Asking for what you need
Get through a real exchange on a small stock of words: ask for something, ask a price or a direction, and say you did not follow and need it again. The phrases that keep an exchange alive matter more here than correct grammar.
What a learner can do afterwards
- Ask for something they need in the new language and act on the answer
- Say they did not understand and ask for repetition or slower speech
- Keep going with a gesture or a simpler word when the exact word is missing
1 · Read
You have practised short conversations. No hablo español means 'I do not speak Spanish'. No means not, hablo means I speak, and español means Spanish. This states your language ability; it does not ask someone to slow down.
Je ne parle pas français means 'I do not speak French'. Je means I, parle means speak, and français means French. Ne and pas make this sentence negative. Learn the whole phrase; it is not a request for repetition.
In Spanish, ¿Dónde está el baño? means 'Where is the toilet?' ¿Cuánto cuesta? means 'How much does it cost?' Agua, por favor means 'Water, please'. Por favor is a way to make a polite request, but it does not promise that someone can help. For pretend shopping, tres euros means 'three euros'. Hear a teacher say it and match it to 3 euros. Practise each amount together before paying.
No entiendo means 'I do not understand'. Más despacio, por favor means 'More slowly, please'. ¿Puede repetirlo, por favor? means 'Could you repeat it, please?' These are different from saying you do not speak Spanish. Ask again when the reply is unclear.
If an object is there but you forget its name, you can point to it and use words you know. Or describe it with a simpler word. Check that the listener understood; gestures do not have the same meaning everywhere.
If a request feels hard, practise a known phrase with a teacher or trusted adult first. Hear a model and try a small part. You can pause, ask for help or use a shared language when needed. An attempt does not guarantee help or instant progress.
Choose a request, check the reply, and use clarification or supported practice when needed.
Original lesson, questions and flashcards written for this learning dataset.
Four original reading activities and six original flashcards written for this learning dataset.
2 · Watch
En anglaisTake it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
Optional connections
This opens up
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.