100 Awesome ESL Role Plays

Matt Lane
 100 Awesome ESL Role Plays
Copyright © 2017 Matt Lane
All rights reserved under all Copyright Conventions.
No part of this book may be reproduced, resold or distributed, stored
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other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
 Table of Contents

Introduction
Shopping role plays
Buying some shoes
Asking for a refund for a coat
Asking for a refund for some underwear
A lost bag
Buying a suit
Refrigerator
Secondhand clothes market
Food role plays
Deciding what to cook for dinner
Deciding what to order
Seeing the doctor
Food shopping
Having lunch
Ordering coffee
Choosing where to eat dinner
Paying the bill in a restaurant
Food market
Travel role plays
Hotel
Calling a hotel
Checking in
Looking for Wifi
Passport
Changing rooms
When is breakfast served?
 Looking for a restaurant
Swimming pool
Smelly room
Taxi to the airport
Travel Agency
A photography holiday
A shopping holiday
Going backpacking
A trip to Europe
Airport
Flight to Tokyo
Renting a car
Flight from New York
Making a phone call
Changing money
Going through customs
General travel
A visitor to China
A visitor to Shanghai
Thailand or Hong Kong?
France or England?
Train times
Buying ferry tickets
Tourist Information Centre
Asking for directions
Go to the beach or the park?
Family role plays
Asking for a dog
Wanting to go to a movie
Asking to borrow money
 Asking to borrow a car
Deciding where to live
Choosing where to go on holiday
Health role plays
Making an appointment with the doctor
Calling a patient
Checking a broken leg
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Seeing an optometrist
Business role plays
Improving your workplace
Meetings
Deciding how to diversify
Deciding what to do for a language school trip
Deciding which applicant to hire
Deciding which country to sell a magazine in
Deciding which employee to make redundant
Marketing Campaign
Trying to open a restaurant
Advice
Loud music
Lose weight
Can’t get up on time
Bad breath
Lost phone
Choosing an English name
Can’t quit smoking
Drink driver
Smelly feet
Forgetting keys
 Afraid of flying
Insomnia
Can’t swim
Backache
Save money
Computer games
Reading
Birthday party
History teacher
America or Australia?
Flight attendant
Late night parties
Get healthy
General role plays
Stopped by the police
Stolen car
Booking a taxi
Kitchen on fire
Adoption
TV Adventure Show
Things for the home
Witness and Reporter
A TV news story
Six bonus dialogues
Booking a taxi
Buying a sandwich
Going for a coffee
Going to a bar
Going to a movie
Making plans for the weekend
About the author
 Introduction
In this book there are 100 awesome role plays that I use while
teaching English as a second language in language schools in
China. Chinese students tend to be nervous about speaking up in
class; I met this challenge by writing some role plays. They’re fun
and easy to understand and use, but also challenging and closely
related to real life. My students have always loved using these role
plays and I’m sure yours will too!
Most of the role plays are for two students – shown as A and B.
Some of the role plays are for four students – shown as A, B, C and
D.
Enjoy!
Matt
 Shopping role plays
Buying some shoes

A: You are working in a shoe shop. A customer wants to buy a pair

of shoes from you. Tell the customer that the price for the shoes is
$60.
B: You are a customer in a shoe shop. You see a pair of shoes that
you like. Ask the shop assistant how much they are. Then tell them
that your friend bought the same pair of shoes in a different shop for
$40. Ask the shop assistant to sell them to you for the same price
Asking for a refund for a coat

A: You are working in a clothes shop. A customer comes into the

shop and asks for a refund. Ask them if they have a receipt. If they
don’t have a receipt, tell them that they can’t get a refund. It must be
the actual receipt – you won’t accept a photo of it. They can’t
exchange it for another product without a receipt either. Decide
whether you’ll give them a credit note
B: You bought a coat yesterday but you don’t like it anymore so you
want to get a refund for it. You don’t have the receipt but you have a
photo of the receipt on your phone. Try to get the refund and if you
can’t get it try and exchange the coat for another product. If you
can’t, ask for a credit note
Asking for a refund for some underwear

A: You work in an underwear shop. A customer comes in and asks

for a refund on some underwear that they bought. Tell them that you
don’t give refunds for underwear
B: You bought some underwear from an underwear shop yesterday
but you think that it’s too small. You are back in the underwear shop
now. Give the shop assistant your receipt and ask for a refund
A lost bag

A: You are in a shopping centre and you lost your bag. Go to the
“Lost and Found” area and tell the person who works there that you
lost your bag. Give them as many details about your bag as you can
– colour, size, material, etc.
B: You work in the “Lost and Found” area in a shopping centre. A
customer comes to tell you that they've lost their bag. Ask them to
give you as many details about their bag as they can. Then ask them
for their phone number and tell them that you’ll call them if someone
hands it in
Buying a suit

A: One of your friends has invited you to his wedding. You need to
find a good suit (if you are a man) / dress (if you are a woman) to
wear to the wedding. You are in a clothes shop. Ask the sales
assistant for some advice. Tell them that you want to spend around
$250
B: You are the sales assistant in a clothes shop. A customer asks
you for some advice about a good suit/dress to buy for a wedding
that they’re going to. Show the customer some different clothes, tell
them what colours and styles look good on them, and tell them how
much they cost
Refrigerator

A: You work in a home appliances store. A customer comes in and

asks you a question. Tell them that you can’t fix any products for free
if the warranty has expired but you can fix it for them at a 25%
discount because they bought the product from your store
B: You bought a refrigerator just over a year ago and it broke
yesterday. It had a one year warranty, during which time it could be
fixed for free by the store you bought it from. The warranty expired a
few months ago. You are back in the home appliances store; ask the
assistant if you can have the refrigerator fixed for free, even though
the warranty has expired
Secondhand clothes market

Student A
You work in a secondhand clothes market selling different kinds of
clothes. A customer comes to your stall and says that they’re looking
for some new clothes. Ask them what clothes they’d like to buy and
try to sell them for the highest price you can get. Keep a record of
what you sold and how much you sold it for
Useful language:
Hello, how can I help you? / Hello, what are you looking for?
It’s/they’re very good quality
It’s/they’re very popular
The colour really suits you!
It’s/they’re a bargain!

It’s/they’re…pounds/dollars/euros/etc.
I’ll sell it/them to you for…

Come on, don’t be mean/stingy!

Let’s try to cut/strike/make a deal
Can you come up a little?
If you come up by…I’ll come down by…
Let’s meet halfway

What’s your bottom line?

Sorry but that’s my bottom line

I’m afraid that’s my cheapest price
What else would you like sir/madam?
Student B
You are shopping in a secondhand clothes market and you see a
clothes stall with lots of different clothes. Write a list below of ten
things that you want to buy. Tell student A what clothes you want to
buy and try to buy them for the lowest price that you can get. Keep a
record of what you bought and how much you bought it for.
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.
Useful language for Student B:
Do you have…?
How much is it/are they?
Is it/are they good quality?
How old is it/are they?

That’s too expensive!

That’s a rip off!
Don’t rip me off!
Come on, I’m not gullible!

It’s/they’re…pounds/dollars/euros/etc.
Can you come down a little?
If you come down by…I’ll come up by…
Let’s meet halfway
What’s your bottom line?

