Spoken English from the first lesson · A1

Speak First

Fifteen chapters in the life of Leo — a man with a small company, a family, and a big meeting in London — and in every one, a conversation you can have by the end of the hour.

Leo is forty-eight. He gets up at six, he has a small company near the port, and his English is not perfect. Then a customer in London says: come. Fifteen lessons follow him from his kitchen to the airport, the hotel, the meeting, the restaurant and home again — and every chapter is built around the exact conversation he has to have: checking in, asking the way, ordering dinner, saying what his company does.

Each lesson is fifty minutes: Key Words you match and say, the conversation in three short parts with a question for you after each, one small grammar point with three exercises, a role play where you are the one talking, and a speaking page with a timer. Everything is said out loud. Nothing is read in silence.

The fifteen lessons

Arc 1 · At home

Two people meet for the first time. Say who you are, and ask the same.

You will: say your name, your country and your job, and ask another person the same three questions.

I'm / Are you…?Open →

Arc 1 · At home

Wife, husband, children, brothers and sisters. Talk about the people in your life.

You will: say who is in your family, and ask another person about their family.

I have / his, herOpen →

Arc 1 · At home

House or flat, big or small, city or town. Talk about where you live.

You will: say where you live and what rooms you have, and ask another person about their home.

There's / There areOpen →

Arc 1 · At home

Six o'clock, coffee, traffic, meetings. Talk about your day, and ask about someone else's.

You will: describe your normal day from morning to night, and ask another person about theirs.

he gets up / at, on, inOpen →

Arc 1 · At home

Football, cooking, a guitar. Talk about what you love doing, and what you can't do.

You will: talk about your free time — what you like, how often you do it, and what you can and can't do — and ask another person the same.

like + -ing / can, can'tOpen →

Arc 2 · The trip to London

Passport, suitcase, boarding pass, and a delay. Everything you say at check-in.

You will: check in at an airport: answer the questions, ask for what you need, and deal with a delay.

polite questionsOpen →

Welcome to London

Arc 2 · The trip to London

Passport control, a black taxi, and the rain. The first hour in a new country.

You will: answer the questions at passport control, take a taxi and pay for it, and ask the five big questions yourself.

Where…? How long…? How much…? How many…?Open →

Arc 2 · The trip to London

A reservation, your name spelled out, a key card and the fifth floor. Check in like you do it every week.

You will: check in at a hotel: give your name, spell it, understand the room number and the floor, and ask about breakfast and wifi.

spelling, numbers and floorsOpen →

A Problem, and the Way

Arc 2 · The trip to London

No hot water, no towels, and then: how do I get to King Street? Say the problem, and find the way.

You will: say when something is wrong in a hotel room, and ask for and understand directions in the street.

There's a problem with… / Go straight onOpen →

Dinner with the Customer

Arc 2 · The trip to London

A table for two, the menu, the starter, the main course, and the bill. The meeting went well — now dinner.

You will: order food and drink in a restaurant, understand the waiter's questions, and ask for the bill.

ordering foodOpen →

Arc 2 · The trip to London

Introductions, three facts about your company, and a yes. The meeting Leo flew to London for.

You will: introduce people, say three simple facts about your company, and understand a decision.

we, our / This is… / Let's…Open →

A Present for Carla

Arc 2 · The trip to London

A scarf for Carla, a shirt for Marco, a T-shirt for Sofia. Colours, sizes, prices, and "I'll take it".

You will: buy something in a shop: say what you are looking for, ask about colours, sizes and prices, and decide.

I'm looking for… / Do you have this in…? / too bigOpen →

Arc 2 · The trip to London

Gate 14, seat 14A, a neighbour who asks questions, and the door at home. Talk about a trip after it happens.

You will: talk about a trip in the past: how it was, what you did, where you stayed, what you bought.

was, were / How was…? / Did you…?Open →

Arc 3 · The next chapter

The contract is signed. Now: an invitation, a date, a hotel, and a promise. "See you in March."

You will: make plans on the phone: invite someone, agree a date, and say what you will do.

I'll… / Will you…? / dates and monthsOpen →

Arc 3 · The next chapter

The twelfth of March. This time Leo is the host: the airport, the city, the port, and dinner at home.

You will: welcome a guest, show them your city, and ask and answer the questions you learned in this whole story.

the ten questions of the storyOpen →

How each lesson works

1 · Key Words

Five words from earlier lessons to remember, then eight new ones to match and say.

2 · The Conversation

One chapter of Leo's story in three parts, each with a quick check and a question about you.

3 · Grammar

One small point the conversation needs, and three exercises to make it yours.

4 · Role Play

A second situation with cues for your lines, then ten quick-fire questions.

5 · Speak

Tell the chapter, talk about your own life, and ask the questions yourself — with a timer.