Are you a … ?

(student) - A question to ask what someone does by giving a suggestion.

Are you new here? - A question to see if the person has only just arrived.
Big family - A family with many children (over 4 or 5) and relatives.
Bye-bye (Bye) - An informal word for when leaving. (interjection)
Christian name - The name chosen by parents for their child. Used by friends and informally. Also called
first name or given name. (noun)
Do - Referring to a person’s job, e.g. what do you do? (verb)
Excuse me - A phrase to use when interrupting someone who is already speaking or when asking for
help. (interjection)
Family name - The name that all members of a family share, often comes from the father, someone’s
last name. Also called surname. (noun)
First name -  The name chosen by parents for their child. Used by friends and informally. Also called
christian name or given name. (noun)
Formal greeting - A greeting to use when meeting someone important or if you are being polite, e.g.
hello, how do you do. (noun)
From - A place where a person was born or lives, e.g. where are you from? (preposition)
Good afternoon (afternoon) - A formal greeting to use after midday but before 5 pm. Can be shortened
to the informal ‘afternoon’. (noun)
Good evening (evening) - A formal greeting to use after 5pm. Can be shortened to the informal
‘evening’. (noun)
Good morning (morning) - A formal greeting to use before midday. Can be shortened to the informal
‘morning’. (noun)
Goodbye - A formal word for when leaving. (noun)
Goodnight (night) - A formal way of saying goodbye in the evening or at night. Can be shortened to the
informal ‘night’. (noun)
Greet - To say hello when first meeting someone. (verb)
Greeting - The word used to greet someone, e.g. hello. (noun)
Handshake - Holding right hands and moving them up and down when first meeting someone. (noun)
Hello - A formal greeting. (interjection)
Hi - An informal greeting. (interjection)
Home sick - To miss your home. (adjective)
How are you? - To ask if someone is ok.
How do you do? - A formal greeting. The correct reply is also ‘how do you do?’
How’s it going? - An informal greeting.
Hug - To hold someone with arms wrapped around them. (noun)
I have to go now. - A phrase to explain that the conversation needs to end.
Informal greeting - A greeting use with friends, e.g. hi, how’s it going.
Introduce - To tell someone your name or another person’s name. (verb)
Kiss - To place the lips of two people together. (verb)
Know - To be aware of someone. (verb)
Meet - To see and speak to someone. (verb)
Name - The word or words used to refer to a person. (noun)
New person - Someone that has not been met before. (noun)
Nice to meet you. - A greeting to use after someone is introduced to you.
Nice to see you. - A greeting for when meeting someone.
Pardon me - A phrase to use when you did not hear what was said. (interjection)
Partner - Someone’s girlfriend, boyfriend, husband or wife. (noun)
Polite - To treat someone with respect. (adjective)
See you. - An informal phrase for when leaving.
Siblings - A group of brothers and sisters. (noun)
Small family - A family with just a few children (1 or 2) and not many relatives.
Study - To go to school, university or be in education. (verb)
Surname - The name that all members of a family share, often comes from the father, someone’s last
name. Also called family name. (noun)
Tell us about yourself? - A question to ask to get a lot of information about a person. When answering
include your name, job, where you come from and possibly your age as well as family information.
Wave - To lift up a hand and arm to greet someone. (verb)
What about you? - A question to ask for the same information from someone as they asked from you.

Greetings

Hello
Hi
Nice to meet you.
Nice to see you.
Good morning (morning) 
Good afternoon (afternoon)
Good evening (evening)

Describing yourself

What is your name?

My name is … 

I would like to introduce myself, my name is …

Tell us about yourself?

Where do you come from?

I come from … (London, Bangkok)

What is your family like?

I have a ... (big family, small family)

Do you have any brothers or sisters?

I have a … (brother and two sisters)
No I am an only child.

How old are you?

I am … years old.

Do you have a partner?

I am single/married. 
I have a girlfriend/boyfriend.
Are you new here?

Are you a … ? (student)

What do you study?

I study … (biology, history)

What do you do?

I am a … (student, teacher)
I work in a … (coffee shop, office)

How are you?

Fine, thanks.
I’m fine, thanks for asking.

What about you?

Asking for help

Have we met before?

Yes last week.
I don’t think so.

Can you help me please?

Yes, what can I do?

Thank you that is very kind.

Pardon, could you please repeat that?

Excuse me, …

Making plans

Do you want to go and have coffee?

Yes that would be nice.

