ESL Meeting Someone New Conversations

The ESL meeting someone new conversations on this page and the exercises will help you learn how to speak to someone when you first meet them. It is important for you to be able to greet someone and introduce yourself. These conversations will show examples of how you can do this.

ESL meeting someone new conversations show you how to speak when you meet someone new for the first time.

This page has 2 example conversations for you two read and understand. They are also shown as two videos. These use a lot of the ESL meeting someone new vocabulary, so can use that if you do not understand any of the words. After that there are 3 exercises for you to do.

  • Reading a conversation and filling in the blanks with the correct option.
  • Writing a conversation of your own.
  • Conversation questions so you can talk to your friends in English.

Conversation 1

Situation: Lucy meets a new student.

Lucy: Hello, are you new here? I’ve not seen you before.
Tui: Hi, yes I’m a new student. I just arrived yesterday.
Lucy: I’m Lucy, it’s nice to meet you.
Tui: My name is Tui. I hope you can understand my English, I’m still learning.
Lucy: Yes I can understand you, you speak very clearly. What are you doing here?
Tui: I am studying for my MSc in biology. I will be here for one or two years.
Lucy: Great. I’m also studying for an MSc. Have you met anyone else yet?
Tui: No just my teacher.
Lucy: Do you want to come and have some coffee with me? I am going to meet my friends. They would love to meet you.
Tui: That would be great, thank you.
Lucy: Don’t mention it. Where do you come from?
Tui: I’m from Thailand. I think it is very cold in the UK.
Lucy: Yes it is cold but the weather will get warmer in the summer. Let’s go and meet my friends.



Conversation 2

Situation: Lucy introduces Tui to some of her friends.

Lucy: Hi. This is Tui she’s a new student that’s just joined.
Bob: Hi nice to meet you. My name is Bob.
Jane: Hi, I’m Jane. Have a seat and tell us all about yourself.
Tui: Hi. It’s great to meet you. I’m from Thailand and I arrived yesterday.
Jane: Are you homesick?
Tui: A little. I miss my family.
Bob: Do you come from a big family?
Tui: Quite big. I have two brothers and one sister. I’m the oldest.
Lucy: It must be difficult coming so far away from your family.
Tui: Yes but I have always wanted to travel and meet people from other countries.
Jane: Do you like it here?
Tui: Yes. I am very excited to be here. Where do you come from?
Jane: I come from York.
Bob: It was nice to meet you Tui. I have to go to my class now. I will see you later, bye.
Tui: Goodbye.



ESL Meeting Someone New Conversation Exercises

There are 3 exercise for you to do now that you have read and understood the ESL meeting someone new conversations above as well as looked at the videos.

Exercise 1 – Fill in the Blanks

The following conversation has 5 blanks in it that you need to fill by choosing the best option (A-D) from the questions below.

Situation: Andrew meets Tui.

Tui: Excuse me, can you help me?
Andrew: Yes sure, __________ (1) _________
Tui: I’m a bit lost and need to find my way to class room H2-202. Please tell me how to find it.
Andrew: You’re very close. It’s just round the corner. I’ll show you the way, I’ve got a class there now.
Tui: Thank you that is very kind. My name is Tui. __________ (2) _________
Andrew: Nice to meet you as well. You’re from Thailand, my friend Lucy met you yesterday and said that there was a new student joining our class.
Tui: Yes it was great to meet her yesterday. __________ (3) _________
Andrew: I’m from Norwich. It is an old and beautiful city.
Tui: What is your family like?
Andrew: My family is small. I am an only child so it was just my parents and me. __________ (4) _________
Tui: Yes. I’ve not been here long but it I think it is a great city.
Andrew: Here we are at the classroom. Lucy usually gets to class early, we can go and sit with her.
Lucy: Morning Andrew and Tui. How are you?
Andrew: I’m, fine thanks.
Tui: Hi. __________ (5) _________
Lucy: Yes I’m fine, thanks for asking.

ESL Meeting Someone New Conversation


Choose the best option (A-D) in the following five questions to fill in the blanks in the meeting someone new conversation given above.

1) Which option is the best to fill in the first blank?
        A) who are you?
        B) what can I do?
        C) where do you come from?
        D) how are you?
2) Which option is the best to fill in the second blank?
        A) What's your name?
        B) It is nice to meet you.
        C) I have to go, goodbye.
        D) Do you want to go and have coffee?
3) Which option is the best to fill in the third blank?
        A) What is your family like?
        B) My name is Tui.
        C) What is your name?
        D) Where do you come from?
4) Which option is the best to fill in the fourth blank?
        A) How long will you stay?
        B) Where are you living?
        C) Do you like London?
        D) What is your name?
5) Which option is the best to fill in the fifth blank?
        A) I'm great, and you?
        B) I'm Tui.
        C) Do you want to eat lunch together?
        D) Have you met Andrew?

Score =

Correct answers:

Exercise 2 – Write a Conversation

In this exercise you should try to write an ESL meeting someone new conversation of your own. It could have just 2 people or more if you want. The people speaking in the conversation should be meeting for the first time and introducing themselves to each other. 

Exercise 3 – Conversation Topics

There are two question sets below for you and a friend to use. One of you takes set A and the other takes set B. You then ask each other the questions and give the best answers that you can. Once you have answered the questions you can swap the questions sets and start again.

The questions have also been made into some conversation cards for you to download by clicking the picture.

If you would like more conversation cards, then you can download my ‘80 ESL Conversation Cards’ ebook. This has 80 cards with five questions each. Half of them will never be published anywhere else.

Question set A

  • What is your name?
  • Where do you come from?
  • Do you like it there?
  • What do you do?
  • Do you like doing that?

Question set B

  • Describe your parents?
  • How are you?
  • What is your family like?
  • Do you have a partner?
  • How old are you?


› Meeting Someone

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