Sorry, that’s my bottom line

That’s my final offer

Sorry, I’m not interested

Ok, I’ll buy it/them please
 Food role plays
Deciding what to cook for dinner

A: You are in the kitchen of your home with your roommate. You are
both thinking about what to cook for dinner this evening. You’re
hungry so you’d like to have a big dinner and you feel like eating
meat. Suggest making steak or something similar. Listen to your
friend’s suggestions and decide on what you’ll cook
B: You are in the kitchen of your home with your roommate. You are
both thinking about what to cook for dinner this evening. You’re not
very hungry because you ate a lot already today so you feel like
having quite a light dinner – maybe a salad. Listen to your friend’s
suggestions and decide on what you’ll cook
Deciding what to order

A: You are in a restaurant and you want to order the chicken with
rice and nuts, but you are allergic to nuts. Tell the waiter/waitress this
and ask if you can have something instead of nuts
B: You are a waiter/waitress in a restaurant. A customer would like to
order some food. Ask them what they would like to eat. When they
ask for something instead of nuts, suggest that they order a plate of
fried vegetables or some garlic bread. Then ask them what they
would like to drink and if they would like a starter and dessert
Seeing the doctor

A: You are visiting the doctor because you have felt very tired
recently and you think it’s because of the food you’re eating. When
the doctor asks you what kind of food you normally eat, tell him/her
that you usually skip breakfast; you eat a lot of bread; you usually
have chocolate or candy for snacks; you drink coke every day; and
for dinner you usually buy frozen food from the supermarket and
heat it in the microwave
B: You are a doctor. A patient comes to see you. Ask them how they
feel recently. Ask them what kinds of food they usually eat for
breakfast, lunch, and dinner; what snacks they like to eat; and what
they drink. Tell them that they should make some changes to their
diet. They shouldn't skip breakfast; they should eat fruit and nuts for
snacks (chocolate is ok sometimes); they should try to eat more
meat, but try to avoid fried meat; they should cut down on bread and
instead of eating pre-cooked food that is heated in the microwave for
dinner it would be better if they cooked fresh food for themselves or
ate in a good restaurant. Finally, tell them that one coke a day is ok
but they should make sure they drink around 2-3 litres of water a day
Food shopping

A: You are shopping in a supermarket. You are trying to find the

fresh fish area but you don't know where it is. Ask a member of staff
to tell you where it is
B: You work in a supermarket. A customer will ask you where the
fresh fish area is. Tell them that it is at the end of aisle 12, next to the
bread area
Having lunch

A: Your cousin is taking you out for lunch in a cafe. You haven’t seen
him/her for over a year. Tell them what you would like to have – a
tuna sandwich, garden salad and a cup of tea. Then ask them some
questions about their life – how’s their job going? Are they still
playing the guitar? Did they travel anywhere recently? Are they still
going out with the same boyfriend/girlfriend as they were the last
time you saw them?
B: You are taking your cousin out for lunch in a cafe. You haven’t
seen him/her for over a year. Ask them what they’d like to order and
then chat with them. Answer their questions and ask them some
questions about themselves
Ordering coffee

A: You are at a coffee shop and you want to order some drinks for
yourself and three of your colleagues. You want a medium
Americano and you friends want a large cappuccino, a small latte,
and a large mocha. You wouldn’t like to order any food. Ask if you
can pay for the order by card
B: You work at a coffee shop and a customer comes in. Take their
order, and then ask them if they would like to order any food as well.
Tell them how much the order will cost. Paying by card is fine
Choosing where to eat dinner

A: It is 6pm and you are driving with your friend. You are both feeling
hungry and you want to go somewhere for dinner. Ask your friend
what kind of place they’d like to go to. Tell them that you feel like
going to an Indian or Thai restaurant, but if they want to go
somewhere cheaper that’s ok with you
B: It is 6pm and you are driving with your friend. You are both feeling
hungry and you want to go somewhere for dinner. Ask your friend
what kind of place they’d like to go to. If they suggest a restaurant,
tell them that you don’t have much time because you need to be
home by 7.30. Suggest that you go to Burger King as it’s fast and
cheap
Paying the bill in a restaurant

A: You’re in a restaurant and you just finished eating but you just
realized that you don’t have any money or cards with you to pay for
the meal. Decide what you can do
B: You work in a restaurant and you just gave a customer the bill for
their meal
Booking a table in a restaurant
A: You want to go to a restaurant for dinner this evening with three of
your friends. Call the restaurant and try to book a table for four
people at 7 o’clock. You and your friends don’t smoke
B: You are the manager of a restaurant. The phone rings. Answer it
and ask the customer what time would they like to book a table for,
how many people will be coming, and if they would like a smoking or
non-smoking table
Food market

Student A
You work in a food market selling many different kinds of food. A
customer will come to your stall and say that they want to buy some
food. Ask them what they want to buy. Below are the basic prices of
the food but if you want you can try to sell it for a higher amount
1. Steak - $2 per ounce 6. Watermelons - $1 per kilogram
2. Bananas – 30 cents each 7. Eggs – 40 cents each
3. Apples – 50 cents each 8. Avocadoes - $1.50 each
4. Salmon fillet - $10 per kilogram 9. Ice cream - $4 per tub
5. Cheese - $9 per kilogram 10. Loaves of bread - $2 each
Useful language for Student A:
It costs/they cost… (dollars/cents / pounds/pence / euros/cents / etc)
each
What kind of… do you want?
It’s/they’re very fresh / delicious / good quality
It costs/they cost… (dollars/cents) per ounce/per kilogram
Ok, I’ll give it/them to you for…
That’s my lowest price
Student B
You are shopping in a food market and you want to buy some food.
Below are ten items of food that you want. Tell the seller what food
you’d like to buy and try to negotiate to get it for a cheap price. Keep
a record of what you buy and how much you pay for it
1. A 12 ounce steak 6. One big watermelon
2. Six small bananas 7. A dozen eggs
3. Eight red apples 8. Four avocadoes
4. 2 kg of salmon fillet 9. A tub of chocolate ice cream
5. 1kg of cheddar cheese 10. A loaf of brown bread
Useful language for Student B:
How much is the…? / How much are the…?
Is it/are they good quality? / Does it/do they taste good?
That’s too expensive. I’ll give you… (dollars/cents / pounds/pence /
euros/cents / etc)
Can you give me a cheaper price? / Can you give me a discount?
Sorry, I’m not interested
Ok, I’ll buy it/them please
Chef Job Interview
Student A
You are the manager of a top Italian restaurant. One of your chefs
resigned recently and you’re looking for a new one to replace him.
You’re going to interview several people. What questions do you
think you should ask them in the interview? Here are some ideas.
Try to write some of your own questions as well
1. Why do you want this job?
2. How long have you been a chef?
3. What experience do you have?
4. What skills and qualities do you have?
Student B
You are a chef. The Italian restaurant you were working for closed
down last month and now you’re looking for a new job. You love
cooking Italian food so you’re hoping to work at another Italian
restaurant. You’re going to have an interview with the manager of a
top Italian restaurant. Try to make a good impression and sell
yourself well. What are some questions you’d like to ask the
restaurant manager during your interview? Here are some ideas. Try
to write some of your own questions as well.
1. When is the position available?
2. What are the working hours?
3. How many chefs work at your restaurant?
 Travel role plays
Hotel

