English Speaking
English Speaking has 127 concepts, grouped by level below. Open one to read how it works, try practice items, and ask a question.
Absolute Beginner
- Asking for something in a shop A coffee, a ticket, a bag — and please.
- Asking someone to repeat Sorry? Again, please. More slowly.
- Asking someone's name What's your name? — and hearing the answer.
- Saying where you are from Country, city, and nationality.
- Saying your name and spelling it Your own name, letter by letter.
Beginner
- Giving personal information Answering questions about yourself.
- Introducing yourself and meeting people First contact: name, country, and a greeting.
- Talking about what is happening now Describing a scene as you look at it.
- Talking about what you can and can't do Ability in everyday situations.
- Talking about what you like doing Preferences with -ing forms.
- Talking about where people and things are from Countries and nationalities in use.
- Talking about your family and the people around you Describing who is who.
- Talking about your weekend A short account of free time.
- Telling a simple past story A few sentences about something that happened.
Elementary
- Daily Activities
- Describing things and comparing them Saying what something is like, and how it differs.
- Getting to know somebody Asking and answering to keep a conversation going.
- Giving opinions Saying what you think and why.
- Retelling a story Passing on a narrative in order.
- Saying hello and goodbye Opening and closing a conversation.
- Saying where things are Describing a room or a scene.
- Talking about a typical weekend An account of ordinary free time.
- Talking about abilities What you can and cannot do.
- Talking about experiences What you have and have not done.
- Talking about food and quantity Meals, amounts, and ordering.
- Talking about plans What you are going to do.
- Talking about the past Describing what happened and when.
- Talking about your country What you like and do not like about where you live.
- Talking about your family Who is who, and what they do.
Pre-Intermediate
- Comparing habits — now and in the past Contrasting what you do now with what you used to do.
- Describing a person's appearance and personality Giving a full description of someone you know.
- Describing a photo and talking about preferences Saying what is in a picture and which one you prefer, and why.
- Describing and paraphrasing an unknown word Getting your meaning across when the exact word escapes you.
- Describing feelings Saying how something makes you feel and why.
- Describing your weekend Giving an account of recent free time using recent-past forms.
- Discussing habits, rules, and preferences Talking about what you have to do, what you must not do, and what you prefer.
- Entertainment
- Exchanging personal information Asking and answering questions about yourself and your life.
- Finding similarities and differences with a partner Discovering what you have in common through questions.
- Giving examples and reasons Supporting an opinion with a reason and a concrete example.
- Handling everyday service situations Dealing with hotels, restaurants, shops, pharmacies, and directions in person.
- Making arrangements Suggesting, accepting, and rearranging times to meet.
- Making predictions Saying what you think will and won't happen, and why.
- Meeting New People
- Planning and describing a tour Agreeing an itinerary with a partner and presenting it.
- Reacting to a story Responding with interest, surprise, or sympathy while someone tells you something.
- Responding to opinions Agreeing, partly agreeing, and disagreeing politely.
- Retelling a news story Reporting what happened, in order, including what people said.
- Retelling a story in the right order Retelling events using sequencers and connectors.
- Retelling an article in your own words Summarizing something you have read for someone who has not read it.
- Talking about a past vacation or trip Narrating where you went, what you did, and what went wrong.
- Talking about choices and decisions Weighing options aloud and saying what you might do.
- Talking about housework and shared responsibilities Saying who does what at home and how you feel about it.
- Talking about imaginary situations Saying what you would do if things were different.
- Talking about life events Describing the stages of your own or someone else's life.
- Talking about memorable experiences Describing the best, worst, and most surprising things you have done.
- Talking about school days Describing what school was like and what you used to do.
- Talking about shopping experiences Describing a good or bad purchase and what happened.
- Talking about the past, present, and future Moving between time references in one conversation without losing accuracy.
- Talking about your lifestyle and health Discussing diet, exercise, sleep, and what you would change.
Intermediate
- Comparing and choosing Weighing options aloud.
- Giving opinions and agreeing or disagreeing Holding a position politely.
