In this lesson, we are going to focus on phrases you can use when asking for information and making recommendations. We usually need some advice when we decide to travel abroad. 

Let's focus on some polite ways to make requests and recommendations in English.  


SPEAKING STRATEGY: MAKING POLITE REQUESTS 

I was wondering if you could... 

• As you're from there, I was wondering if you could give me some tips? 
• I was wondering if you could suggest a good place to stay? 

Do you think it's a good idea...? | Do you think you could...? | Do you think I should...? 

• Do you think it’s a good idea to travel alone? 
• Do you think you could suggest a few places to see? 
• Do you think I should exchange money at a bank or bureau de change? 

Is it worth …? / Is … worth …? 

• Is it worth visiting Dubai? / Is Dubai worth visiting? 
• Is Singapore worth visiting? / Are Melbourne and Canberra worth visiting? 

Would you recommend...? 

• Would you recommend going to the National Museum? 
• What places would you recommend visiting in Spain? 
• Which city in your country would you recommend people to visit? 
• Where would you recommend to stay? 

SPEAKING STRATEGY: MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS 

To recommend someone does something​ 

It’s worth …ing. 

• It’s worth going to Italy in spring or autumn. 

You should definitely… 

• You should definitely rent a car. 

I recommend (that) you… 

• I recommend you pack clothes that can be mixed and matched easily. 

​I recommend …ing. 

• I recommend trying some local food instead of eating at fast food restaurants. 

To recommend someone doesn’t do something

​Don’t bother …ing. 

• Don’t bother bringing toiletries when travelling. They’re cheap and easy to find everywhere. 
• Don't bother going to this place. There's nothing much you can do there. 

It’s not really worth …ing. 

• It’s not really worth spending a lot of money on flights. 
• I think this tourist attraction is a bit overrated. It's not really worth seeing in person. 

I wouldn’t … if I were you. 

• I wouldn’t go to Vietnam during the rainy season if I were you. 

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TASKS: 

1. Imagine you are going on a trip to the UK. You know someone who is from there. Ask politely for information: accommodation, transport, safety, money, food, shopping, sightseeing. 
2. Make recommendations to a foreign friend of yours who is coming to visit you in your country. 

Other lessons:
Story Time: Travelling in Spain 
Story Time: Travelling in France 
Phrasal Verbs: Phones and Technology 
Commonly Used Phrases in Spoken English 

English conversation lessons:
​English Conversation: Travel opinions 
English Conversation: Travel experience 
English Conversation: Travelling in Europe and Asia 
English Conversation: Buying sunscreen products at a store 


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In this lesson, you are going to read a real-life story about travelling in France. 


STORY TIME 

I went to France with my husband and son in the summer of 2015, and actually that was the first European country I visited. Of course, I had to consider currency exchange, places to visit and hotels to stay in. 

We travelled from Shanghai to Paris, where we spent five days. When I travel with my family, I'm the person who chooses the tourist destinations and who makes reservations. I decided to look for some Airbnb options in Paris, because hotels there are quite expensive. I found an apartment with three rooms at a very affordable price*. It was two times lower than hotel prices. Apart from the price, another reason why we prefer Airbnb is because rooms are bigger compared to hotel rooms. 

In Paris, we visited the most popular tourist attractions. I remember we got caught in the rain while we were near the Eiffel Tower, and we didn't have an umbrella, so we had to buy one. There were people selling raincoats for 10 euros each and an umbrella for 25 euros. Even though we knew they were overpriced, we bought one raincoat and one umbrella. They were of poor quality and I assume their original price was probably around $2 each. 

Travelling in Paris is convenient if you choose their subway system. Driving a car can be challenging and it's usually difficult to find a parking space. 

As for the food, we wanted to try the local cuisine, so we preferred to eat out even though we had a kitchen in the apartment and we could cook there. I remember that I made breakfast only twice. Of course, you may find prices in France a bit high, but we personally don't think about that when we travel abroad because we want to enjoy our stay in a different country and we know we'll be able to save money when we go back to China. 

After five days in Paris, we then went to Nice* by train. We spent about nine or ten days in other cities. We rented a car in Nice for one week and travelled to Marseille* and Avignon. I was really impressed with a flea market we went to in Marseille. I bought some bronze cups, dolls and stamps, because they looked very unique. 

Speaking of buying, you can use a credit card when travelling abroad. At least this is what we did. We changed around 2,000 RMB in China before going to France. That was around 250 euros. I made a big mistake when travelling to Spain. As far as I remember, I changed money there two times and the exchange rates were low, and I think I lost a lot of money. In France I relied on my credit card and I changed money while I was in China. 


* Don’t say a convenient price. Say a reasonable price or a fair price.

