Andrey: Dima, how was your trip to Great Britain?
Dima: Wonderful! It was a great experience for me.
Andrey: Were you there just for sightseeing or for studying?
Dima: Both options are correct. It was my first time there, so I wanted to see as many sights as possible. And, it was an educational exchange, so I got to attend one British school with my penfriend.
Andrey: Did you stay at his place while you were there?
Dima: Yes, his family was so nice to have me for the whole month. They were my host family.
Andrey: Which part of Great Britain do they live in?
Dima: They live in Southampton - a city on the south coast of England. It"s the largest city in Hampshire county. I liked this place very much. First of all, the weather was fantastic, while I was there. It was sunny and warm almost every day. Secondly, I got to see many notable buildings, such as the Tudor House, the Mayflower Theatre, the National Oceanography Centre, etc.
Andrey: Is Southampton far from London?
Dima: No, it's just two hours away by bus.
Andrey: Did you go there?
Dima: Of course. We spent a couple of days in London, although I think that one should live a month there to get acquainted with the whole city.
Andrey: What did you see in London?
Dima: First of all, we visited the Trafalgar Square and saw the Nelson's Column on it. Secondly, we were at the Piccadilly Circus. It's now one of my favorite parts of London. It is especially beautiful at night, when it is richly illuminated. I took many pictures of it.
Andrey: What's Piccadilly Circus famous for?
Dima: It is a public space at the West End of London, which is full of posh facilities. There are lots of nice shopping and entertainment centers. Other than that, we saw the Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and the Museum of Madame Tussaud.
Andrey: What other parts of Great Britain did you visit?
Dima: One day, my penfriend Adam took me to Stonehenge. It was a fantastic trip. Luckily, Southampton is not far from this world-famous attraction.
Andrey: Did you get to see the prehistoric stones standing in a ring?
Dima: Of course, I did. In my opinion, this place is enchanted. When I was there, it felt strange to be among such ancient remains that include hundreds of burial mounds.
Andrey: I wish I could go there sometimes too.
Dima: If you want, later I can show you the pictures that I took. I left my camera at home.
Andrey: Sure. I"d love to see them. Are there any other remarkable places that you saw? Did you go to other countries of Great Britain apart from England?
Dima: As we were close to Wales, one day we decided to visit Swansea. I should say, it "s an amazingly beautiful city. It"s the second largest city in Wales and one of its main sea ports. People who like swimming and fishing, will appreciate this place, as Swansea has long sandy beaches.
Andrey: Sounds interesting. If your school was going to arrange another educational trip to Great Britain, I would definitely join.
Dima: I"ll ask my teacher of English about it. If there is another trip, I"ll let you know.
Natasha: - I wonder if all the British are really reserved people who have a quirky sense of humor? My teacher told me that every Englishman is a cold fish. Are you with me?
Richard: - You know, I can’t say I share your view. English hospitality is gracious and elegant, and an Englishman is always glad to see his friend, but he must know and approve you before inviting you to come over; or you must be properly recommended.
Natasha: -Anyway, Russian hospitality beats all. We are always ready to help even an unknown person and give the shirt off our backs. That’s why people say that the Russians have big open hearts.
Richard: -No doubt about it. The British are usually restrained and reserved unlike the Russians. Moreover, Englishmen show great consideration to physical distance between each other, especially, for business contacts. College students don’t even shake their hands like they do in Russia. Did you know that?
Natasha: -Actually, no, I didn’t. This is quite interesting. We are told a lot of fables about British culture. It seems to me that it’s always foggy in the capital of the England, everything stops for a cup of tea at 4 o’clock and people sing “God save the Queen” walking down the street.
Richard: - You draw it strong! I’m an Englishman and I agree that all these things are integral parts of our culture. Just for the record, we like coffee too.
Natasha: - Got it. The British are smart, intelligent, nice and well-mannered. Besides, your language is the most popular language around the world. Do you have anything to be embarrassed about?
Richard: - Yes, I do. The British have some serious nation-wide problems with spirits. Sometimes we are ridiculously polite and apologize very often. Some of us are snobs and we are always ready to judge somebody.
Natasha: - So, now I see that you are the real people with some virtues and shortcomings.
Natasha: - I wonder if it’s true that all British people are reserved people with a peculiar sense of humor? My teacher told me that they are all insensitive crackers. Do you agree?