Calling a hotel

A: Call a hotel to book a room. Tell the receptionist when you want to
arrive, how long you want to stay and what kind of room you want
B: You are a receptionist in a hotel. Someone calls you to book a
room. Ask them when they want to arrive, how long they want to
stay, and what kind of room they want; then tell them if there is a
room available and, if so, how much it will cost
Checking in

A: You just arrived at a hotel in Milan. Tell the receptionist that you’d
like to check in. Ask where the swimming pool is and if there are any
bars nearby
B: You work as a receptionist at a hotel in Milan. Someone has just
walked in to the hotel and wants to check in. Ask to see their
passport, give them their room key, tell them what time breakfast is
served and where, and answer any questions they may have
Looking for Wifi

A: You are staying in a hotel and you want to use your computer but
you don’t know how to connect it to the internet. Ask the receptionist
if the hotel has wifi.
B: You are the receptionist in a hotel. A guest in the hotel asks you
a question. Tell them that the hotel’s wifi isn’t working at the moment.
There is a cafe down the road with wifi though.
Passport

A: You are a guest in a hotel and you would like to leave your
passport at reception. Ask the receptionist if this is possible
B: You are the receptionist in a hotel. A guest in the hotel asks you a
question. Tell them that there is a safe at reception for guests. It
costs $3 a day to use.
Changing rooms

A: You are staying in a hotel and you want to change rooms. The
room you have now is facing a wall but you’d like to change to a
room with a good view. Call reception to ask them if you can do this
B: You are the receptionist in a hotel. A guest in the hotel asks you a
question. Tell them that there are no rooms with a view available
now. There is a suite with a great view, but it costs $100 a night more
than the room the guest is currently staying in
When is breakfast served?

A: You are a guest in a hotel and you’d like to know what time
breakfast is served, and where. Call reception to ask them about it
B: You are the receptionist in a hotel. A guest in the hotel asks you a
question. Tell them that breakfast is served between 7 and 10 on the
first floor
Looking for a restaurant

A: You are staying in a hotel and you’d like to know if there are any
good restaurants nearby. Ask the receptionist if they know of any
they can recommend
B: You are the receptionist in a hotel. A guest in the hotel asks you a
question. Tell them that there is an Italian restaurant and an Indian
restaurant about a ten minute walk away. Show the customer where
they are on a map
Swimming pool

A: You are a guest in a hotel and you’d like to know if there is a

swimming pool that you can use. Ask the receptionist if there is one,
and if so what time it’s open
B: You are the receptionist in a hotel. A guest in the hotel asks you a
question. Tell them that there is a swimming pool on the third floor.
It’s open from 8am to 10pm
Smelly room

A: You are a guest in a hotel. You like the room that you’re staying
in, except that it smells really bad. You aren’t sure where the smell is
coming from. You’re in reception now. Tell the receptionist about the
problem and ask him/her to give you a new room
B: You are a receptionist in a hotel. A customer will ask you a
question. Apologize and tell them that you will ask the manager to go
and check the room. He/she will come back to reception in a few
minutes. Ask the guest if they would like to have a complimentary
drink from the hotel bar while they’re waiting
Taxi to the airport

A: You are a guest in a hotel and you’d like to take a taxi to the
airport at 9:30 tomorrow morning. Call reception to ask them to book
it for you
B: You are the receptionist in a hotel. A guest in the hotel asks you
to do something for them
 Travel Agency
A photography holiday

A: You are in a travel agency. Tell the travel agent that you want to
book a holiday. You and your friend love photography and you want
to go somewhere beautiful for four days
B: You are a travel agent. Someone comes into the travel agency
you work in. Ask them what kind of holiday they’re interested in
booking – where they’d like to go, how long they’d like to stay for,
what they’d like to do there, etc – and then recommend a good
holiday for them
A shopping holiday

A: You are in a travel agency. Tell the travel agent that you want to
go on a shopping holiday with two friends. You have a big budget
and plan to spend a lot of money
B: You are a travel agent. Someone comes into the travel agency
you work in. Ask them what kind of holiday they’re interested in
booking – where they’d like to go, how long they’d like to stay for,
what they’d like to do there, etc – and then recommend a good
holiday for them
Going backpacking

A: You are in a travel agency. Tell the travel agent that you and your
boyfriend/girlfriend have not been abroad before. You want to go
backpacking for one month. You don't have a lot of money to spend
so you want to do it as cheaply as possible
B: You are a travel agent. Someone comes into the travel agency
you work in. Ask them what kind of holiday they’re interested in
booking – where they’d like to go, how long they’d like to stay for,
what they’d like to do there, etc – and then recommend a good
holiday for them
A trip to Europe

A: You are in a travel agency. Tell the travel agent that you are a
university student and you want to travel to some cities in Europe
with four of your friends. You’d like to go for about ten days
B: You are a travel agent. Someone comes into the travel agency
you work in. Ask them what kind of holiday they’re interested in
booking – where they’d like to go, how long they’d like to stay for,
what they’d like to do there, etc – and then recommend a good
holiday for them
 Airport
Flight to Tokyo

A: You are in an airport and your flight to Tokyo leaves in half an

hour. You need to go to the boarding gate but you don’t know which
one to go to
B: You work in an airport and someone approaches you to ask you a
question. Tell them that they need to go to gate 36
Renting a car

A: You are in an airport and you would like to rent a car for the next
three days but you don’t know where you can go to rent one. Ask
someone at the information desk about this
B: You work at the information desk in an airline. A customer
approaches you and asks you a question. Tell them that they can
rent a car from a company on the second floor of the airport in area
C9
Flight from New York

A: You are in an airport and you would like to know what time the
next flight from New York arrives. Ask one of the airline staff
B: You work at an airport. Someone asks you a question. Tell them
that the next flight from New York arrives at 8:25am
Making a phone call

A: You are in an airport and you need to make a phone call but you
have lost your mobile phone. Ask a member of the airport staff if
there is a public phone you can use
B: You work in an airport. Someone approaches you and asks you a
question. Tell them that they can use one of the phones at the
information desk and it costs one dollar per minute
Changing money

A: You are in an airport and you would like to change some money,
but you don’t know where to go. Ask someone at the information
desk
B: You work at the information desk in an airline. A customer
approaches you and asks you a question. Tell them that they can
change money on the first floor, next to the main entrance of the
airport
Going through customs

A: You work as a customs officer in JFK Airport. Someone wants to

come into the country. Ask them what the purpose of their visit is,
whether they’ve been to America before, where they will be staying,
and how long they intend to stay in the USA
B: You just flew into JFK airport from Rio de Janeiro. You’re planning
to spend three weeks in the USA visiting friends in Miami and San
Francisco, staying in their apartments. This is the second time
you’ve been to America; the first time was in 2010.
 General travel
A visitor to China

Student A:
You are flying back to China after a trip abroad and you start
speaking to the person next to you. They’re from England and are
coming to China for two weeks. They haven’t been to China before
and they’re really excited about visiting a new country. They’re going
to ask you some questions about China, so try to answer their
questions and give them any other information that you think may be
interesting and useful
Student B:
You’re from England and you’re going to visit China for two weeks.
You’re on the plane and you just started speaking to the person next
to you. They’re Chinese, they can speak English and they seem
polite and friendly, so this is a great opportunity for you to find out
about China. What questions would you like to ask him/her? There
are three questions below. Try to write some other questions you can
ask.
1. What kind of food is popular in China?
2. What are the most famous places in China?
3. What’s the population of China?
A visitor to Shanghai

