#Ep. 5 Asking For Directions In English Directions

Unlock the secrets to mastering English directions with me, Natalie. Ever found yourself lost in a new city and struggling to ask for directions? This week, I've got you covered! We'll journey through essential phrases like "Can you show me the way to..." and "Is there a...near here?" ensuring you'll never feel lost again. We'll recap crucial phrasal verbs and dive into practical vocabulary and speaking exercises. By the end of this episode, you'll be navigating confidently using landmarks, street names, and distances.

But the fun doesn't stop there! For just six dollars a month, you can join my exclusive English Book Club. Enhance your learning experience with an extra episode each week and a PDF activity as we explore both classic and modern English novels. I'll walk you through key vocabulary, themes, and plots, sometimes even reading live on TikTok. Follow me on TikTok and YouTube at Learn English with Natalie and immerse yourself in a richer learning journey. Tune in and let's get you confidently communicating in English!

Chapters

• 0:00 Learning Directions in English
• 16:25 English Book Club Membership Information

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello everybody and welcome to this week's episode of Learn English with Natalie. I've changed the setup a little bit this week. If you are watching the visual version of this lesson, you will be able to see that I am now presenting this face to face alongside the slides. And if you are just listening to the audio version, welcome and you may want to check out the visual version at a later time. So we'll see how this goes. I'm currently in my living room recording this. I've got a camera facing me. I am recording the screen on my iPad. Hopefully my technology skills will allow this to work. So let's see. If you are a returning listener thank you so much for joining me again and if you are a new listener, thank you so much for joining me today I would are a new listener. Thank you so much for joining me today. I would love any feedback, so please provide feedback in the comments or send us a message and let us know how the layout of the session is helping you or if there is anything that I can improve with this. So let's get started straight into today's lesson. Our learning objective today is to ask for directions and give instructions, so there's going to be a lot of vocabulary practice today, which I'm sure you will find useful. Please remember that the following lesson provides important information for the foundations of your English learning. You may want to revisit this episode at a later time and you may want to consider keeping a journal or the PDF activity that comes with this episode, so that you can revisit your notes at a later time. Remember, the two top tips for learning a language are that consistency is key and please don't be afraid to make mistakes. It's all part of the learning process. So quick recap Phrasal verbs this is what we covered last week.

Speaker 1: 1:52

I am going to read a description to you and I want you to see if you can match the phrasal verb that this correlates to. So the description is this To research the meaning or information about something. To research the meaning or information about something. Is it run out of, look up or take off? Ran out of, look up or take off? And if you said look up, you were correct. Well done, I had to look up the word in the dictionary, so I had to research the meaning of it in the dictionary. So we've got a new structure. This is a brand new podcast, so everything's changing and I'm trying to adapt it to make it as purposeful and concise and clear as possible for you, so that you get a lot out of it. Thank you for those who have given feedback so far. It's been very useful and I've used that to improve the episodes.

Speaker 1: 3:01

So part one will be your introduction and teaching point. Part two will be your vocabulary and speaking practice, part three will be your listening practice and part four will be your independent learning. So by the end of this lesson, you will be able to ask for directions in different ways and you will be able to confidently give directions as well. So why do you need to learn this? Have you ever been lost in a new city or had trouble understanding directions? Or maybe someone asked you how to get somewhere and you weren't sure how to explain it? By the end of this episode, you will feel confident with both asking for and giving directions in English. As always, I'm going to guide you through some key phrases, give you a chance to practice, and then we'll put it all together with a dialogue at the end. So let's get started. Vocabulary and speaking practice.

Speaker 1: 4:12

Okay, I'm going to read a sentence to you and I'm going to take out the location of which you are asking so that you are familiar with the structure of the sentence. So that you are familiar with the structure of the sentence. Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to blank? And where you put the blank is where you ask for that location. For example, excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the nearest train station? I'll read that again and then you are going to repeat after me my turn. Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the nearest train station? Your turn, fantastic, well done. Now I'm going to give you another phrase. Can you show me the way to blank? And the blank is where you will insert the location. I'll give you an example. Can you show me the way to the library? I'll read that again and then you can repeat after me. Can you show me the way to the library? Your turn, fantastic, well done, excellent.

Speaker 1: 5:32

Let's go for another phrase for asking for directions. Is there a blank near here? Now I'm going to give you an example. Is there a pharmacy near here? I'm going to read it one more time and then you can repeat after me Is there a pharmacy near here? Your turn, perfect, well done. So where I have used the word pharmacy. You can replace that with any location that you're asking for. Next phrase how far is blank from here? I'll give you an example sentence how far is the museum from here? I'll read that one more time and then it's your turn. How far is the museum from here? Your turn Wonderful, well done, great. Now, when you're asking for directions, don't forget to carefully listen to the instructions that you are given. People might use landmarks, so famous buildings or restaurants, street names or distances to help to guide you.

Speaker 1: 6:59

So next, let's cover some key phrases you're likely to hear when you are receiving the directions Go straight ahead. This means that you are going to continue walking in the same direction. For example, here's a sentence go straight ahead for two blocks, then turn left. Now a block they usually use in the USA a block is a row of buildings. I'm going to read the key phrase again Go straight ahead. Now. I'm going to say it again and then I want you to repeat after me Go straight ahead. Your turn, wonderful, excellent.