Richard: - You know, I don't agree with you. English hospitality is a combination of good manners and elegance. An Englishman is always ready to meet a friend, but before he invites you to visit, he must get to know you and only then accept you; or you must have good references.
Natasha: - In any case, nothing compares to Russian hospitality. We are always ready to help, even a complete stranger, and give our last shirt. That is why it is believed that Russian people have a broad soul.
Richard: - I don’t even doubt it. The British, unlike the Russians, are usually reserved and secretive. Moreover, it is very important for them to keep physical distance between each other, especially when it comes to business communication. Guys from English colleges don't even shake hands, unlike Russian students. Did you know about this?
Natasha: - Actually, no, I didn’t know. It's quite interesting. We were told many myths about their culture. That's why it seems to me that the English capital is always foggy, everything around you freezes for a cup of tea at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and people walking along the streets sing “God Save the Queen!”
Richard: - You're exaggerating! I'm English, and I agree that all this is an integral part of our culture, but by the way, we also love coffee.
Natasha: - I see. The British are resourceful, smart, sweet and well mannered. Besides, the language you speak is the most popular language in the world. Is there anything you might be ashamed of?
Richard: - Yes, there are. The British have a very big problem with alcohol at a national level. Sometimes we are ridiculously polite and apologize too often. Some of us are snobs and we are always ready to judge someone.
Natasha: - And so, now I see that you are real people who have both advantages and disadvantages.
Everyone knows that you can learn English for different purposes. Someone needs to master business correspondence, someone wants to read books written in English in the original, someone wants to understand by ear the famous songs of their favorite groups, sometimes skills in translating specialized literature are required. In all these cases, direct communication skills may not be needed. But a huge number of people learn English precisely in order to communicate in it with friends, partners or with people on tourist trips abroad. In this case, the most important means for developing communication skills is a variety of dialogues in English.
As one respected university English teacher used to say when he had his students repeat the same phrases over and over again, “Unprepared speech is well-prepared speech.” This phrase, paradoxical at first glance, actually has a certain practical meaning. If you are not a native speaker, in any situation of spontaneous communication it is important for you to have in your memory a set of well-learned clichés on various topics. In this case, you will not think about composing each sentence, but all your attention will focus on the meaning of what you are talking about. That is why, when practicing communication skills, the teacher gives the task not only to read and translate dialogues on various topics, but also to memorize them.
Examples of dialogues on various topics
As a rule, dialogues are composed on certain topics. Typically, dialogues in English for beginners are an introduction dialogue, a conversation about the weather (a universal means of maintaining a conversation), a conversation in a cafe, a dialogue in a store, a conversation about plans for the weekend, etc.
In any case, it is important to remember that dialogue is not just a set of phrases like “question and answer”, but also a reaction to the information of the interlocutor, and an emotional component of one degree or another. Therefore, when learning dialogues in English, audio accompaniment plays a very important role. Listening to dialogues, you not only remember phrases, but also copy the intonation pattern, which is especially important in dialogical speech.
Today we will present to your attention dialogues in English with translation, the full versions of which you can see. In this case, the dialogues will be accompanied by exercises, a detailed dictionary and grammatical explanations.
Dialogue on the topic "acquaintance"
So, any communication begins with a relationship.
Hello, how are you?
Fine, thanks. And you?
Great! My name is Lima.
I am Emily. It's nice to meet you.
It's nice to meet you, too.
Are you from New York?
Yes, I am. Where are you from?
I am from here, from Bedford.
Oh, great. Can we be friends?
Hi, how are you?
OK, thank you! And you?
Amazing! My name is Lima.
I'm Emily. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you too.
Are you from New York?
Yes. Where are you from?
I'm from here, from Bedford.
ABOUT! Wonderful. Can we be friends?
Certainly.
Dialogue about the weather
As you know, if you need to start a conversation with a stranger, the topic of weather will be a win-win option. This topic is international, politically correct and universal for any circle. This topic is especially popular among residents of the UK. And this is not surprising, because this country is known for its changeable weather. Therefore, a few phrases about the weather that acquaintances exchange when meeting are often just a form of greeting, and not at all a way to get some information.
Hello, Martin, lovely day, isn't it?
Absolutely wonderful - warm and clear. What's the weather forecast for tomorrow? Do you know?
Yes, it says it will be a bit cloudy in the morning. But the day will be bright and sunny.