Introducing someone else

I’d like you to meet …

May I introduce … to you?
Ending a conversation

I have to go now.
Goodbye
Bye-Bye
Bye
See you
Goodnight (night)

Conversation 1
Situation: Lucy meets a new student.

Lucy: Hello, are you new here? I’ve not seen you before.
Tui: Hi, yes I’m a new student. I just arrived yesterday.
Lucy: I’m Lucy, it’s nice to meet you.
Tui: My name is Tui. I hope you can understand my English, I’m still learning.
Lucy: Yes I can understand you, you speak very clearly. What are you doing here?
Tui: I am studying for my MSc in biology. I will be here for one or two years.
Lucy: Great. I’m also studying for an MSc. Have you met anyone else yet?
Tui: No just my teacher.
Lucy: Do you want to come and have some coffee with me? I am going to meet my
friends. They would love to meet you.
Tui: That would be great, thank you.
Lucy: Don’t mention it. Where do you come from?
Tui: I’m from Thailand. I think it is very cold in the UK.
Lucy: Yes it is cold but the weather will get warmer in the summer. Let’s go and
meet my friends.

Conversation 2

Situation: Lucy introduces Tui to some of her friends.

Lucy: Hi. This is Tui she’s a new student that’s just joined.

Bob: Hi nice to meet you. My name is Bob.
Jane: Hi, I’m Jane. Have a seat and tell us all about yourself.
Tui: Hi. It’s great to meet you. I’m from Thailand and I arrived yesterday.
Jane: Are you homesick?
Tui: A little. I miss my family.
Bob: Do you come from a big family?
Tui: Quite big. I have two brothers and one sister. I’m the oldest.
Lucy: It must be difficult coming so far away from your family.
Tui: Yes but I have always wanted to travel and meet people from other
countries.
Jane: Do you like it here?
Tui: Yes. I am very excited to be here. Where do you come from?
Jane: I come from York.
Bob: It was nice to meet you Tui. I have to go to my class now. I will see you
later, bye.
Tui: Goodbye.

Question set A

 What is your name?

 Where do you come from?
 Do you like it there?
 What do you do?
 Do you like doing that?
Question set B

 Describe your parents?

 How are you?
 What is your family like?
 Do you have a partner?
 How old are you?

ESL Meeting Someone New Reading Comprehension Passage

Good morning, I would like to introduce myself. My name is
David Johnson and it is nice to meet you. I come from near
Cambridge. I live in a small village that is close to the city
of Cambridge. I am 20 years old. I am studying history at
university and work in a shop at the weekends. I have one
brother and one sister. They are both older than me. My sister
is 26 years old and my brother is 22 years old. They have both
graduated from university and work in London.

Hi, my name is Lucy Spalding and it is great to meet you all.

I am really excited to see so many people. I am 24 years old
and am an only child. I come from Newcastle, which is in the
North of England and a long way away from here. My mother is a
teacher and my father works in an office. I finished a degree
in Media Studies last year and am unemployed at the moment. I
want to move to London to find work sometime.

Hello, it is nice to see you all. I’m Elaine. I come from

Cardiff and it is great to be here to meet you all in Reading.
I am 42 years old. I am married to my husband, Richard, and
have two children. One son called Andrew who is 18 years old
and one daughter who is 16 years old and called Tracy. I work
in a supermarket and my husband is a police office. My son
wants to study computing at university while my daughter wants
to become a singer.

Good morning. It is pleasure to meet my. Please let me

introduce myself to you. I am Hamid and I come from Pakistan.
My home town is Islamabad, the capital city. I am 19 years old
and have come to the UK to study English. I will stay here for
one year. I want to learn a lot. My family is big. I have 3
brothers and 1 sister. I am the oldest and my sister, the
youngest, is 11 years old. My father works as a government
official and my mother is a housewife. I want to learn English
so I can get a good job. I do not work as I spend all my time
studying.

Reading comprehension questions that go with the above reading passage.

1) Where is David Johnson from?

    A)  London

    B)  Reading

    C)  Cardiff

    D)  Cambridge
2) What is the name of Tracy’s mother?

    A)  Elaine

    B)  Lucy

    C)  Richard

    D)  Andrew

3) How many brothers does Lucy Spalding have?

    A)  0

    B)  1

    C)  2

    D)  3

4) How many siblings does Hamid have?

    A)  2

    B)  3

    C)  4

    D)  5

5) Elaine’s children want to do what?

    A)  Sing and work as police officer

    B)  Study computing and sing

    C)  Work as a hairdresser and study media studies

    D)  The passage does not say.