Listening practice
Booking a Table: A2 Listening
A phone call to book a family dinner at a busy restaurant.
- 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
- Restaurant:Line 1 · Transcript hidden
- Customer:Line 2 · Transcript hidden
- Restaurant:Line 3 · Transcript hidden
- Customer:Line 4 · Transcript hidden
- Restaurant:Line 5 · Transcript hidden
- Customer:Line 6 · Transcript hidden
- Restaurant:Line 7 · Transcript hidden
- Customer:Line 8 · Transcript hidden
- Restaurant:Line 9 · Transcript hidden
- Customer:Line 10 · Transcript hidden
- Restaurant:Line 11 · Transcript hidden
- Customer:Line 12 · Transcript hidden
- Restaurant:Line 13 · Transcript hidden
- Customer:Line 14 · Transcript hidden
- Restaurant:Line 15 · Transcript hidden
- Customer:Line 16 · Transcript hidden
- Restaurant:Line 17 · 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.I'd like to for Saturday evening, please.
- 2.We have a table at or at eight.
- 3. your name, please?
- 4.Our daughter is .
- 5.I'll , but I can't promise.
5. Your turn to speak
Work in pairs. Phone a restaurant and book a table for your family or friends. Say the day, the time and the number of people, and ask for one special thing.
Printable worksheet
The tasks, the transcript and an answer key on a separate page.
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A. Before you listen
Why is the customer calling?
- ☐ a) To order food for delivery
- ☐ b) To change a booking
- ☐ c) To book a table
B. Listen for detail
- The customer wants a table for Sunday.☐ a) True☐ b) False
- How many people are coming?☐ a) Two☐ b) Three☐ c) Four
- What time is the booking?☐ a) 7:00☐ b) 7:30☐ c) 8:00
- The restaurant has a high chair for the little girl.☐ a) True☐ b) False
- The restaurant promises a table near the window.☐ a) True☐ b) False
C. Dictation: write the missing words
- I'd like to for Saturday evening, please.
- We have a table at or at eight.
- your name, please?
- Our daughter is .
- I'll , but I can't promise.
D. Speaking
Work in pairs. Phone a restaurant and book a table for your family or friends. Say the day, the time and the number of people, and ask for one special thing.
Transcript
Restaurant: Good evening, Luigi's Kitchen. How can I help you?
Customer: Hi. I'd like to book a table for Saturday evening, please.
Restaurant: Of course. For how many people?
Customer: For four. Two adults and two children.
Restaurant: And what time would you like?
Customer: About seven o'clock, if possible.
Restaurant: I'm sorry, we're full at seven. We have a table at half past seven or at eight.
Customer: Half past seven is fine.
Restaurant: Great. Can I have your name, please?
Customer: Yes, it's Sara Lopez.
Restaurant: Thank you. Is there anything else you need?
Customer: Do you have a high chair? Our daughter is only two.
Restaurant: Yes, we do. I'll put one at the table for you.
Customer: Perfect. Oh, and can we sit near the window?
Restaurant: I'll make a note, but I can't promise.
Customer: That's OK. Thank you.
Restaurant: You're welcome. So that's a table for four, on Saturday at half past seven. See you then!
Key phrases are in bold.
Answer key
- A. c) To book a table
- B. 1 b) False · 2 c) Four · 3 b) 7:30 · 4 a) True · 5 b) False
- C. 1 book a table · 2 half past seven · 3 Can I have · 4 only two · 5 make a note