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VOCABULARY 

• stay at a hotel | stay in a hotel (collocations) 
• make a reservation | have a reservation | cancel a reservation (collocations) 
• an affordable price (collocation) - not too high; cheap enough for most people to afford 
• at an affordable price 
• a hotel price | a hotel room (= a bedroom in a hotel) (collocations) 
• get caught in the rain (collocation) - be outside when it starts raining 
• overpriced - something that is overpriced is more expensive than it should be 
• be of poor quality - something that has been made badly 
• a parking space | a parking place | a parking spot (collocations) - a space in a street, car park etc where a car can be left
• a high price | a low price (collocations) 
• a subway system (collocation) 
• impressed by/with someone/something - feeling admiration for someone/something because you think they are particularly good, interesting, etc. 
• a flea market (collocation) - where you can buy old or used things 
• speaking of (phrase) - used for introducing something new that you are going to say relating to a subject that someone has just mentioned 
• Nice* /niːs/ - the fifth most populous city in France 
• Marseille* /mɑːrˈseɪ/ - the second largest city in France 

Other lessons:
Confusing words in English: Famous vs. Popular 
Confusing words in English: Crowded vs. Congested 

English conversation lessons: 
English Conversation: Travel opinions 
English Conversation: Travel experience 
English Conversation: Travelling in Europe and Asia 
​English Conversation: Buying sunscreen products at a store 
English Conversation: Socialising with people and working in coffee shops 


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In this lesson, you are going to read a real-life story about travelling in Spain. 


STORY TIME

"I went to Spain with my family in the summer of 2016. We visited Barcelona, Madrid, Granada and Málaga. As this was our first time in Spain, we didn't know much about the country and the places we went to. Of course, we tried to prepare a bit in advance by reading articles online. 

Even though our spoken English is not very good*, we were able to get by. What I noticed is that local people in big cities know English and they can help you if you ask them questions. It's also quite convenient to order food in restaurants because waiters speak English as well. The problem was when we travelled to some provincial cities and places that are not that popular with tourists, because people there don't speak English. It can be quite challenging to take a taxi or eat out. Another thing is that menus in little Spanish restaurants are written only in the local language and there are no images. This made it a bit difficult for us to choose something from the menu because we couldn't understand anything and without any pictures, we didn't know what to expect. We ended up looking at other tables and what the people around us had already ordered. We managed to order food even though the waiter didn't speak English. What really helped us was using hand gestures and pointing out at dishes on other tables. Well, I know this can be really embarrassing, but it seems to be the only way to order food in these kinds of situations. It really helps if you know the local language, but that's not always possible. 

I definitely love Europe and in the future I'd like to visit Finland and Denmark. So far I've only been to France and Spain. I'd say I enjoyed Spain the most because of their cuisine and the people there are very hospitable. We saw a lot of street performers playing musical instruments. There's something about Spanish people and their culture that makes you feel good. 

My favourite destination in Spain is Málaga. It's a beautiful coastal city with a historic centre. There are lots of archaeological remains and monuments. We were actually pleasantly surprised because we were there during their holiday. It was a festive atmosphere with local people dancing in the streets. 

My advice to tourists visiting Barcelona would be to keep an eye on their personal belongings. They need to watch for some of the most common scams like offering you a flower or bumping into you in crowded public transport. I was almost robbed on my first day in Spain and it was in the daytime. I was very alert while walking around." 

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​* You can say that your English is not very good, poor or terrible instead of saying that it's 'bad'. 

• My English isn't very good. 
• My English is poor. 
• My English is terrible. 

​

VOCABULARY 

• get by (phrasal verb) - to have enough knowledge so that you can do what you need to do 
• provincial cities (collocation) - in a part of the country that is not near the capital 
• popular with tourists (collocation) 
• eat out (phrasal verb) - to have a meal in a restaurant 
• select/choose something from the menu (collocation) 
• end up (phrasal verb) - to find yourself in a place or situation that you did not intend or expect to be in 
• feel good (collocation) - happy or physically comfortable (e.g. Sunshine makes people feel good.) 
• pleasantly surprised (collocation) - surprised and pleased 
• a festive atmosphere (collocation) - when people are celebrating 
• keep an eye on something (collocation) - watch them, especially to make sure they are safe 
• watch for somebody/something (phrasal verb) - to pay attention so that you will see when something happens 
• in the daytime | during the daytime (collocations) 

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Other lessons:
English Lesson: 5 Types of Lifestyle 
Commonly Used Phrases in Spoken English 
Story Time: Running out of petrol on the highway 

English conversation lessons: 
English Conversation: Travel opinions 
English Conversation: Travel experience 
English Conversation: Travelling in Europe and Asia 

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In this lesson, you will learn how to respond to what people say. When we have conversations, we usually show interest in what has been said or we want to agree with the other person. 