How nice. A perfect day for an outing. I promised my family a barbecue, you know.
Great! I hope you'll enjoy it.
Hi Tom
Hello Martin, beautiful day, isn't it?
Absolutely wonderful - warm and clear. What's the forecast for tomorrow? Do not you know?
Yes, I know, they say it will be a little cloudy in the morning. But the day will be clear and sunny.
How good. A great day for a country walk. I promised my family a barbecue, you know.
Great! I hope you will enjoy.
Dialogue in a restaurant
Dialogues in a cafe or restaurant are often used in educational materials and phrase books. Having learned the basic phrases from such a dialogue, you will be able to apply this knowledge on a trip abroad. In addition, some structures and so-called politeness phrases will be useful to you in other speech situations.
Jerry: Let's go for a walk.
Lima: Have you got any ideas where we can go?
Jerry: Yes, I have. Let's go to the restaurant.
Lima: Ok. Let's go.
Waiter: Good evening. What can I do for you? What would you like to order?
Jerry: Have you got mashed potatoes?
Waiter: Yes, we have.
Jerry: Have you got any juice?
Waiter: Apple juice, tomato juice and orange juice.
Jerry: Give us orange juice, please. Have you got any ice-cream?
Waiter: Yes, we have vanilla ice-cream, chocolate ice-cream and ice-cream with topping.
Jerry: Give us one vanilla ice-cream and one chocolate ice-cream.
W: Anything else?
Jerry: That's all. Thank you.
Jerry: Let's go for a walk.
Do you have any ideas where we can go?
Jerry: Yes. Let's go to a restaurant.
Lima: Ok. Let's go to.
Waiter: Good evening. What can I do for you? What would you like to order?
Jerry: Do you have mashed potatoes?
Waiter: Yes.
Jerry: Do you have any juice?
Waiter: Apple juice, tomato juice and orange juice.
Jerry: Give us some orange juice, please. Do you have any ice cream?
Waiter: Yes. We have vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream and topping ice cream.
Jerry: Give us one vanilla ice cream and one chocolate ice cream.
Waiter: Anything else?
Jerry: That's all. Thank you.
Dialogue in the store
Another popular topic for dialogues is store dialogues in English:
Emily: Hey Lima. Let's go shopping.
Lima: Hi, Em. Let's go!
Salesgirl: Good morning! Can I help you?
Emily: Good morning! What is the price of this dress?
Salesgirl: It costs one thousand dollars.
Emily: Oh, it’s a very expensive dress.
Lima: Let's go to another store.
Lima: Look at these jeans. I like them.
Salesman: Can I help you?
Lima: Can you tell me what the price of those jeans is?
Salesman: Yes. The jeans cost three hundred dollars.
Lima: Ok, I’ll take those jeans and this T-shirt.
How about a nice dress for my friend?
Salesman: This dress is very popular this season.
Emily: Ok, I'll take it. Thank you very much.
Salesman: You are welcome.
Emilia: Hello, Lima. Let's go shopping.
Lima: Hi, Em. Let's go to!
Saleswoman: Good morning! Can I help you?
Emilia Good morning! What is the price of this dress?
Saleswoman: It costs one thousand dollars.
Emilia: Oh, this is a very expensive dress.
Lima: Let's go to another store.
Lima: Look at these jeans. I like them.
Seller: Can I help you?
Lima: Can you tell me what the price of those jeans is?
Seller: Yes. Jeans cost three hundred dollars.
Lima: Okay, I'll take those jeans and that T-shirt.
How about a nice dress for my friend?
Seller: This dress is very popular this season.
Emilia: Okay, I'll take it. Thank you very much.
Seller: Please.
Dialogue of friends
Dialogue between friends in English is a very frequent guest in all teaching aids. You can discuss a wide variety of topics - school affairs, family relationships, plans for the future. Such dialogues provide a lot of scope for imagination. After all, taking some ready-made audio dialogue in English as a basis, you can always “customize” it to suit yourself. And when you talk about your own experience and emotions, the material is remembered much easier.
Lima: So, have you decided where would you like to go on next holiday?
Emily: I think that I will go to my grandparents as usual. I will help them about the house.
And what about you?
Lima: I think that I will go to the seaside with my friends. Will you go with us?
Emily: What will you do there?
Lima: If the weather is fine, we will swim all the time. And I think we will go to an aqua park and maybe we will visit some excursions.
