English speaking lesson · Travel & Transport
Asking for directions
You're on a street in an unfamiliar city and need to find your way. A friendly local has stopped to help. You practise it as a real conversation, at whichever of the four levels fits you — the room and the steps stay the same, only the words get harder.
A street in an unfamiliar city · you talk to the local passerby
Free plan: 10 messages a day. No card needed.
What you have to do
Ask for directions to a place, understand the route, and confirm you've got it right. You finish the lesson by getting there in conversation — not by answering questions about it. Nothing is corrected while you talk; the corrections are collected and handed to you at the end.
How it opens
Hi there — you look like you might be trying to find something. Can I help you with directions?
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the local passerby.
The 5 steps that finish it
A step clears when you say the thing that clears it. The steps are identical at all four levels — only the example line fades, and at Natural there is none at all.
- 01
Ask for directions
Say hi, and ask how to get to a place you're looking for.
“Excuse me — I'm lost. How do I get to the station?”
- 02
Get the directions
Listen to the directions, then ask for a landmark to watch for.
“Okay, is there something I should look for on the way?”
- 03
Get a landmark
Listen for the landmark, then ask how long the walk will take.
“How many minutes will that take?”
- 04
Check you understood
Check you've understood the directions correctly.
“Yes, that's right — thanks!”
- 05
Thank them and go
Thank them for their help and say goodbye.
“No, that's everything. Thank you so much, bye!”
The words, at all four levels
The same room and the same steps, four vocabularies. These are the words the lesson listens for and scores you on — with what each one means and how it sounds when you are talking to the local passerby.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- station
- a building where trains stop
- “How do I get to the station?”
- lost
- not knowing where you are
- “Sorry, I'm a bit lost.”
- left
- the direction opposite of right
- “Turn left at the corner.”
- right
- the direction opposite of left
- “It's on the right, past the corner.”
- straight
- not turning, going directly ahead
- “Go straight for two minutes.”
- corner
- where two streets meet
- “Turn left at the corner.”
- walk
- to go somewhere on foot
- “Is it a short walk?”
- minutes
- a short unit of time
- “It's about ten minutes away.”
- near
- close by
- “Is it near here?”
- thanks
- a short way to say thank you
- “Thanks, that's really helpful.”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- directions
- instructions on how to get somewhere
- “Could you give me directions to the station?”
- ahead
- in front, further along the way
- “It's straight ahead, past the bakery.”
- crossing
- a place to cross the road safely
- “Cross at the crossing, then keep going.”
- block
- a section of street between two corners
- “It's one block from here.”
- junction
- a place where roads meet
- “Turn right at the next junction.”
- opposite
- directly across from something
- “It's opposite the bakery.”
- further
- at a greater distance
- “It's a bit further than you'd think.”
- nearby
- close to this place
- “There's a shortcut nearby.”
- distance
- how far away something is
- “What's the distance from here?”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for something
- “I really appreciate your help.”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- roundabout
- a circular junction where traffic flows one way
- “Go around the roundabout and take the second exit.”
- landmark
- a noticeable feature that helps you find your way
- “Is there a landmark I should look for?”
- intersection
- a place where two or more roads cross
- “Turn left at the next intersection.”
- shortcut
- a quicker, less direct route
- “Is there a shortcut through the park?”
- detour
- a longer route taken to avoid something
- “Is there a detour I should take?”
- backtrack
- to go back the way you came
- “If you miss it, just backtrack a little.”
- adjacent
- next to or bordering something
- “It's adjacent to the old post office.”
- unmistakable
- impossible to mistake for anything else
- “The clock tower is unmistakable.”
- stroll
- an easy, unhurried walk
- “It's a nice stroll from here.”
- signpost
- a sign showing directions
- “There's a signpost right at the junction.”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- bearings
- your sense of location and direction
- “I've completely lost my bearings.”
- veer
- to turn gradually in a direction
- “Veer left just past the bridge.”
- meander
- to follow a winding path
- “It tends to meander along the river.”
- thoroughfare
- a main road or route through an area
- “It's just off the main thoroughfare.”
- crossroads
- a place where roads cross
- “You'll hit a crossroads — go straight through.”
- footpath
- a path for walking, away from traffic
- “Take the footpath along the river.”
- backstreet
- a small street away from the main roads
- “It's tucked down a quiet backstreet.”
- reckon
- to think or estimate (informal)
- “I reckon it's about ten minutes away.”
- byway
- a minor road off the main route
- “There's a nice byway that cuts the corner off.”
- wayfinding
- the skill of navigating your way somewhere
- “Your wayfinding's pretty good already!”
More Travel & Transport lessons
- Buying a train ticket
- Airport check-in & security
- Lost luggage
- Hotel check-in
- Hostel check-in
- Tourist information
- Taxi / rideshare
- Hiring a car
- Booking a tour
- Ferry crossing
- Changing a booking