English speaking lesson · Work & Career
Small talk with colleagues
You've bumped into a colleague by the coffee machine for a quick chat. 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.
By the office coffee machine · you talk to the friendly colleague
Free plan: 10 messages a day. No card needed.
What you have to do
Catch up casually, chat about your weekend and work, and find something in common. 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! Good to see you — how's it going?
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the friendly colleague.
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 how you're doing
Say hi, and say how you're doing.
“Hi! I'm good, thanks — how are you?”
- 02
Chat about your weekend
Say something about your weekend or plans.
“I have a plan for this weekend, actually.”
- 03
Chat about work
Say a little about how work's going.
“Work is busy right now, but I like this project.”
- 04
Find something in common
Say if you've experienced something similar, or find something in common.
“I feel the same way, honestly!”
- 05
Say bye
Say goodbye, and say it was nice to chat.
“It was nice to chat — bye!”
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 friendly colleague.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- good
- going well
- “I'm good, thanks.”
- weekend
- Saturday and Sunday
- “My weekend was nice.”
- plan
- an idea for what to do
- “I have a plan for this weekend.”
- work
- the tasks you do for a job
- “Work is busy right now.”
- busy
- having a lot to do
- “Work is busy right now.”
- like
- to enjoy or be interested in something
- “I like this project.”
- same
- not different
- “I feel the same way.”
- nice
- pleasant, good
- “It was nice to chat.”
- chat
- a friendly conversation
- “It was nice to chat.”
- bye
- a short goodbye
- “Okay, bye!”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- relax
- to rest and stop worrying
- “I mostly wanted to relax.”
- unwind
- to relax after a busy time
- “It's good to unwind a bit.”
- hectic
- very busy and rushed
- “Work's been pretty hectic.”
- deadline
- the date something must be finished by
- “I've got a deadline this week.”
- similar
- alike in some way
- “I've had a similar week, honestly.”
- exactly
- precisely, completely
- “That's exactly how I feel.”
- agree
- to have the same opinion
- “I completely agree with that.”
- honestly
- used to emphasise you're being truthful
- “Honestly, it's been a lot.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for something
- “I appreciate the chat.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers, see you later!”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- decompress
- to relax after stress or pressure
- “I mostly wanted to decompress.”
- juggling
- managing several things at once
- “I've been juggling quite a bit.”
- crunch
- a period of intense pressure
- “We're in a bit of a crunch.”
- resonates
- feels true or meaningful to you
- “That really resonates with me.”
- mutual
- shared by both people
- “Sounds like a mutual experience there.”
- exactly
- precisely, completely
- “Exactly, I know the feeling.”
- wavelength
- a shared way of thinking
- “We're clearly on the same wavelength.”
- unwind
- to relax after a busy time
- “I mostly wanted to unwind.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I'd appreciate that.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers, appreciated.”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- frazzled
- worn out from stress (informal)
- “I've been a bit frazzled, honestly.”
- knackered
- very tired (informal, British)
- “I'm absolutely knackered, to be honest.”
- grind
- steady, tiring work (informal)
- “It's been a bit of a grind lately.”
- chin
- stay positive — 'chin up' (informal)
- “Chin up, it'll ease off soon.”
- boat
- in a similar situation — 'the same boat'
- “Sounds like we're in the same boat.”
- banter
- friendly, joking conversation (informal)
- “I do miss the banter in the office.”
- obliged
- grateful for a favour
- “Much obliged for the chat.”
- sorted
- dealt with and settled
- “We'll get it sorted eventually.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers, catch you later.”
- mingle
- to move around and chat with different people
- “Good to mingle for a bit.”
More Work & Career lessons
- Give a meeting update
- Networking introduction
- Work phone / video call
- One-on-one with your manager
- Requesting time off
- Presenting an idea
- Giving feedback
- Delegating a task
- Negotiating a deadline
- Onboarding a new hire
- Job interview
- Asking for a raise
- Resigning