English speaking lesson · Social & Connection
Catching up with an old friend
You're on a call with an old friend you haven't spoken to in a long time. 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 long-overdue call · you talk to the old friend
Free plan: 10 messages a day. No card needed.
What you have to do
Reconnect, share your news, hear theirs, and settle a concrete plan to meet. 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, stranger! It's been far too long — how are you?
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the old friend.
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
Say hello properly
Say hello, and say how good it is to hear from them.
“Hey! It's been so long — it's good to hear from you.”
- 02
Share your news
Share what's been happening with you.
“I have a new job, and I moved house too.”
- 03
Ask about them
Ask them about their news.
“And how about you?”
- 04
Say you've missed this
Say you've missed talking, and that it's been too long.
“I've missed this, honestly.”
- 05
Make a plan to meet
Suggest a real plan to meet, with a day or time.
“Let's meet soon — how about Saturday?”
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 old friend.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- long
- a lot of time
- “It's been so long!”
- good
- going well
- “I'm good, thanks.”
- hear
- to receive news from someone
- “It's good to hear from you.”
- job
- the work you do
- “I have a new job.”
- moved
- changed where you live
- “I moved house too.”
- you
- the person you're speaking to
- “And how about you?”
- missed
- felt sad without something
- “I've missed this.”
- meet
- to see someone in person
- “Let's meet soon.”
- soon
- in a short time
- “Let's meet soon.”
- Saturday
- the sixth day of the week
- “How about Saturday?”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- ages
- a very long time
- “It's been ages!”
- wonderful
- extremely good
- “It's wonderful to hear your voice.”
- eventful
- full of things happening
- “It's been an eventful year.”
- settled
- comfortable and established somewhere
- “I'm finally settled now.”
- update
- the latest news on something
- “Give me your update!”
- yourself
- you personally
- “And how about yourself?”
- properly
- in a full and thorough way
- “We should catch up properly.”
- leave
- to let time pass without acting
- “Let's not leave it so long.”
- arrange
- to plan and set up something
- “Let's arrange something.”
- weekend
- Saturday and Sunday
- “How about this weekend?”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- overdue
- later than it should have been
- “This call is long overdue.”
- whirlwind
- a busy, fast-moving period
- “It's been a whirlwind, honestly.”
- transition
- a period of change
- “I've been through a transition.”
- grounded
- feeling calm and stable
- “I feel more grounded now.”
- curious
- wanting to know more
- “I'm curious how you've been.”
- reflecting
- thinking carefully about something
- “I've been reflecting a lot.”
- cherish
- to value something deeply
- “I really cherish these chats.”
- priority
- something treated as most important
- “Let's make this a priority.”
- concrete
- definite and specific
- “Let's make a concrete plan.”
- diary
- your record of appointments
- “Let me check my diary.”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- donkey
- a very long time — 'donkey's years' (informal)
- “It's been donkey's years!”
- rollercoaster
- a period of big ups and downs
- “It's been a rollercoaster.”
- grounded
- feeling calm and stable
- “I'm feeling more grounded now.”
- spill
- to tell all your news (informal)
- “Go on, spill everything.”
- picked
- continued as before (informal) — 'picked up'
- “We picked up right where we left off.”
- slipped
- passed without noticing — 'time slipped'
- “The years just slipped by.”
- nail
- to fix something firmly (informal)
- “Let's nail a date this time.”
- pencil
- to note something down loosely (informal)
- “Shall we pencil something in?”
- cherish
- to value something deeply
- “I really cherish this.”
- flake
- to cancel plans at the last minute (informal)
- “I promise I won't flake.”
More Social & Connection lessons
- Small talk at a party
- Making a new friend
- Inviting someone
- Declining an invitation
- Apologising for being late
- Congratulating someone
- Hosting a guest
- Meeting your partner's parents
- A first date