Student A:
You are in a restaurant in Shanghai and someone just started talking
to you. Chat with them, answer their questions, and ask them what
their name is, what they do, why they’re in Shanghai, how long
they’re going to be in Shanghai, and anything else that you’d like to
know about them
Student B:
Your name is Tino and you’re a 30 year old lady from Mexico. You
work as a clothes designer. You arrived in Shanghai this morning. It’s
your first time in China and you’re here to do some product research
– the company you work for is interested in importing clothes from
China. You plan to come back regularly in the future. Now you’re in a
restaurant by yourself and you just started talking to the person who
is sitting next to you. Ask them some questions about Shanghai and
China. Tell them that you’d like to learn the language but you aren’t
sure of the best way to learn it; you’d like some advice on how to
meet new people in Shanghai; and ask for some suggestions about
good restaurants to go to and interesting places to visit
Thailand or Hong Kong?

A: Call your friend. Try to persuade him/her to go to Thailand with

you
B: Your friend will phone you. Try to persuade him/her to go to Hong
Kong with you
France or England?

A: Call your friend. Try to persuade him/her to go to France with you

B: Your friend will phone you. Try to persuade him/her to go to
England with you
Train times

A: You want to know the times of trains from Shanghai to Nanjing on

Saturday. Call the ticket office. If tickets are available for 9am, book
two return tickets.
B: You are working in the ticket office in a train station. Answer the
phone and help the customer to book some tickets.
Buying ferry tickets

A: You are in Shanghai and you want to take a ferry across the
Huangpu river. Ask the ticket seller how much a ticket costs and how
long the trip will take, then buy a ticket. You want a single trip to the
Pudong side of the river
B: You sell ferry tickets across the Huangpu River in Shanghai.
Someone will enquire about buying a ticket. Tell them that it costs
half a renminbi (7 cents) for a single journey on a common ferryboat
and 2 renminbi for an air-conditioned one. The journey only takes
about 20 minutes
Tourist Information Centre

A: You’re working in a tourist information centre in (city of your

choice – agree one with your partner). Someone will come in and
ask you a few questions. Answer their questions and give them a
free map of the city
B: You’re traveling in (city of your choice – agree one with your
partner). You’d like to know if there are any interesting museums and
any good parks. Also ask if they know of any good French
restaurants in the city. Ask any other questions you can think of
Asking for directions

A: You’re in (city of your choice – agree one with your partner). A

stranger approaches you and asks for directions
B: You’re traveling in (city of your choice – agree one with your
partner). You’d like to know how to get from the train station to the
airport
Go to the beach or the park?

A: You’re traveling around Spain with your boyfriend. Tomorrow is

your last day and you’re trying to decide what to do. You’d prefer to
go to the beach because the sea was really warm when you went
there a few days ago and you want to work on your suntan
B: You’re traveling around Spain with your girlfriend. Tomorrow is
your last day and you’re trying to decide what to do. You want to go
to the park because you’ve already been to the beach a couple of
times, you got sunburn last time, and you’d like to play some sports
in the park
 Family role plays
Asking for a dog

A: You and your sister love dogs and you want your parents to buy
one for you. You promise you’ll always take care of it.
B: Your son/daughter wants you to buy a dog for them but you don’t
like dogs and you think that if you buy one they’ll be too lazy to take
care of it
Wanting to go to a movie

A: You want to go to a movie with your friends tonight that finishes at

11pm and you want your mother/father to pick you up from the
cinema afterwards
B: Your child wants you to pick them up from the cinema tonight at
11pm but you think that it’s too late because they have to go to
school tomorrow
Asking to borrow money

A: You are a 16 year old schoolboy/schoolgirl. You want to borrow

some money from your parents to buy a motorbike. Most of your
friends have one, you want more freedom and you don’t like taking
the bus everywhere
B: Your son/daughter wants to borrow money from you to buy a
motorbike. You are worried that your child is too young to own a
motorbike, even though some of their friends have one – you think
that it’s much more dangerous than a bike. You think that, if you do
allow them to buy a motorbike, they should find a part-time job to pay
for it, instead of borrowing money from you. Decide whether you’ll
lend them the money for it
Asking to borrow a car

A: You are a teenager. You want to borrow your parents’ car for the
day to drive you and your friends to the beach. You passed your
driving test last week and you don’t have your own car yet. None of
your friends can drive and there is no other way to get to the beach
so you really want to borrow the car
B: Your son/daughter wants to borrow your car. You are worried
about safety – they haven’t driven since passing their driving test a
month ago. Also, the insurance will cost quite a lot of money - $50 to
insure them for one day.
Deciding where to live

A: You and your wife live and work in London. You are a writer and
she is a lawyer. You have been living in the city for ten years and
although you like it, you feel tired and you want to move to a village
in the countryside. And you could easily continue working there as
you work from home. Talk to your wife and tell her why you want to
leave London – explain the good things about living in the
countryside
B: You work as a lawyer and live in London with your husband, who
is a writer. You love living in the city and although you enjoy visiting
the countryside, you don’t think you’d like to live there. Also, it would
be hard for you to find work if you left London. Talk to your husband
and tell him why you think it would be better to stay in the city
Choosing where to go on holiday

A: You and your wife live in England and have two children – a boy,
15 years old, and a girl, 13 years old. You are planning to travel
somewhere in Europe this summer for ten days. You and your
children want to go somewhere with good beaches - maybe Spain or
Greece. Have a discussion with your wife about where you will go
B: You and your husband are trying to decide where to travel with
your children this summer. You want to go to Paris but your husband
and children want to go somewhere with good beaches. Try to
persuade your husband to go to Paris for the whole ten days and, if
you can’t, suggest spending 5 days in Paris and five days
somewhere close to a beach
 Health role plays
Making an appointment with the doctor

A: You are a parent and your five-year-old son is sick. He has a fever
and a rash on his stomach. You want to make an appointment with
the doctor to see him. Call the medical clinic and try to make an
appointment for 9am tomorrow. If you can’t make an appointment at
that time, later in the morning is ok
B: You are a receptionist in a medical clinic. The phone rings.
Answer it and ask the person on the phone how you can help them.
Ask them how old their child is and what is wrong with them. Tell
them that there are no appointments available at 9am tomorrow. The
next available appointment is at 11am tomorrow. If this is ok with
them, take their name and book the appointment for them
Calling a patient

A: You are the receptionist in a dental clinic. Call a patient and tell
them that the last time they saw the dentist was six months ago, so
they should come in this week if possible. Ask them what day and
time would be good for them. Then book the appointment and tell
them that you will give them a reminder call the day before
B: The receptionist from your dental office will call you to tell you that
you haven’t seen the dentist for six months so you should come to
see him this week. Ask them if you can come in on Friday afternoon
– say that anytime in the afternoon is ok. Ask if you can take your
daughter to see the dentist then as well
Checking a broken leg

