Learn how to ask, "Can you speak English?"
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Use English to Your Advantage |
| In this lesson, we’ll cover another very important phrase: “Do you speak (language)?” |
| SURVIVAL PHRASES |
| Slowly, by syllable: Do you speak (language)? |
| This question may come in handy if you meet somebody who speaks your language in the UK. It’s likely, especially in the big cities, that someone will speak your native tongue. But instead of straightaway asking in their language, you can also ask them in English first, just in case the person doesn’t understand. |
| Before we hear the phrase again, let’s choose a language to ask for. Let’s pick French, since many people in the UK learn this as their second language at school. So we can say: “Do you speak French?” ‘Do’ is the modal verb, ‘you’ is the person you’re talking to, ‘speak’ is the verb, and ‘French’ is the language. |
| Slowly by syllable: Do you speak French? |
| Again, as mentioned in the previous lesson about toilets, don't forget ‘excuse me’ before asking a question to somebody you don't know. |
| Let's go over this phrase with other languages: |
| Do you speak Chinese? |
| Do you speak Spanish? |
| Do you speak German? |
| Do you speak Filipino? |
| To be completely honest, and as many listeners may already know, a large number of British people can’t speak a second language. Despite studying French, and sometimes German and Spanish, at school, most UK citizens don’t feel the need to speak a second language. |
| However, in big cities such as London, Birmingham and Manchester, you may find people who speak a second language. This is because of the large immigrant communities in these cities. Languages you may hear include Chinese, Hindi, Urdu or Arabic. |
| Okay, to close out this lesson we’d like you to practice what you’ve just learned. I’ll provide you with the phrase, and you’re responsible for shouting it out loud. You have a few seconds before I give you the answer. So good luck! |
| - Do you speak French? |
| - Do you speak Chinese? |
| - Do you speak Spanish? |
| - Do you speak German? |
| - Do you speak Filipino? |
Outro |
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| Alright! That’s going to do it for this lesson. Bye! |
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