- Handling everyday social situations Introductions, permission, requests, suggestions, and apologies.
- Reporting what someone said Passing on a conversation accurately.
- Safety
- Speculating about a situation Saying how likely something is, and why.
- Talking about abilities and achievements What you can do, and what you managed.
- Talking about food and eating habits Meals, preferences, and cooking.
- Talking about money and spending Habits, attitudes, and decisions.
- Talking about rules and obligations What you have to, must not, and should do.
- Talking about work and study Jobs, applications, and learning.
- Talking about your family and the people you know Describing people and relationships.
- Telling a story about the past A narrative with a beginning, middle, and end.
Intermediate Plus
- Describing people and things in detail Stacking adjectives without sounding odd.
- Describing something you cannot name Paraphrasing your way round a gap.
- Handling everyday practical situations Lost luggage, car rental, police reports, house rules, and directions.
- Public Speaking
- Reporting a conversation or an event Passing on what happened accurately.
- Talking about habits and how long Duration, and its visible results.
- Talking about names and identity What you are called, and what that means.
- Talking about rules and advice What is required, forbidden, and sensible.
- Talking about shopping and services Asking, comparing, and complaining.
- Talking about study and career plans What you have done and where you are going.
- Talking about the environment Waste, recycling, and what could be done.
- Talking about travel and preparation Plans, packing, and what goes wrong.
- Talking about your life so far Stages, turning points, and what changed.
Upper-Intermediate
- Asking and answering at length Sustaining an exchange beyond a single turn.
- Debating a position Arguing a case, and conceding a point.
- Describing appearance and style Clothes, fashion, and impressions.
- Describing symptoms and health Explaining what is wrong precisely.
- Discussing abstract topics Science, media, business, and free speech.
- Expressing regret and wishes About now, and about the past.
- Handling extended social conversation Talking about work, books, waste, performance, and advertising.
- Reporting and paraphrasing what others said Passing on speech with the right reporting verb.
- Speculating about the future What will have happened, and what might.
- Talking about habits and adjustment What you used to do, and what you are used to.
- Talking about hypothetical situations Unreal conditions and their consequences.
- Telling an extended story A narrative with background and climax.
Advanced
- Describing people with precision Character, motive, and impression.
- Discussing abstract and cultural topics Art, health, travel, food, and society.
- Discussing an issue at length Sustaining a position through objections.
- Discussing work and career Ambition, conditions, and change.
- Distancing yourself from a claim Reporting a view without endorsing it.
- Expressing strong feelings and attitudes Loving, hating, and everything between.
- Giving a structured opinion Claim, support, and concession.
- Negotiating and persuading Moving someone toward your view.
- News & Current Events
- Recounting memories Habitual past against a single incident.
- Speculating and deducing Reasoning aloud about what must be true.
- Sustaining natural conversation Work, family, history, stress, illustration, and animals.
- Telling an anecdote well Timing, emphasis, and a point.
Advanced Plus
- Arguing a case with concessions Holding a position while granting the other side.
- Comparing and contrasting at length Sustained comparison beyond the obvious.
- Debating an abstract proposition Sustaining an argument on unfamiliar ground.
- Discussing cultural issues sensitively Handling difficult subject matter with care.
- Discussing data and evidence Talking about figures without distorting them.
- Expressing nuanced emotion and attitude Precision about how you feel.
- Presenting a well-structured description A sustained, organized account.
- Prioritizing and explaining choices Ranking options and defending the order.
- Speculating about causes and consequences Reasoning aloud about why and what follows.
- Summarizing a text in speech Compressing accurately and fairly.
Proficiency
- Adjusting register to the room The same point, pitched three ways.
- Chairing and steering a discussion Running a conversation you are not the subject of.
- Delivering an extended, structured argument A long turn that holds together.
- Handling hostile questions Staying precise under pressure.
- Interpreting and paraphrasing on the spot Restating someone else accurately, at speed.
- Speaking with humor and irony Timing, and knowing when not to.