A: You broke your leg playing football four weeks ago and went to
the hospital and they put a cast on it. You are visiting your doctor to
have it checked. Ask if you can have it taken off today because it’s
itchy and uncomfortable and your friend had his taken off after four
weeks
B: You are a doctor and one of your patients who broke his/her leg
four weeks ago has come to see you to have his/her leg cast
checked. Have a look at it and tell them that it needs to stay on for at
least another week. Ask them to come back next week to have it
checked again
Carpal tunnel syndrome

A: You work as a typist in an office. You have pain in your hands

from typing so you can’t do your job. You told your boss about this
and he asked you to go to the doctor to get a note so you can take
time off work to recover. Ask the doctor for the note and ask him/her
how much time you should take off work
B: You are a doctor. A patient comes to see you. Ask him/her why
they’ve come to see you. Check them, tell them that they have
carpal tunnel syndrome and they should take a week off work to let
their hands recover. Show them some stretches they can do to
relieve the pain
Seeing an optometrist

A: You have had trouble seeing things clearly recently, especially

when you’re driving, so you think you should have your eyes tested.
You have made an appointment with an optometrist (eye doctor). Tell
him/her that you have never worn glasses before but you think you
may need some now. Take the eye test and listen to the
optometrist’s advice
B: You are an optometrist (eye doctor) and a patient comes to see
you. Ask them if they have ever worn glasses before. Give them an
eye test and tell them that they are a little short-sighted and they
should start wearing glasses. Recommend a glasses shop for them
to go to
 Business role plays
Improving your workplace

Student A
You are the manager of a small law office with twelve employees.
You have decided to make some changes to your workplace in order
to improve staff morale and productivity.
Talk to your supplier and try to pay for everything within your budget
(you can negotiate to try and get cheaper prices). Keep a record of
how much you agree to buy everything for
You want to make the following changes:
1. Repaint the walls. You aren’t sure which colour you want to paint
the walls yet but maybe blue, green or yellow. Nothing very bright.
Your budget is $600
2. Buy new computers for every employee (you bought the ones you
have now in 1998)
Your budget is $800 for each computer.
3. Buy new chairs for every employee (the ones you have now are
too old and uncomfortable)
Your budget is about $100 for each chair
4. Buy some sofas which the employees can relax on during break
times. You’d like two four-person sofas.
Your budget is $300 for each sofa.
5. Replace the air conditioning system. You want three new air
conditioning units which are quieter and more efficient than your
current ones.
Your budget is $500 for each ac unit.
Student B
You run your own office equipment and services company. The
manager of a law firm has contacted you and would like to have a
meeting to discuss improving their workplace.
Talk to the manager and ask him/her what they would like. Below are
your basic prices but you can ask your client for higher prices if you
like. You can also offer bulk discounts if you want to – for example, if
they buy eleven computers they can get a twelfth one free
Wall repainting - $600 for using white paint. $650 for other colours
New computers – two kinds available; cheaper ones are $750 and
the more expensive ones are $1000
Chairs – two kinds available; $75 or $125 each
Sofa for 3 people - $250
Sofa for 4 people - $350
Air conditioning unit – the cheaper ones are $400 and the more
expensive ones are $600
 Meetings
Deciding how to diversify

Situation
You are the manager of a website which sells books – both normal
books and eBooks. Sales have been really good since you set up
the company two years ago. Now you’ve decided to diversify – start
selling other kinds of products. You’re having a meeting to decide
how to do this. Discuss your ideas and then vote for what you think
is the best one. Role A can make the final decision if necessary
A
You think the best way to diversify would be to start selling mobile
phones. Sales in this market are really high, particularly due to the
fact that many people like to regularly upgrade their phones. And
there is a connection between books and mobile phones because
some people download eBooks onto their phones.
B
You’d like to start selling clothes. More and more people are buying
clothes online and you think it would be a good idea to take
advantage of this market. You believe that the lack of connection
between books and clothes doesn’t matter because your customers
trust and respect your company. You could also be an intermediary
for third parties (small clothes shops, individuals, etc) who could sell
their clothes through your website
C
You want to sell children’s toys. Most of your customers have
children and you think that there is a gap in the market for selling
toys online. About 20% of the books you sell are children’s books so
it seems like a good idea to branch out into selling more products for
children.
D
Your idea is to sell stationery – paper, pens, etc. There is a
connection between books and stationery and stationery products
are easier to store and deliver than many other kinds of products –
toys, for example. A large percentage of your customers are schools,
universities and businesses, and you’re sure that they’d be
interested in buying their stationery through your website
Deciding what to do for a language school trip

Situation
You are the owners of an English language school for adults in
London called Top English and you are organizing a two-day trip
which will be happening next month. All of your staff (about ten
people) and about 30 of your students will be going – about 40
people in total. You are having a meeting today to decide where to
go and what to do. Discuss your ideas and give your opinions and
then have a vote at the end. Here are the four roles of each person.
Role A can make the final decision if necessary.
A
You think it would be a good idea to go on a camping and hiking trip.
You can hire some vans to drive everyone to the countryside and
spend a couple of days exploring the mountains and enjoying the
fresh air. Some of your students have never been camping so it
would be a fun experience for them. It’s spring now so you think the
weather wouldn’t be too cold.
B
You’d like to go on a sightseeing trip. Your school is only about an
hour from London by train and you know that many of the students
haven’t been there but want to go. There are many interesting places
you could visit and, although it would be expensive to eat out, you
know some pretty cheap hostels where everyone can stay. Also, it
would be a good chance for the students to practice their English.
C
You want everyone to go to the seaside. The weather has been quite
warm recently so you think it’ll probably be nice next month. Many of
your students have never been to a beach in a foreign country and it
would be a relaxing break. Also, it would be easy to go there – less
than an hour by train. You aren’t sure where everyone could stay yet
but hotels in small seaside towns are usually not expensive
D
Your idea is to go on a fishing trip. There are a lot of lakes nearby
with campsites so you could camp there as well. Fishing is a popular
hobby in England but almost all of your students have never tried it.
You think fishing is really relaxing and you’re sure that everyone else
will enjoy it too. Also, many of the students have never been
camping so that would be a new experience for them. This would be
a cheap trip and it wouldn’t be very difficult to arrange transport
Deciding which applicant to hire

