Listening practice
Asking for Directions: A2 Listening
A visitor asks a local the way to the train station.
- Age
- Ages 13+
- Level
- A2
- Skill
- Listening
- Time
- 20 min
- Format
- Interactive
- Listening
- Dialogue
The voice is your device's built-in speech synthesis, not a recording, so it sounds different on every phone, tablet and computer. Dialogues use two voices where the device has them. The transcript is always one tap away.
1. Before you listen
Read the question, then listen to the whole script once and choose the answer.
2. Listen
Play the whole script or one line at a time. Try the questions before you open the transcript.
Transcript
- Visitor:Line 1 · Transcript hidden
- Local:Line 2 · Transcript hidden
- Visitor:Line 3 · Transcript hidden
- Local:Line 4 · Transcript hidden
- Visitor:Line 5 · Transcript hidden
- Local:Line 6 · Transcript hidden
- Visitor:Line 7 · Transcript hidden
- Local:Line 8 · Transcript hidden
- Visitor:Line 9 · Transcript hidden
- Local:Line 10 · Transcript hidden
- Visitor:Line 11 · Transcript hidden
- Local:Line 12 · Transcript hidden
- Visitor:Line 13 · Transcript hidden
- Local:Line 14 · Transcript hidden
3. Listen for detail
Listen again and answer the five questions.
4. Dictation
Play each sentence and type the missing words. Capital letters and punctuation don't matter.
- 1.Go straight down this street until you get to the .
- 2.You'll see a big supermarket .
- 3.Walk past the supermarket and take the on the right.
- 4.About ten minutes .
- 5.Yes, there's one inside the station, the ticket office.
5. Your turn to speak
Think of a place near your school or home. Your partner is a visitor. Explain how to get there from where you are now, step by step.
Printable worksheet
The tasks, the transcript and an answer key on a separate page.
Related resources
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Flashcards
Airport and Travel Vocabulary in English
From check-in to baggage claim: the words of every flight.
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
A. Before you listen
Where does the visitor want to go?
- ☐ a) The supermarket
- ☐ b) The train station
- ☐ c) The bus station
B. Listen for detail
- What should the visitor do first?☐ a) Take the second street on the right☐ b) Go straight to the traffic lights☐ c) Turn left
- At the traffic lights, the visitor turns right.☐ a) True☐ b) False
- Which street is the station on?☐ a) Station Road☐ b) Park Road☐ c) Market Street
- How long is the walk?☐ a) Five minutes☐ b) Ten minutes☐ c) Twenty minutes
- There is a cash machine inside the station.☐ a) True☐ b) False
C. Dictation: write the missing words
- Go straight down this street until you get to the .
- You'll see a big supermarket .
- Walk past the supermarket and take the on the right.
- About ten minutes .
- Yes, there's one inside the station, the ticket office.
D. Speaking
Think of a place near your school or home. Your partner is a visitor. Explain how to get there from where you are now, step by step.
Transcript
Visitor: Excuse me, can you help me? I'm looking for the train station.
Local: Sure. It's not far. Are you walking?
Visitor: Yes, I am.
Local: OK. Go straight down this street until you get to the traffic lights.
Visitor: Straight on to the traffic lights. OK.
Local: Then turn left. You'll see a big supermarket on your right.
Visitor: Turn left, and the supermarket is on the right.
Local: That's it. Walk past the supermarket and take the second street on the right. That's Station Road. The station is at the end of the road.
Visitor: How long does it take?
Local: About ten minutes on foot.
Visitor: Great. Is there a cash machine near the station? I need some money for my ticket.
Local: Yes, there's one inside the station, next to the ticket office.
Visitor: Thank you so much.
Local: No problem. Have a good trip!
Key phrases are in bold.
Answer key
- A. b) The train station
- B. 1 b) Go straight to the traffic lights · 2 b) False · 3 a) Station Road · 4 b) Ten minutes · 5 a) True
- C. 1 traffic lights · 2 on your right · 3 second street · 4 on foot · 5 next to