articulate their value in clear financial English command higher rates and get taken more seriously in negotiations.
Big Picture — Global Financial Order
Money is not natural — it is a shared agreement. Historically, many things have served as money: shells, cattle, grain, salt, gold. What makes something money is collective belief. Whoever controls what counts as money controls enormous power. Preview for the class: the US dollar became the world's money after 1944 at Bretton Woods. We'll come back to this in Section 3.
Current Events Take
Countries like El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as legal tender (2021). China is piloting a digital yuan (e-CNY). The European Central Bank is exploring a digital euro. Ask the class: why would a government change what counts as money? What does that decision tell us about power and control? This question runs through the entire course.
Homework (assign after session)
Assign review of the
course timeline or a short history-of-money clip you choose; then have students write five sentences using target vocabulary about money in their own country. For example: "In my country, the currency is… Most people earn their income by… Poverty is a problem because…"