Emily: Oh, great. I think that I will join you.
Lima: Ok, I will call you.
Lima: Well, have you decided where you would like to go for your next vacation?
Emilia: I think I'll go to my grandparents, as always. I will help them around the house. What about you?
Lima: I think I'll go to the sea with my friends. Will you come with us?
Emilia: What will you do there?
Lima: If the weather is good, we will swim all the time. And I think we'll go to the water park and maybe attend some excursions.
Emilia: Oh great. I think I'll join you.
Lima: Okay, I'll call you.
Dialogue at the hotel
We offer you a couple of colloquial phrases on one of the most common hotel topics.
I need the cheapest room in this hotel. How much is it?
We have 2 numbers. The price is 10 dollars pro night.
It`s not cheap. Sorry.
I need the cheapest room in this hotel. How much does it cost?
We have two such numbers. The price is $10.
It is not cheap. Sorry.
Business dialogue
Business topics have become a separate subtopic in English. Today there are many courses in this profile, on online platforms there are special reference materials and entire intensive courses on this profile. We offer a short conversation about business in English:
Good morning! May I talk to Mr. Johns?
Good morning! Mr. Johns is busy at the moment. Do you mind leaving the message for him, please?
No, I don"t. It is Mr.Saimon. I"m calling to confirm our meeting.
Yes, Mr. Johns asked me to confirm!
Thank you very much for information!
Good morning! Can I hear Mr. Jones?
Good morning! Mr Jones is busy at the moment. Maybe you can leave him a message?
No thanks. This is Mr Simon. I'm calling to confirm our meeting.
Yes, Mr. Jones asked me to confirm!
Thank you very much for the information!
Effective ways to learn dialogues
As noted earlier, memorizing dialogues is the key to successful communication in English. The more speech clichés you learn, the easier it will be for you to formulate your thoughts in a spontaneous conversation. If you have an interlocutor or you are learning English in a group, learning and speaking the dialogue is not a problem. Moreover, teachers usually add a creative component to the task - based on the dialogue in the textbook, compose, learn and tell your own version. However, if you are learning English on your own, not having a conversation partner makes the task somewhat more difficult. But, as you know, there are no hopeless situations. Listening to English dialogues online is the most effective method of learning. As a rule, repeated listening helps you learn all the necessary phrases, and at the same time reproduce them with the correct intonation.
An online tutorial can just become a kind of lifesaver in such a situation. Texts and dialogues (dialogues in English) on the site are voiced by professional speakers. You can choose the most comfortable method of learning for yourself - relying only on the audio version, or relying on the English or Russian version of the texts.
Reporter: After nearly two years in Britain, what are your most important impressions of this country and its people?
George: Sharing a common language is very important. Some Americans say that we speak practically the same language. That`s why there is great interest in the literature of the other nation, not to mention television and music.
Elisabeth: I`m much more impressed by the personality difference. English people very often talk about the loudness of Americans but I suppose Americans are much more open.
Peter: Personally I have found it too difficult to have serious discussions with English students. It is extremely difficult to talk with an English student about anything that is more serious than beer or football.
George: I can`t agree. I have had discussions on many serious things with many English students. And I have to admit that the “British reverse” talked so much about is a reality. The British I have met were usually hard to get to know.
Elisabeth: We shouldn`t be so critical. There are a lot of different things which we like here.
George: I think that the observation that the English people are much more polite is true. And, as far as I have been able to see, the British cities haven`t yet reached the point of no return in crime that some of American cities have.
Reporter: Finally, what strikes you as the most important difference between your nations?
Peter: The rush of life. Daily life moves much faster in America. Everything is much more intense. But I suppose things are changing in Britain and in several years it will be the same here.
Translation
American students about Great Britain
Reporter: After almost two years in the UK, what are your most important impressions of this country and its people?
George: Using a common language is very important. Some Americans say that we speak almost the same language. Therefore, there is a huge interest in the literature of another nation, not to mention television and music.
Elizabeth: I'm much more amazed by personality differences. The British often talk about Americans being noisy, but I think Americans are more open-minded.
Pete: Personally, I found it too difficult to have serious discussions with English students. It is extremely difficult to talk to a British student about anything more serious than beer and football.
George: I couldn't agree more. I have had discussions on many serious topics with many English students. And I have to report that the “British opposite” that people talk about so much is a reality. The British people I met were usually very difficult to understand.
