English speaking lesson · Shopping & Money
Choosing a phone plan
You're at a phone shop counter, looking to set up a new mobile plan. 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 phone shop counter · you talk to the mobile shop advisor
Free plan: 10 messages a day. No card needed.
What you have to do
Choose a plan that fits how you use your phone, ask about data and contract, and sign up. 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
Hi! Are you after a new plan today, or something else?
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the mobile shop advisor.
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 what you want
Say hello, and say you'd like a new phone plan.
“Hello! I'd like a new plan, please.”
- 02
Say how you use it
Say how you use your phone, or how much data you need.
“I use the internet a lot, and I make a lot of calls.”
- 03
Ask about the plans
Ask about the data, the contract length, or the price.
“How much data is it? How much a month?”
- 04
Check the plan
Check the plan is right, and confirm which one you want.
“Yes, that one, please.”
- 05
Sign up
Give what's needed to sign up, and say when you'd like to start.
“Here's my passport. Today, please — thanks a lot!”
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 mobile shop advisor.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- plan
- a monthly phone deal
- “I'd like a new plan.”
- data
- internet allowance on your phone
- “How much data is it?”
- calls
- phone conversations
- “I make a lot of calls.”
- internet
- the online network
- “I use the internet a lot.”
- cheap
- not expensive
- “Something cheap, please.”
- month
- a period of about thirty days
- “How much a month?”
- year
- twelve months
- “Is it for one year?”
- passport
- your official ID book
- “Here's my passport.”
- please
- a polite word when you ask
- “That one, please.”
- thanks
- a short way to say thank you
- “Thanks a lot!”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- contract
- an agreement for a fixed period
- “How long is the contract?”
- monthly
- happening once every month
- “What's the monthly cost?”
- unlimited
- with no limit
- “Is the data unlimited?”
- allowance
- how much you're allowed to use
- “What's the data allowance?”
- streaming
- watching or listening online
- “I do a lot of streaming.”
- roaming
- using your phone abroad
- “Does it include roaming?”
- cancel
- to end an agreement
- “Can I cancel early?”
- identification
- official proof of who you are
- “Here's my identification.”
- active
- switched on and working
- “When does it become active?”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers for that!”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- tariff
- the pricing plan you're on
- “Which tariff suits best?”
- capped
- limited to a maximum
- “Is the data capped?”
- rolling
- continuing month to month
- “Is there a rolling option?”
- commitment
- a period you're tied in for
- “What's the minimum commitment?”
- throttled
- slowed down after a limit
- “Does the speed get throttled?”
- penalty
- a charge for leaving early
- “Is there an exit penalty?”
- bundled
- included together in one deal
- “Is roaming bundled in?”
- eligibility
- whether you qualify for something
- “What's the eligibility?”
- sorted
- arranged and settled
- “That's sorted, thanks.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I'd appreciate that.”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- SIM
- the small card that connects your phone
- “Just a SIM, no handset.”
- handset
- the phone itself
- “I'll keep my own handset.”
- lock
- a restriction tying a phone to a network
- “Is there a network lock?”
- fair
- reasonable — 'fair use policy'
- “What's the fair use policy?”
- tethering
- sharing your phone's internet with a laptop
- “Is tethering allowed?”
- churn
- switching between providers
- “I churn providers fairly often.”
- lock-in
- being tied into a contract
- “I'd rather avoid lock-in.”
- port
- to move your number to a new network
- “Can I port my number?”
- obliged
- grateful for a favour
- “Much obliged.”
- sorted
- dealt with and settled
- “Brilliant, we're sorted.”
More Shopping & Money lessons
- Trying clothes on
- Buying a gift
- Collecting an order
- Returning an item
- Arranging delivery
- Choosing electronics
- Bargaining at a market
- Changing money
- Warranty and repair