Situation
You work in the human resources department of a bank. You are
responsible for recruiting new employees. Recently you’ve been
looking for a new financial advisor and, after several weeks of
interviewing, you now have a shortlist of four applicants and you
need to choose which applicant to hire. This is a brief summary of
the applicants:
1. Mark – a 38 year old with 15 years experience in the finance
industry
2. Sarah - a 22 year old. She just graduated from a top university
with a degree in finance
3. John – a 57 year old with almost 40 years business experience
4. Tina – 30 years old. She has worked for five finance companies in
the last 8 years
You work in a team of four and you are going to have a meeting to
decide which applicant to hire. Each team member must rank the
applicants from 1 to 4, with one being their first choice and four being
their last choice. Add up the number of votes at the end to see who
the overall first choice is. Student A is the chairperson of the meeting
and can make the final decision if there is not a clear winner at the
end.
A
You think that John is the best applicant. He is very experienced and
in his references it says that he’s reliable and hardworking. Also,
research shows that customers generally trust older financial
advisors more than younger ones. Your second choice is Sarah.
Although she is inexperienced she seems smart and enthusiastic.
Mark, on the other hand, seems unenthusiastic and you are
concerned that, as Tina has worked for several companies in a
relatively short space of time, she may not stay with your company
for long
B
You think that Sarah is the best applicant. She went to a very good
university and got good grades. She also did well in the interview
and seems keen to learn and work hard. You think that Mark seems
friendly and he did pretty well in the interview so he would probably
be your second choice. John has a lot of experience but is
unenergetic and you think he may retire in the next couple of years.
Your last choice is Tina as she doesn’t seem to be very good with
people so you’re concerned that she won’t get along well with the
bank’s customers
C
The applicant you think is most suitable for the job is Mark. He
seems like the kind of person who is good with customers and he
has a decent amount of experience. Your next choice would
probably be John. He has good references and he’s the most
experienced applicant. You think that Sarah did well in the interview
but you don’t want to take someone on with no experience. Tina
would be your last choice because you get the feeling that her heart
isn’t in the job and she may make a change of careers soon
D
The person you most want to hire is Sarah. Although she doesn’t
have any experience, she gained a lot of useful financial knowledge
at university and she seems like a fast learner, so you’re confident
she could learn the job quickly. She also seems like the most
energetic and enthusiastic applicant. You’re not sure about your next
choice but you’d probably choose John because he seems reliable
and hardworking. Tina seems friendly but she didn’t do very well in
the interview and Mark doesn’t seem as interested in the position as
the other applicants
Deciding which country to sell a magazine in

Situation
You work for a big magazine publishing company called Supreme
Press. You and your team work in the sales department. You are
going to hold a meeting today to decide which country to sell a new
running magazine in. The magazine is called The Runner. Your
company wants to sell it in one country first, and then expand to
other countries if sales are good. You must decide which country the
magazine is most likely to be popular in. There are four people in
your team. After your discussion, each person must give their first
choice country and second choice country. Then see which country
is the overall first choice and which is the second. A is the
chairperson of the meeting so if there are not two clear choices at
the end, he/she can make the final decision. This is a brief summary
of your roles.
A
You think that the country which will get most sales of The Runner is
America. Running has been popular in America for a long time and
Americans enjoy reading about running news, tips, etc. Your second
choice country is Australia because Australians play a lot of sports
and marathons have become more popular there in recent years.
B
Your first choice country for selling The Runner in is Canada. Your
research shows that running websites are very popular with
Americans so you think that they’re not likely to want to buy
magazines. But running websites aren’t so popular in Canada and
Canadians read a lot of sports magazines in general so you think
sales will be good there. Your second choice is Germany. Reading
magazines is very popular in Germany and running has increased in
popularity a lot there in the last ten years.
C
You think that the best country to sell The Runner in is the UK. The
UK has one of the biggest marathons in the world – the London
marathon - and running has always been popular there. You aren’t
sure about your second choice but you’d probably choose Australia
because Australians are very sporty.
D
Your first choice is Japan. You think that the Asian market is
overlooked in terms of sports magazine sales and you predict that it
will grow more quickly than other markets in the future. And running
has been popular in Japan for a long time. Your second choice
would be somewhere in Europe – Americans use the internet a lot so
you aren’t confident that sales would be good there and you haven’t
seen much research about the Canadian and Australian markets.
You aren’t sure which country in Europe you’d choose yet but
probably the UK, France or Germany.
Deciding which employee to make redundant

Situation
You work for a clothing company in a team of four that is responsible
for the management of the company’s ten biggest clothing stores.
The owner of the company believes that some of the stores are
overstaffed and he wants to make some of the staff redundant.
Today you are going to have a meeting to discuss four of the sales
assistants who work in one of the stores. At the end of the meeting
each person should give one person as their first choice to be made
redundant and one person as their second choice. The sales
assistant with the most votes overall will be the one who is made
redundant. A is the chairperson of the meeting so if a clear decision
hasn’t been made, he/she can make the final decision. Here are the
names of the sales assistants and how long they’ve been working in
the store:
Jane – twenty five years
Peter – two years
Sarah – five years
Tracy – ten years
A
You think that the best sales assistant is Sarah. She’s hardworking
and reliable – she hasn’t taken any days off in the five years she’s
been working in the store. She’s also knowledgeable about fashion.
You think that Peter and Jane are both good employees but the
member of staff you think should be made redundant is Tracy.
Although she has quite a lot of experience, customers have made
several complaints about her – they said that she was unhelpful and
impolite. And you feel that she isn’t very interested in the clothing
industry and she’d prefer to be working in another field of work
B
You think that the sales assistant who should be made redundant is
Jane. Although she has a lot of experience and is good with the
customers you think that she doesn’t know as much about clothing
fashion as the others. Although Peter is the least experienced
member of staff, you think he has a lot of potential. You like Tracy as
well – it’s true that she’s had a few complaints but this is quite
common and you think that she enjoys her job. Your second choice
for redundancy would probably be Sarah – you agree that she’s
hardworking and reliable but you get the impression that she doesn’t
get along with the customers as well as the other sales assistants.
C
Your first choice for who to make redundant is Peter. He’s doing well
in the job so far but he’s the least experienced sales assistant and
you think that there’s a good chance he’ll leave the company soon
as it’s common for young people to change jobs frequently. The best
employee, in your opinion, is Jane – she has the most experience by
far and the older customers find her more approachable than the
other sales assistants. You like Sarah and Tracy but if you had to
make one of them redundant you’d probably choose Tracy because
she’s less reliable than Sarah.
D
In your opinion, the best sales assistant is Peter – he’s enthusiastic
and hardworking and you think the he has the potential to move up
into management quite soon. Jane is a loyal, hardworking member
of staff so you’d like to keep her in the company, so your choice for
who to make redundant would be Tracy or Sarah. You’re not sure
who to choose, so listen to what the other three people say before
making your decision
Marketing Campaign

Situation:
You work in the marketing department of a bike company and you
are going to launch a marketing campaign for a new bike next
month. Discuss different methods of advertising you could use and
after everyone has had a chance to talk, vote for what you think are
the two best ideas. Student A is the chairperson of the meeting so
he/she can make the final decision.
A
You think that you should advertise in bike magazines. It’s quite
expensive but these kinds of magazines are popular and there are
several bike magazines that you could advertise in. You also think
that internet advertising is a pretty good idea.
B
You want to put posters up in places where cyclists often go – bike
shops, gyms, health food shops, etc. It’s a cheap method of
advertising and you have some good ideas about what design to use
for the posters. You don’t think that internet advertising is a good
idea because you think that people don’t pay attention to these kinds
of advertisements.
C
You think that the best way to advertise would be on the internet.
Cyclists often look at cycling websites and it’s cheaper than
advertising in magazines.
D
In your opinion, giving out flyers is the best idea. They’re very cheap
to produce and you can give them out outside bike shops, bike
competitions, etc. You also quite like the idea of putting up posters.
You think that internet and magazine advertising are too expensive.
Trying to open a restaurant