Let's look at how you can do that in conversational English and how you can actually use very short responses to convey the information. 

ADJECTIVES 
You can make short sentences by using adjectives. 

Great 
It is used in spoken English to express pleasure or agreement. 

Examples: 

• 'Let's go to the movies then.' — 'Yeah, great, why not.'  (the movies = the cinema) 
• 'We can have dinner before the film'. — 'Great. I'll pick you up at six, then.' 

That's interesting. 

Examples: 

• I met my boyfriend in Spain.' — 'In Spain? That's interesting.' 
• 'I'm a doctor and I've been working for about eight years now.' — 'Oh, that's interesting.' 
• A: Where exactly are you from, Kim? 
  B: Well, I'm Vietnamese. I was born in Hanoi, but I've been working in Australia for the last couple of years. 
  A: That's interesting. And what are you doing in Berlin? 
  ​B: I'm here for a conference. 

Wow! That's amazing! | How amazing! 

Examples: 

• 'I got a new job.' — 'That's amazing!' 
• 'I'm going to study in the UK for one year.' — 'Wow! That's amazing!' 
• A: Do you work in a public or private hospital?
  B: Before I worked in a public hospital, because the best hospitals in China are the public ones. Recently I moved to another hospital because the work is really hard and the salary is not equal to my efforts. I got an offer from an international hospital in Shanghai. 
  A: Wow, that's a great opportunity. How amazing! 

Note: 'Wow!' is an exclamation. We use it to express that we are very surprise or impressed by something. 
​

ADVERBS 
​When we want to show that we agree with someone or something, we use adverbs like absolutely, definitely and certainly. You can add 'Yes/Yeah, ...' if you wish. 

Absolutely 
In spoken English, we use 'absolutely' to show that we completely agree with someone. 

Examples: 

• 'Do you think she'll like the present?' — 'Absolutely.' 
• 'It's expensive, isn't it?' — 'Absolutely.' 
• 'Did you enjoy the workshop?' — 'Absolutely.' 

Definitely 
You can use it in informal conversations to emphasise that there is no doubt about something. 

Examples: 

• 'Was the party what you expected?' — 'Yes, definitely.' 
• 'Do you like living here?' — 'Yeah, definitely. Living here is great for many reasons. I like the fact that there are plenty of green spaces and outdoor activities. I never get bored.' 

Certainly 
In spoken English, we use 'certainly' to agree or to give permission to someone. 

Examples: 

• 'May I see your passport, please?' — 'Certainly.' 
• 'Could you lend me some money?' — 'Certainly.' 
• 'Can I come over at five o'clock?' — 'Certainly, see you then!' [come over (to...) - to come to a place, especially somebody’s house, to visit for a short time] 

Note: In everyday English, people usually say of course or sure rather than certainly when they agree or give permission. 

Example: 

• 'Can I call you later?' — 'Of course.' 

​
​​
QUESTIONS 
Using echo and reply questions is a good way of showing interest in conversations. We sometimes add oh and really. 

ECHO QUESTIONS 
In conversations people show interest and surprise by using echo questions. They repeat the surprising information in the statement with rising intonation. 

Examples: 

• A: I've heard she has a new boyfriend.
  B: A new boyfriend? 
  A: Yes. She met him in Spain. 
  B: In Spain? 
• A: I bought my suitcase for $100.  
  B: $100? Why so much? 
  A: I actually thought there was a discount. 

REPLY QUESTIONS 
Reply questions can also be used to express interest and surprise. They consist of auxiliary verbs and pronouns with rising intonation. 

Examples: 

• 'We had a terrible holiday.' — 'Did you?' [You need to ask a question with the same tense of the verb that is used in the statement. In this case it is Past Simple.] 
• ​'I've got a headache.' — 'Have you? I'll get you something for it.' 
• 'I try to keep fit, so I usually go to the gym three times a week.' — 'Do you?' 
• 'I don't like spicy food.' — 'Oh, don't you?' 
• 'I'm going to Italy in September.' — 'Are you?' 
• 'I can't swim.' — 'Can't you? Well, it's never too late to learn.' 

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Other lessons:
English Lesson: 5 Types of Lifestyle 
English Lesson: Describing a Friend 
Commonly Used Phrases in Spoken English 

English conversation lessons: 
English Conversation: Travel opinions 
English Conversation: Travel experience 
English Conversation: Travelling in Europe and Asia 
English Conversation: Buying sunscreen products at a store 
English Conversation: Socialising with people and working in coffee shops 

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(You don't have to, but if you do, that would be very nice of you.)