English speaking lesson · Food & Drink

At the bar

You've made it to the front of a busy bar. The bartender has turned to you. 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 busy bar · you talk to the bartender

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At the bar — English speaking practice scene

What you have to do

Order a drink, say how you want it, add one for a friend, check the order and pay. 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

Hey! Sorry for the wait — what can I get you?

Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the bartender.

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
Order a drink
Say hi and order a drink.
“Hi! A beer, please.”
02
Say how you want it
Say what size you'd like, or how you want it served.
“The big one, with ice, please.”
03
Add one for a friend
Add a drink for a friend — or say that's all.
“And one for my friend too — the same, please.”
04
Check the order
Check the order is right, and ask how much it comes to.
“Yes, that's everything. How much is it?”
05
Pay or open a tab
Say how you'd like to pay, and finish politely.
“By card, please!”

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 bartender.

Starter

A1 – A2

Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.

beer: a common alcoholic drink; “A beer, please.”
juice: a drink made from fruit; “An orange juice, please.”
big: large in size; “The big one, please.”
small: not big — the little size; “A small one, please.”
ice: frozen water put in drinks; “With ice, please.”
friend: someone you know and like; “One for my friend too.”
same: not different — the same thing again; “The same again, please.”
much: used to ask the price — 'how much'; “How much is it?”
please: a polite word when you ask; “Two beers, please.”
card: a bank card you pay with; “By card, please.”

Conversational

A2 – B1

Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.

pint: a standard large glass of beer; “A pint, please.”
draught: beer poured from a tap; “Is that on draught?”
bottle: a glass container for a drink; “A bottle, please.”
half: a smaller measure of beer; “Just a half, please.”
round: drinks bought for the whole group; “I'll get this round.”
tab: a running bill you pay at the end; “Could I open a tab?”
everything: all of it — 'is that everything?'; “That's everything, thanks.”
total: the full amount to pay; “What's the total?”
cheers: informal thanks; “Cheers for that!”
contactless: tapping a card to pay without a PIN; “Contactless, please.”

Confident

B1 – B2

Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.

local: made or brewed nearby; “Anything local on tap?”
crisp: clean and refreshing in taste; “Something crisp, ideally.”
measure: a set amount of a spirit; “A single measure, please.”
neat: served with nothing added; “I'll have it neat.”
splash: a very small amount of liquid; “Just a splash of tonic.”
round: drinks bought for the whole group; “This round's on me.”
tab: a running bill you pay at the end; “Stick it on my tab.”
altogether: in total — 'how much altogether'; “How much altogether?”
receipt: the printed proof of payment; “Could I get a receipt?”
appreciate: to be grateful for; “I'd appreciate that.”

Natural

B2 – C1

Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.

sessionable: easy to drink over a long evening; “Something sessionable, ideally.”
hoppy: with a strong bitter hop flavour; “Is it very hoppy?”
smooth: easy to drink, not harsh; “That's remarkably smooth.”
dash: a tiny added amount; “Just a dash of bitters.”
shout: a round of drinks you pay for (informal); “It's my shout.”
tab: a running bill you pay at the end; “Whack it on the tab.”
damage: the cost — 'what's the damage?' (informal); “What's the damage?”
tap: to pay by touching your card; “I'll just tap.”
cheers: informal thanks; “Cheers, appreciated.”
sorted: dealt with and settled; “Perfect, we're sorted.”

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At the bar

What you have to do

The 5 steps that finish it

Order a drink

Say how you want it

Add one for a friend

Check the order

Pay or open a tab