A School Visit: School Vocabulary and Talking to Teachers in English

Learn useful English for visiting a school and talking to teachers. This free A1 lesson for adult beginners introduces school places, staff roles, polite greetings, and questions about a child's progress. Its 12 interactive slides include listening practice, a school vocabulary video, audio cards, quizzes, greeting activities, and a parent and teacher role-play.

What you will learn

• Identify six common places in a school.
• Recognize school staff roles.
• Choose suitable formal or informal greetings.
• Ask questions about a child's classwork, behaviour, and progress.
• Use simple present sentences to describe school activities.
• Practice a short conversation with a teacher.

English vocabulary for school places

Watch the school video, then listen to the picture cards and repeat each word. Connect the place with what students do there.

Practice simple sentences: Students read in the library. They eat in the cafeteria. They play sports in the gym. Use the school places quiz to check your understanding.

People who work at a school

The vocabulary cards also introduce people you may meet during a school visit.

• Teacher: someone who teaches students.
• Librarian: someone who helps students find books and information.
• Principal: the person who leads and manages a school.
• Homeroom teacher: a teacher who supports a particular class.
• Guidance counsellor: a staff member who helps students with their plans.

Listen to the words and say a short sentence about each role: The librarian helps students find books. or The principal manages the school.

Meeting teachers and other parents

A school visit gives parents an opportunity to meet staff and discuss learning. The introductory listening activity also discusses Parents' Day in the United States. Listen for the occasion, its date, and its purpose, then answer the questions.

Practice introducing yourself at a meeting: Hello. My name is Anna. I am Ben's mother. Add a polite phrase such as Nice to meet you.

Formal and informal greetings

The greeting activity and two short videos compare a conversation with school staff and a more casual conversation between parents. Notice how the speakers begin and end their conversations.

• More formal: Good morning. / Good evening. / It was a pleasure meeting you.
• More informal: Hi. / Hey. / See you.
• Polite questions: How are you? / How can I help you today?

For a first meeting with a teacher, practice Good morning, Ms Lee. With someone you know well, try Hi. How are you doing? Sort the phrases in the greeting activity, then practice saying them with a partner.

Asking about a child's progress

Use clear questions to ask about classwork, behaviour, and school events. Listen to the parent and teacher conversation and repeat the questions and answers.

These answers are examples from the lesson. Change my son to my daughter, and he/his to she/her, to practice another version.

Simple present sentences about school

Use the simple present to describe regular activities and qualities: He reads books. She needs more practice. He is polite. With he or she, notice verb forms such as reads, needs, and talks.

Practice matching a question with a suitable answer in the final missing-word activity. Read the completed exchange aloud before making your own example.

A short parent and teacher role-play

Parent: Good morning, Ms Lee. How is my daughter doing?
Teacher: Good morning. She is doing well in class.
Parent: Does she need help with anything?
Teacher: She needs more practice in writing.
Parent: How is her behaviour?
Teacher: She is friendly and polite.
Parent: Thank you.
Teacher: You are welcome.

Use this model for speaking practice. Take turns as parent and teacher, then change the names and example answers. Try asking about an upcoming school event as well.

Practice with the interactive lesson

1. Discuss the purpose of a school visit and complete the opening listening quiz.
2. Watch the school video and repeat the vocabulary audio.
3. Answer questions about the school places.
4. Sort formal and informal phrases and watch the two conversation videos.
5. Listen to the parent and teacher dialogue.
6. Match progress questions with answers and practice a role-play.
7. Share one new word or phrase you learned.

Teachers can model a greeting and a progress question before learners practice in pairs. For self-study, repeat the audio lines and practice three questions you could ask during a school visit.

Review celebrations and dates in Lesson 14, or explore more free A1 English teaching materials.