English speaking lesson · Social & Connection
Small talk at a party
You're at a friend's party, and you've started talking to someone you've never met. 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 party · you talk to the fellow guest
Free plan: 10 messages a day. No card needed.
What you have to do
Introduce yourself, find one thing in common, and get introduced to someone else. 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 don't think we've met — I'm Robin.
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the fellow guest.
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
Introduce yourself
Say hello and introduce yourself.
“Hi! My name is Sam — nice to meet you.”
- 02
Say how you know the host
Say how you know the host.
“We met at school, we're old friends.”
- 03
Say a bit about yourself
Say a bit about what you do, or what you've been up to.
“I work in an office. It's a great party!”
- 04
Find something in common
Say if you have that in common.
“I love music too!”
- 05
Get introduced onward
Accept the introduction, and say thanks.
“Yes, that would be nice — thanks!”
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 fellow guest.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- name
- what you are called
- “My name is Sam.”
- party
- a social event with food and music
- “It's a great party.”
- friend
- someone you know and like
- “He's an old friend.”
- school
- a place where you study
- “We met at school.”
- work
- your job or profession
- “I work in an office.”
- music
- sounds you listen to for pleasure
- “I love music.”
- love
- to like something very much
- “I love music too!”
- meet
- to see someone for the first time
- “Nice to meet you.”
- yes
- used to agree
- “Yes, that would be nice.”
- thanks
- a short way to say thank you
- “Thanks, that's kind!”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- host
- the person holding the party
- “How do you know the host?”
- colleague
- someone you work with
- “She's a colleague, actually.”
- ages
- a very long time
- “I've known them for ages.”
- recently
- not long ago
- “I moved here recently.”
- hobby
- something you enjoy doing in free time
- “That's a great hobby.”
- interested
- wanting to know more about something
- “I'm really interested in that.”
- similar
- alike in some way
- “We have similar tastes!”
- introduce
- to bring two people together to meet
- “Could you introduce me?”
- definitely
- certainly, without doubt
- “Definitely, I'd like that.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers for that!”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- gathering
- an informal social event
- “It's a lovely gathering.”
- mutual
- shared by both people
- “We have a mutual friend.”
- acquainted
- having met and know each other slightly
- “We got acquainted at work.”
- pursuing
- actively working on or following
- “I'm pursuing that at the moment.”
- fascinating
- extremely interesting
- “That sounds fascinating.”
- overlap
- a shared part between two things
- “There's a real overlap there.”
- resonates
- feels true or meaningful to you
- “That really resonates with me.”
- introduce
- to bring two people together to meet
- “I'd love you to introduce us.”
- genuinely
- truly, sincerely
- “I've genuinely enjoyed this.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I'd appreciate that.”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- mingle
- to move around and talk to different people
- “I'm trying to mingle a bit.”
- crowd
- the group of people at an event
- “It's a good crowd tonight.”
- banter
- friendly, joking conversation
- “The banter's been great.”
- kindred
- similar in spirit or outlook
- “You sound like a kindred spirit.”
- wavelength
- a shared way of thinking
- “We're on the same wavelength.”
- gravitate
- to be naturally drawn toward something
- “I always gravitate to the kitchen.”
- circle
- a group of people you know or mix with
- “How do you fit into this circle?”
- chuffed
- very pleased (informal, British)
- “I'd be chuffed to meet them.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers, appreciated.”
- obliged
- grateful for a favour
- “Much obliged for that.”
More Social & Connection lessons
- Making a new friend
- Catching up with an old friend
- Inviting someone
- Declining an invitation
- Apologising for being late
- Congratulating someone
- Hosting a guest
- Meeting your partner's parents
- A first date