Speaker 1: 7:51

The next one turn left or turn right. You'll hear this when you need to change direction. Here is an example sentence Turn right at the traffic lights. I'll say that again Turn right at the traffic lights. Now I'm going to say the key phrase again and then you're going to repeat after me Turn left, your turn. Good. Turn right, your turn, fantastic.

Speaker 1: 8:28

And if you are struggling to remember which one is left and which one is right in your language, what I do is this. Now, I don't know if on the video, if you are watching this, I think my camera might be flipped. But if you hold out your fingers in two right angles, okay. So you are making an L shape with your finger and your thumb. When you are looking from your perspective at your fingers on the left hand side, it is making an L the correct way around. That means that that L is for left. On the right, it is showing an L backwards, which you don't want. So L for left, for left.

Speaker 1: 9:21

Next phrase it's on your left or it's on your right. This tells you which side the place will be on. For example, the restaurant will be on your left. I'll say the key phrase again it's on your left, it's on your right. So now I'm going to repeat those phrases again and you're going to have a chance to practice. It's on your left, your turn, perfect. It's on your right, wonderful, well done.

Speaker 1: 9:59

Here's the next phrase. You'll see it on the corner. I'll say that again. You'll see it on the corner. This is often used when the place is at an intersection, so where two roads meet. For example, you'll see the bank on the corner of Fifth Street and Elm Street. I will say the key phrase again You'll see it on the corner. Your turn, perfect, well done. Now the next one it's across from blank. So when you are saying it is across from, it is across from. That is A-C-R-O-S-S. Across, one word. This means the place you're looking for is directly opposite another place. For example, the post office is across from the park. Or you might hear the post office is opposite the park. That means the same thing. I'll read the phrase again. It's across from the park. That means the same thing. I'll read the phrase again it's across from the park. Your turn. Excellent, well done.

Speaker 1: 11:24

Next phrase Take the second street on the left or take the third street on the right. So when somebody gives you directions, they might give you a specific instruction of the street you need to turn onto. Take the second street on the left, take the third street on the right. They might say take the first street on the right. They might say take the first street on the left. So this is where your knowledge of first, second, third, fourth, fifth, etc. Will help you. Here's an example sentence Take the second street on the right after the traffic circle or the roundabout. I would use the word roundabout, but in your English language learning, depending which country you're visiting, you might hear traffic circle. Take the second street on the right after the traffic circle. I'm going to read the key phrase again and then I want you to repeat after me Take the second street on the left. Your turn Wonderful, excellent.

Speaker 1: 12:43

Now it's time for part three your listening practice. I am going to read out a conversation. Part of this conversation will be myself, as a tourist, asking a question. I'm going to leave a pause so that you can give me a response. Using the vocabulary from today, you could say anything that you like. This is just practice. Remember, make those mistakes. It's important After you have had a go. I'm a tourist, I'm in a city that I don't know and I say to you excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the nearest train station? How would you respond? Excellent. Here's an example. You might say something like Go straight ahead for two blocks, then turn left at the traffic lights. The station will be on your right, and now I'm going to approach you again and say Can you show me the way to the museum? How would you respond? Wonderful. You could say something like it's about 10 minutes from here, walk straight, take the second street on the left and you'll see the museum across from the library. Obviously, the correct answers will vary depending on where you're asking to go.

Speaker 1: 14:41

Now part four independent learning. Now part four independent learning. For your independent learning this week, I would like you to choose a nearby place that you visit often, so you're very familiar with the route you need to take to get to practice telling yourself or a friend how you will get there from your home in English. Okay, so choose a place that is in your local area where you could walk to and practice giving directions to yourself or a friend, so that you can practice giving and receiving instructions. Now, if you do this and you're feeling confident enough to record yourself, I would love it if you could record it and tag me on TikTok at Learn English with Natalie. I have been enjoying the responses I've received so far and I love to see how I am impacting your English learning journey when I'm recording a podcast or a YouTube channel. I don't get to have that live interaction with people very often, so it's wonderful to see what progress you are making and the work that you are doing. Now that's the end of today's lesson.

Speaker 1: 15:56

Thank you so much for joining me today, but I just want to make you aware of something quickly before you go. But I just want to make you aware of something quickly before you go. First of all, please remember to rate, review and subscribe wherever you are listening to this podcast. It really helps to grow the show. This is a brand new podcast and I would really appreciate it if you could give me some feedback. And please share this with a friend who is also learning English. Please share this with a friend who is also learning English.

Speaker 1: 16:25

If you want to take your English learning further, you may want to consider joining my book club. For just six dollars a month, you will receive an additional episode each week and an additional pdf activity where I dive into classic and modern English novels and I talk about the different vocabulary that is used. I talk about the themes and the plots. So through the episodes, I am guiding you through that book. Sometimes I also like to read a section of the book on TikTok, so sometimes I do that on a TikTok live. I read a part of the story. So if you are interested in joining me on TikTok, it is at Learn English with Natalie, and any information that you have about this podcast or where you can reach me is all available in the show notes or in my bio on my YouTube channel at Learn English with Natalie. Thank you so much for joining me today. I hope you got a lot out of the episode and I really look forward to seeing you all again next week. Have a great day.