English speaking lesson · Food & Drink
Ordering a takeaway
You're phoning a local takeaway to order dinner. Someone has picked up and is ready to take your order. 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 call to a takeaway · you talk to the takeaway worker
Free plan: 10 messages a day. No card needed.
What you have to do
Order a main dish, add extras, arrange delivery or collection, check the order and pay. 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
Golden Wok, good evening — can I take your order?
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the takeaway worker.
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
Order a main dish
Say hello and order a main dish.
“Hello! I'd like to order the chicken, please.”
- 02
Add sides or drinks
Add a side or a drink — or say that's all.
“With rice, and a drink, please.”
- 03
Delivery or collection
Say if you want it delivered or you'll collect it — and give your address if needed.
“Delivery, please. My address is 12 Park Road.”
- 04
Check the order
Check the order is right, and ask the price or how long it'll take.
“Yes, that's everything. How much is it?”
- 05
Sort payment
Say how you'd like to pay, and finish the call politely.
“In cash, 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 takeaway worker.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- order
- the food you ask for
- “I'd like to order, please.”
- rice
- small white grains served with food
- “With rice, please.”
- chicken
- a common type of meat
- “The chicken, please.”
- drink
- something you drink
- “And a drink, please.”
- delivery
- bringing food to your home
- “Delivery, please.”
- address
- where you live
- “My address is 12 Park Road.”
- long
- used to ask about time — 'how long'
- “How long will it be?”
- much
- used to ask the price — 'how much'
- “How much is it?”
- cash
- paper money and coins
- “I'll pay in cash.”
- thanks
- a short way to say thank you
- “Thanks a lot!”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- noodles
- long thin strips of pasta or dough
- “The beef noodles, please.”
- portion
- the amount of food served
- “Is that a big portion?”
- spicy
- with a hot, strong flavour
- “Not too spicy, please.”
- side
- a smaller dish served alongside
- “Could I add a side?”
- collection
- picking the food up yourself
- “It's for collection.”
- roughly
- about, approximately
- “Roughly how long?”
- everything
- all of it — 'is that everything?'
- “That's everything, thanks.”
- total
- the full amount to pay
- “What's the total?”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers for that!”
- contactless
- tapping a card to pay without a PIN
- “Contactless, please.”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- speciality
- the dish a place is known for
- “What's your speciality?”
- sharing
- meant to be split between people
- “Is that a sharing dish?”
- mild
- gentle in flavour, not hot
- “Could I have it mild?”
- swap
- to exchange one thing for another
- “Could I swap the rice for noodles?”
- collection
- picking the food up yourself
- “I'll do collection, thanks.”
- estimate
- a rough guess of time or cost
- “Any estimate on the wait?”
- altogether
- in total — 'how much altogether'
- “How much altogether?”
- receipt
- the printed proof of payment
- “Could I get a receipt?”
- 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.
- signature
- the dish most associated with a place
- “I'll have your signature dish.”
- generous
- a larger amount than expected
- “Are the portions generous?”
- fiery
- very hot and spicy
- “Nothing too fiery, please.”
- substitute
- to put one thing in place of another
- “Could I substitute the rice?”
- collect
- to pick something up yourself
- “I'll collect it myself.”
- ballpark
- a rough figure or estimate
- “A ballpark on the wait?”
- damage
- the cost — 'what's the damage?' (informal)
- “What's the damage?”
- tap
- to pay by touching your card
- “I'll just tap when I'm there.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers, appreciated.”
- sorted
- dealt with and settled
- “Brilliant, we're sorted.”
More Food & Drink lessons
- Coffee shop order
- At the bakery
- Food market stall
- Booking a table
- Order at a restaurant
- Dietary requirements
- Splitting the bill
- At the bar
- Room service