English speaking lesson · Social & Connection
Congratulating someone
A friend has just told you they've got a new job they really wanted. 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 friend's good news · you talk to the friend with good news
Free plan: 10 messages a day. No card needed.
What you have to do
Congratulate them, hear the story, respond warmly, and agree to celebrate together. 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
Guess what — I got the job! I still can't quite believe it.
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the friend with good news.
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
Congratulate them
Congratulate them warmly.
“Congratulations! That's amazing news — I'm so happy for you.”
- 02
Ask how it happened
Ask them how it happened.
“How did it happen?”
- 03
React to the story
React warmly to their story.
“Wow, that's great!”
- 04
Say they deserve it
Say something kind — that they'll be great, or they deserve it.
“You'll be great at it — you deserve it!”
- 05
Agree to celebrate
Agree to celebrate, and suggest when.
“Let's celebrate — how about tonight?”
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 friend with good news.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- congratulations
- what you say for someone's success
- “Congratulations!”
- amazing
- extremely good
- “That's amazing news!”
- news
- new information about events
- “That's amazing news.”
- happy
- feeling pleased
- “I'm so happy for you.”
- how
- in what way
- “How did it happen?”
- wow
- used to show you're impressed
- “Wow, that's great!”
- great
- very good
- “You'll be great at it.”
- deserve
- to have earned something
- “You deserve it!”
- celebrate
- to mark a happy event
- “Let's celebrate!”
- tonight
- this evening
- “How about tonight?”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- brilliant
- excellent, very impressive
- “That's absolutely brilliant!”
- thrilled
- extremely pleased
- “I'm thrilled for you.”
- deserved
- earned and fair
- “It's completely deserved.”
- curious
- wanting to know more
- “I'm curious how it happened.”
- incredible
- amazing, hard to believe
- “That's incredible, honestly.”
- hearing
- being told about something
- “I loved hearing that.”
- natural
- naturally good at something
- “You're a natural at this.”
- proud
- pleased about someone's achievement
- “I'm really proud of you.”
- properly
- in a full and thorough way
- “We should celebrate properly.”
- weekend
- Saturday and Sunday
- “How about this weekend?”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- outstanding
- exceptionally good
- “That's an outstanding result.”
- delighted
- very pleased
- “I'm absolutely delighted for you.”
- testament
- clear proof of something
- “It's a testament to your work.”
- intrigued
- curious and interested
- “I'm intrigued how it unfolded.”
- unfolded
- developed and happened over time
- “How it unfolded is amazing.”
- remarkable
- unusually impressive
- “That's remarkable, genuinely.”
- earned
- gained through your own effort
- “You've earned every bit of it.”
- flourish
- to do very well and grow
- “You'll absolutely flourish there.”
- toast
- to raise a drink in someone's honour
- “We should toast this properly.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I'd appreciate that.”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- smashed
- did extremely well (informal, British)
- “You absolutely smashed it.”
- chuffed
- very pleased (informal, British)
- “I'm so chuffed for you.”
- nailed
- got exactly right (informal)
- “You clearly nailed the interview.”
- overdue
- later than it should have been
- “This was long overdue.”
- spill
- to tell all the details (informal)
- “Go on, spill the details.”
- thoroughly
- completely and entirely
- “Thoroughly deserved, that.”
- flourish
- to do very well and grow
- “You'll flourish there, no doubt.”
- toast
- to raise a drink in someone's honour
- “We should toast this properly.”
- bubbles
- sparkling wine (informal)
- “This calls for bubbles.”
- sorted
- dealt with and settled
- “Right, that's sorted then.”
More Social & Connection lessons
- Small talk at a party
- Making a new friend
- Catching up with an old friend
- Inviting someone
- Declining an invitation
- Apologising for being late
- Hosting a guest
- Meeting your partner's parents
- A first date