English speaking lesson · Social & Connection
Hosting a guest
A friend has just arrived at your home to stay for the weekend. 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.
Your home for the weekend · you talk to the visiting friend
Free plan: 10 messages a day. No card needed.
What you have to do
Welcome them in, offer a drink, show them the house basics, and agree what you'll do 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
Hey! I made it — thanks so much for having me.
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the visiting 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
Welcome them in
Welcome them in, and say you're glad they made it.
“Welcome, come in! I'm glad you're here.”
- 02
Offer a drink
Offer them something to drink.
“Would you like a drink? Tea, maybe?”
- 03
Show them the basics
Tell them where things are — their room, the bathroom.
“Your room is upstairs, and the bathroom is there.”
- 04
Help them settle
Tell them anything useful, and say to make themselves at home.
“Make yourself at home!”
- 05
Agree the plan
Say what you'd like to do together this weekend.
“Let's go for a walk tomorrow.”
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 visiting friend.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- welcome
- a friendly greeting to someone arriving
- “Welcome, come in!”
- come
- to enter or arrive
- “Come in!”
- glad
- pleased about something
- “I'm glad you're here.”
- drink
- something you drink
- “Would you like a drink?”
- tea
- a hot drink made from leaves
- “Would you like tea?”
- room
- a space inside a home
- “Your room is upstairs.”
- upstairs
- on a higher floor
- “Your room is upstairs.”
- bathroom
- the room with a toilet and shower
- “The bathroom is there.”
- home
- where you live
- “Make yourself at home!”
- walk
- to go somewhere on foot
- “Let's go for a walk.”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- journey
- a trip from one place to another
- “How was the journey?”
- settled
- comfortable and established somewhere
- “Get yourself settled.”
- thirsty
- needing a drink
- “You must be thirsty.”
- coffee
- a hot drink made from beans
- “Tea or coffee?”
- spare
- kept extra for guests
- “You're in the spare room.”
- towels
- cloths for drying yourself
- “There are towels on the bed.”
- help
- to serve or take for yourself
- “Help yourself to anything.”
- anything
- any thing at all
- “Help yourself to anything.”
- planned
- arranged in advance
- “I've planned a few things.”
- relax
- to rest and stop worrying
- “We can just relax too.”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- delighted
- very pleased
- “I'm delighted you could come.”
- shattered
- extremely tired (informal, British)
- “You must be shattered.”
- refreshment
- food or drink to revive you
- “Can I get you a refreshment?”
- quirks
- unusual features something has
- “The house has a few quirks.”
- temperamental
- unreliable and unpredictable
- “The shower's a bit temperamental.”
- essentials
- the basic things you need
- “The essentials are in the bathroom.”
- itinerary
- a planned schedule of activities
- “I've a loose itinerary.”
- flexible
- able to change easily
- “It's all fairly flexible.”
- unwind
- to relax after a busy time
- “Do take time to unwind.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I'd appreciate that.”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- chuck
- to put down casually (informal)
- “Just chuck your bag anywhere.”
- brew
- a cup of tea (informal, British)
- “Fancy a brew?”
- knackered
- very tired (informal, British)
- “You look knackered.”
- quirks
- unusual features something has
- “The place has its quirks.”
- rummage
- to search through things casually
- “Do rummage in the fridge.”
- sprawl
- to sit or lie in a relaxed way
- “Just sprawl on the sofa.”
- pottering
- doing small things unhurriedly (informal)
- “We could just go pottering.”
- loose
- not fixed or strict
- “I've a loose plan for tomorrow.”
- chuffed
- very pleased (informal, British)
- “I'm chuffed you're here.”
- sorted
- dealt with and settled
- “Right, you're all sorted.”
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
- Congratulating someone
- Meeting your partner's parents
- A first date