Elizabeth: We shouldn't be so critical. There are a lot of different things we like here.
George: I think the point about the English being much more polite is a fair one. And from what I've seen, British cities don't have crime rates as high as some American cities.
Reporter: Finally, what do you think is the most important difference between your peoples?
Pete: The speed (pace) of life. Daily life in America is much faster. Everything is much more intense. But I think things will change in Britain and in a few years it will be the same here.
Official name- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Capital- London. Population - 8.1 million people.
Geographical position. An island state in Western Europe between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, with overseas territories in all parts of the world. Great Britain consists of three countries: England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It borders by land only with Ireland on the island of Ireland. The closest overseas country to Britain is France, separated from the southern coast of England by the English Channel. The country's geography is vast and varied, containing mountain plateaus, green rural spaces and vibrant cities.
Population Great Britain - 63.23 million people, including the British (80%), Scots (15%), Welsh (or Welsh) and Irish. In addition, Indians, Pakistanis, Chinese, Arabs, Africans, etc. live in the country.
Languages: English (official), Welsh (spoken by about a quarter of the population of Wales), Scottish dialect of the Gaelic language (about 60 thousand people in Scotland).
Form of government. Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. Head of State since February 6, 1952 - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The legislative body is a bicameral parliament (House of Commons and House of Lords). The government is headed by Prime Minister David Cameron (since May 12, 2010).
Climate Great Britain temperate, oceanic, humid. The weather is mainly formed by the warm ocean current, the Gulf Stream. The coldest month is January (on average from +2 °C to +7 °C), the warmest is July (on average from +12 °C to +20 °C).
Everyone criticizes the weather of “Foggy Albion” for frequent rains and fogs. But you shouldn’t take it to heart, because, as you know, there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing!
Time lags behind Moscow by 3 hours during summer time, by 4 hours during winter time.
Currency. The national currency of Great Britain is the English pound sterling (GBP). 1 pound (symbol ₤) is equal to 100 pence. 1 GBP ≈ 1.2 EUR. In circulation are banknotes of 50, 20, 10, 5 pounds sterling and coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 pence. Currency exchange is carried out in banks, exchange offices, large hotels; At major airports this service operates 24 hours a day.
Transport. Great Britain is a left-hand drive country. The cheapest intercity transport is a bus. Public transport in London is quite well developed - you can get to any point in the city by subway, the famous double-decker buses, express buses (green) or minibuses. The cost of travel on all types of transport (even the metro) depends on the distance.
Air travel. From Moscow there are direct regular flights to London by British Airways, Aerofolot, Transaero, which arrive at Heathrow Airport. Also, the British budget airline EasyJet operates flights to London Gatwick and Manchester. Flights with transfers are operated by a number of domestic and foreign airlines.
Connection. The UK telephone code is 44. To call from Russia, dial 8-10-44 from a landline phone (+44 from a mobile phone), then the area code (without zero) and the subscriber number.
To make a telephone conversation with Russia, you need to dial 00-7 (or +7) and the subscriber number. Great Britain is famous for its red telephone booths; throughout the country you will always find pay phones that will provide you not only with regular telephone communications, but also Internet services, e-mail and SMS.
There is free WiFi almost everywhere.
Electricity. Network voltage is 230 volts. To use electrical appliances, an adapter with a three-pin plug is required.
The shops. Open from 9.00 to 17.30 from Monday to Saturday, some until 18.30-19.00. There is so-called “late shopping” until 20.00 on Thursdays and/or Fridays, and most shopping centers do the same. On Sunday, as a rule, shops are open from 12.00 to 18.00.
Tips. In many restaurants and cafes, the service charge is included in the total bill and amounts to 10-15% of the order value. If not, it is customary to tip in the amount of this amount. Taxi drivers are given a tip of 10% of the amount on the meter. Hotel employees - at your discretion. Tipping is not accepted in pubs, theaters and petrol stations.
National characteristics. The Englishman is polite, calm, friendly, invariably modest and respectful to his neighbor. The British are also characterized by scrupulousness, reverence for property, enterprise, efficiency and, most importantly, independence. When a person talks a lot, it is regarded as bad manners or even rudeness. Punctuality and accuracy in observing all rules and traditions is another distinctive feature of the British. You can rely on the honest word of the British.