Warm up questions
1. Would you like to have your own company? If so, why? What kind
of company? If not, why not?
2. What makes a restaurant successful?
3. Why do you think most restaurants are unsuccessful?
4. What do you need in order to start a business?
Student A
You are a bank manager responsible for small business loans. You
are having a meeting today with someone who wants to take out a
loan of $200,000 in order to open a restaurant. What questions do
you think you should ask them? Here are some ideas. Try to write
some of your own questions as well
1. What kind of restaurant do you want to open?
2. Have you chosen a location?
3. How much money do you want to borrow?
Student B
You are planning to open a Thai restaurant in London. You used to
be the head chef in a Thai restaurant but you quit that job recently in
order to try and open your own one. You’ve never had your own
restaurant before but you believe you have the ability to make it a
success. You’re going to have a meeting today with a bank manager
to ask for a loan to help start the business. Think about what you can
say to the manager to convince him/her to give you the loan. Here
are some ideas. Try to write some of your own ideas as well.
1. You lived in Thailand for five years so you are familiar with the
country and its food
2. You have fifteen years experience in the restaurant industry – ten
years as a regular chef in a French restaurant and five years as a
head chef in a Thai restaurant
3. You have 60% of the capital you need - $300,000
4. You have prepared a detailed business plan
 Advice
One student asks his/her partner for advice, using the prompts below
Loud music

Your neighbor plays his music really loud and it’s driving you crazy
Lose weight

You want to lose weight

Can’t get up on time

You can’t get up on time in the morning

Bad breath

You have bad breath

Lost phone

You borrowed your friend’s phone and lost it

Choosing an English name

You don’t know which English name to choose

Can’t quit smoking

You can’t stop smoking

Drink driver

Your friend drinks and drives and you’re worried about him
Smelly feet

Your feet smell

Forgetting keys

You want to stop forgetting to take your keys with you when you go
out
Afraid of flying

You’re afraid of flying and you’re due to fly to Paris tomorrow

Insomnia

You can’t sleep at night

Can’t swim

You want to learn to swim

Backache

You have a backache

Save money

You want to save money

Computer games

Your 14 year old son loves playing computer games but the doctor
said that he needs to spend less time doing it because he has some
problems with his eyes. He’s stubborn though, so you don’t know
how you can persuade him to spend less time in front of the
computer
Reading

Your school teacher gave you a lot of books to read but you don’t
like reading. You prefer playing sports and watching TV
Birthday party

It’s going to be your son’s birthday next week. You and your wife
want to have a party for him and his friends but you don’t think you
have enough time to organize it because of work
History teacher

You are the father of a 17 year old schoolboy. Your son wants to be a
history teacher but you want him to be a doctor, like you and your
father
America or Australia?

You and your girlfriend are planning to travel for two weeks next
month. Your girlfriend wants to go to America but you want to go to
Australia
Flight attendant

You’re Sarah, a flight attendant. You travel a lot for your job and you
don’t have a lot of time to see your children. You love your job but
you want to spend more time with your children
Late night parties

The people who live in the apartment next to you often have parties
until very late with very loud music and you can’t sleep well at night
Get healthy

You want to be fitter and stronger. You eat healthy food but you don’t
do any exercise. You have tried running, swimming, football,
basketball and tennis but you don’t enjoy playing them
 General role plays
Stopped by the police

A: A police officer just stopped you in your car. He says that you
were speeding (driving too fast) but you don’t think you were
B: You are a police officer and you just stopped someone for
speeding (driving too fast).
Stolen car

A: Your car has been stolen. Call the police

B: You are working in a police station. Someone whose car has been
stolen will call you. Ask them for details about the car type, colour,
registration number, where it was stolen, etc
Booking a taxi

A: You want to book a taxi from your home to an Italian restaurant.

Call a taxi office and ask for a taxi to come as soon as possible.
B: You work in a taxi office. A customer will call you. Ask them where
they are, where they would like a taxi to, and at what time.
Kitchen on fire

A: Your kitchen is on fire. Call the fire station,

B: You are working at a fire station. Answer the phone. Ask the caller
what happened and ask for their address
Adoption

Student A
You are a parent who is trying to adopt a child. First, think of reasons
why you should be allowed to adopt. Write them down. Then you will
be interviewed by someone who works for an adoption agency.
Student B
You work for an adoption agency and you will be interviewing
adoption candidates. First, decide what questions you want to ask.
Write them down. Think about what you are looking for: are they
married/in a relationship? What’s their financial situation? Are they in
good health? Do they have any other children? Etc
TV Adventure Show

Student A
You are an interviewer for a new adventure reality TV show. Your
goal is to choose candidates for the show. Interview the potential
contestants. You are looking for someone who will be entertaining to
watch, has overcome some difficult challenges, and has the
necessary skills for the challenging adventures they will be doing on
the show.
Tell the candidate about some of the things they might be doing on
the show. They include: surviving in the jungle alone for two weeks,
climbing mountains in sub-zero temperatures that no human has
climbed in shark filled waters
Questions you could ask:
- What experiences have prepared you for this TV show?
- What skills do you have that will be useful during this show?
- Why should I choose you to be on this show?
Student B
You are applying to be a contestant on a new adventure reality TV
show. You really want to be chosen and are excited to take on some
of the challenging adventures. Ask the interviewer questions about
what you’ll be doing on the show if you’re chosen and do your best
to impress them. Lie if you want to!
Some of your previous experiences:
- Lived alone for a year in the Sahara Desert
- Climbed Mount Everest
- Sailed the Pacific Ocean
Some of your skills:
- Free climbing
- Bear wrestling
- Underwater knife fighting
- Swimming extremely long distances
Things for the home

Student A
You are moving into a new home soon and you want to buy some
secondhand things for it. Make a list below of eight things that you
want to buy. Then talk to student B, who has a secondhand shop.
Tell him/her what you want. Negotiate and try and buy them for the
lowest price you can get.
What I want to buy:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Useful language for student A:
Do you have…?
How much is it/are they?
Is it/are they good quality?
What colour is it/are they?
What brand is it/are they?
When did you buy it/them?
How much did you buy it/them for?
Why are you selling it/them?
That’s too expensive. I’ll give you…dollars/Euros/etc
Can you give me a lower price? / Can you give me a discount?
What’s your lowest price?
Sorry, I’m not interested
Ok, I’ll buy it/them please
Student B
You have your own secondhand shop and you sell many things. A
customer will come into your shop. Ask them what they want to buy
and try to sell the things they ask for for the highest price you can
get.
Useful language for student B:
It’s/they’re... dollars/Euros/etc
It’s/they’re very good quality
It’s/they’re (colour)
I bought it/them (when)
I bought it/them for (how much)
Sorry, that’s my lowest price
Ok, I’ll give it/them to you for…dollars/Euros/etc
Witness and Reporter

A – You are a witness. Answer B’s questions

B – You are a reporter for a newspaper. Try to get as much
information from A as you can so you can write a news story about it.
1. A - You witnessed someone robbing a bank.
2. A – There was a fire in the building that you live in.
3. A – You saw a fight between four people
4. A – You witnessed a car crash
5. A – You were at the premiere of a new movie
A TV news story

You are going to present a TV news story. There are four people who
are going to present the story:
Newsreader – in the studio
Reporter - on the scene
Witness - on the scene
Expert - in the studio
Present the story like this:
1. Newsreader: introduce the news story and introduce the reporter
2. Reporter – give more details about the story (who, what, where,
when, why) and introduce the witness
3. Witness – talk about what you saw
4. Reporter – thank the witness and talk to the newsreader
5. Newsreader – interview the expert
6. Expert – give some interesting background information about the
story
You can start like this:
Newsreader: Hello, welcome to _______ news. Our first story tonight
is _______
 Six bonus dialogues
Booking a taxi

Taxi company worker: Hello, how can I help you?

