Fluvia

Getting around

Practise English for directions, hotels and the airport

Asking for directions is easy; understanding the answer is not, because it comes back fast, full of street names and landmarks you do not know. Here you ask the way, check into a hotel, and sort out a problem with a flight. Free, no sign-up.

Situations
3, the street, the hotel and the airport
Who you meet
a stranger, a receptionist, ground staff
What you practise
understanding the answer, not just asking
Correction
as you speak, not at the end
Sign-up
none
Price
free

The three situations

  • Lost in a new city

    You are going somewhere new and you may have to ask your way.

    George — a helpful local you stop on the street

    Ask for and confirm directions, and keep the exchange polite and clear.

    Start →

  • Checking into a hotel

    You are travelling and will have to check in in English.

    Anita — a hotel receptionist

    Manage a check-in, ask useful questions, and resolve a small issue.

    Start →

  • Sorting out a flight problem

    You are flying soon and something could go wrong at the desk.

    Rachel — an airline desk agent at the airport

    Explain a problem under pressure and negotiate a workable solution.

    Start →

Asking is the easy half

"Excuse me, how do I get to the station?" comes after about a month of study. The trouble arrives two seconds later, when the answer has three turns, a proper noun you do not recognise, and a "you can't miss it" that you certainly can.

So the exercise does not stop at the question. You have to repeat back what you understood to confirm it, which is what native speakers do and almost nobody teaches: "so, second left and then past the church?". That sentence rescues more journeys than vocabulary does.

The hotel and the airport add what happens when the plan does not hold: a booking that is not in the system, and a flight that changes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I ask for directions in English?
"Excuse me, how do I get to…?" works anywhere. What makes the difference is what you say next: repeating back what you understood so they can confirm it.
What do I do when I do not understand the answer?
"Sorry, was that left or right at the lights?" beats a bare "what?", because it points at the exact part you missed and they repeat only that.
Does it cover a hotel check-in?
Yes, that is the second situation, with a booking that does not show up in the system at first.
Does it correct my English or just chat?
It corrects you at the moment of the mistake, and gives you back a more natural version of what you just said.

FROM WHAT YOU READ TO WHAT YOU SAY

Understand the answer, not just the question

Practise repeating back what you heard. It is the sentence that turns directions into a route.

Practise on the street