Customer: Hi, I’d like to book a taxi please
Taxi company worker: Ok, where would you like to go?
Customer: I’d like to go to Marco’s Italian Restaurant
Taxi company worker: Sure. Which road is that on?
Customer: It’s on South Washington Road
Taxi company worker: Ok. What number?
Customer: Number 78
Taxi company worker: And where are you now sir/madam?
Customer: I’m at number 129 Kensington Road. When will the taxi
be here?
Taxi company worker: It will be there in 15 to 20 minutes
Customer: Great, thank you
Taxi: You’re welcome sir/madam. Have a good evening

I’d like to book a taxi please

I’d like to book a cab please

Marco’s Italian Restaurant

The Pacific Cinema
The Smith Theatre
The Regent Shopping Mall
Which road is that on?
Could you tell me what road that’s on?

It’s on South Washington Road

It’s on Greening Road
It’s on West Field Road
It’s on Abbey Road

Number 78
Number 11
Number 364
Number 33

It will be there in 15 to 20 minutes

It’ll arrive in around 10 minutes
As it’s rush hour now it will be there in about half an hour
Buying a sandwich

Sandwich shop worker: Hello, how can I help you?

Customer: Can I have a bacon sandwich, please?
Sandwich shop worker: Ok. What kind of bread would you like?
Customer: Wholegrain, please
Sandwich shop worker: Sure. Would you like any sauce?
Customer: A little ketchup, please
Sandwich shop worker: Ok. Would you like anything else?
Customer: No, that’s all, thanks
Sandwich shop worker: Is that to stay or to go?
Customer: To go please.
Sandwich shop worker: Ok, that’s $6.25 please
Customer: Here you are
Sandwich shop worker: Here’s your change. You can collect your
sandwich from over there.
Customer: Alright, thanks
Sandwich shop worker: Have a good day!

Hello, how can I help you?

Hello, what can I do for you?
Hi, are you ready to order?

Can I have a bacon sandwich, please?

Can I have a cheese and tomato sandwich, please?
Can I have a chicken sandwich, please?
Can I have an egg sandwich, please?
Can I have a tuna sandwich, please?
Can I have a turkey sandwich, please?
Can I have a steak sandwich, please?

Wholegrain, please
White, please
Baguette, please
Ciabatta, please

A little ketchup, please

Mayonnaise, please
Honey and mustard, please
Sweet onion, please
Ranch, please

Is that to stay or to go?

Is that for here or to go?
For here or takeaway?
Going for a coffee

Barista: Hello, how can I help you?

Customer: Can I have a cappuccino, please?
Barista: Ok. Would you like a regular, medium or large one?
Customer: Medium, please
Barista: Sure
Customer: Do you have decaffeinated coffee? My friend doesn’t
drink caffeine
Barista: No, I’m sorry, we don’t. We have herbal teas though
Customer: Oh, ok. Which ones do you have?
Barista: We have green tea, white tea, chamomile and lemon ginger
Customer: Green tea, please
Barista: Is that to stay or to go?
Customer: To go please. Do you have any sugar?
Barista: Yes, it’s over there
Customer: Alright, thanks
Barista: Would you like anything else?
Customer: No, that’s all
Barista: That’s $6.55
Customer: Here you are, thanks!
Barista: Have a good day!

Hello, how can I help you?

Hello, what can I do for you?
Hi, are you ready to order?
Can I have a cappuccino, please?
Can I have an Americano, please?
Can I have a latte, please?
Can I have an espresso, please?
Can I have a mocha, please?

Would you like a regular, medium or large one?

Which size would you like – regular, medium or large?

Is that to stay or to go?

Is that for here or to go?
For here or takeaway?

Do you have any sugar?

Do you have any milk?

That’s $6.55
That’s $7.24
That’s $5.93
Going to a bar

Waiter: Hello, how can I help you?

Customer: Can I have a beer, please?
Waiter: Ok. Would you like a bottle or a pint?
Customer: A bottle, please
Waiter: What kind of beer would you like?
Customer: Heineken
Waiter: Ok
Customer: And can my friend have a double whiskey?
Waiter: Sure. So that’s a bottle of beer and a double whiskey.
Would you like to pay now or shall I put it on your tab?
Customer: Put it on my tab, please
Waiter: Thanks for your order

Hello, how can I help you?

Hello, what can I do for you?
Hi, are you ready to order?

Can I have a beer, please?

I’ll get a beer, please
I’d like a beer

Would you like a bottle or a pint?

Do you want a bottle or a pint?
Is that a bottle or a pint?
Heineken
Budweiser
Fosters
Asahi
Stella

Double whiskey
Vodka and orange
Gin and tonic
Rum and coke
Glass of red wine
Glass of white wine

So that’s… and…

Put it on my tab, please

I’ll pay now, please
Going to a movie

Sam: Hey Jane, how’s it going?

Jane: Great thanks. How about you?
Sam: Good. Do you still wanna go to a movie tonight?
Jane: Yeah, definitely. What movie shall we see?
Sam: I’m not sure. There are several movies on. How about an
action one?
Jane: I’m not really into action movies. Is there a comedy movie
on?
Sam: Let me check the website… Yes, there’s one at 8:30
Jane: Great! Where shall we meet?
Sam: Let’s meet outside the shopping mall
Jane: What time?
Sam: Around 8:15
Jane: Ok, cool, see you then!

How’s it going?
How are you?
How you doing?

Great thanks.
Good thanks
Pretty good, thanks
Not bad, thanks

How about you?

What about you?
You?

Do you still wanna go to a movie tonight?

Are you still up for going to a movie tonight?

What movie shall we see?

Do you know what movie you want to watch?
Do you have anything in mind?

A comedy movie
A romantic movie
A sci-fi movie
A horror movie
A fantasy movie
An animated movie

Let’s meet outside the shopping mall

Let’s meet next to the park
Let’s meet behind the pizza restaurant
I’ll pick you up
Making plans for the weekend

Mark: Hey Sally, how’s it going?

Sally: Great thanks. How about you?
Mark: Good. What are you up to this weekend?
Sally: I’ve got no plans so far. Do you have anything in mind?
Mark: How about going to the park on Sunday afternoon?
Sally: I went to the park the other day so I’d prefer to do something
else. How about going bowling?
Mark: Ok, that sounds great!
Sally: Where shall I meet you?
Mark: Let’s meet outside the bowling alley
Sally: Sounds good. At 12:30?
Mark: Ok. See you on Sunday!
Sally: Bye!

How’s it going?
How are you?
How you doing?

Great thanks.
Good thanks
Pretty good, thanks
Not bad, thanks

How about you?

What about you?
You?

What are you up to this weekend?

Do you have any plans for the weekend?

Do you have anything in mind?

Is there anything you’d like to do?
Do you have any ideas?

Going bowling
Watching a movie
Going to a football match
Playing badminton

Let’s meet outside the bowling alley

Let’s meet outside the cinema
Let’s meet by the cafe near the stadium
I’ll give you a ride there / I’ll give you a lift there
 About the author
Matt Lane has been teaching English as a Foreign Language in Asia
since 2006. To contact him, email [email protected]