Lesson 08

Asking for Directions

Finding your way: asking for, understanding, and giving directions
Adult Speaking English  ·  Arc 3: Getting Around
By the end of this lesson

Today's Goals

You will be able to:
  1. The student can politely ask a stranger how to get to a place.
  2. The student can ask whether a place is near or far, and how long it takes to get there.
  3. The student can understand basic spoken directions (straight, left, right, next to, across from).
  4. The student can give simple directions to someone else using the same language.
  5. The student can react naturally when directions don't work out (getting lost, asking again).
Lesson flow — 45 min
Warm-up5 min
Input8 min
Controlled Practice8 min
Listening7 min
Role-play10 min
Free Speaking5 min
Review/Homework2 min
Lesson 08 — Asking for Directions3
Stage 1

Warm-up

55 min
Goal
Talk about the student's own neighborhood/city and how they usually find places.
Lesson 08 — Asking for Directions4
High-frequency words

Key Vocabulary

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straight ahead
一直走
Go straight ahead for two blocks.
turn left / turn right
左转／右转
Turn left at the corner.
corner
拐角
The shop is on the corner.
block
街区
It's about three blocks from here.
across from
在…对面
The bank is across from the hotel.
next to
在…旁边
It's next to the coffee shop.
intersection
十字路口
Turn right at the next intersection.
landmark
地标
Use the big clock tower as a landmark.
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High-frequency words

Key Vocabulary (cont.)

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far / close (nearby)
远／近
Is the station far from here?
on foot / walking distance
步行；步行距离
It's within walking distance.
get lost
迷路
I think I got lost.
map
地图
Can you show me on the map?
Lesson 08 — Asking for Directions6
2 of 7 patterns

Core Expressions 1–2

1
Excuse me, how do I get to...?
打扰一下，请问怎么去…？
Excuse me, how do I get to the train station?
Excuse me, how do I get to the nearest pharmacy?
Your turn: Think of a real place in [City] you'd need directions to — ask about it.
2
Is it far?
远吗？
Is it far from here, or can I walk?
Is it far? Should I take a taxi?
Your turn: Ask this about a place you're curious about near your home or [Destination].
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4 of 7 patterns

Core Expressions 3–4

3
Go straight.
一直走。
Go straight for about five minutes.
Go straight until you see the traffic light.
Your turn: Give directions from your home to a place you go often — start with "Go straight..."
4
Turn left / Turn right.
左转／右转。
Turn left at the second corner.
Turn right after the bridge.
Your turn: Continue the directions from your home — where do you turn, and where?
Lesson 08 — Asking for Directions8
6 of 7 patterns

Core Expressions 5–6

5
It's next to...
它在…旁边。
It's next to a big supermarket.
It's next to the school, you can't miss it.
Your turn: Describe where your favorite restaurant or shop is located, using "next to."
6
It's across from...
它在…对面。
The hotel is across from the park.
It's across from a small bakery.
Your turn: Describe another real place using "across from."
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7 of 7 patterns

Core Expression 7

7
Sorry, I'm a little lost. Can you help me?
抱歉，我有点迷路了，能帮帮我吗？
Sorry, I'm a little lost. Can you help me find this address?
Sorry, I'm a little lost — is this the right way to the museum?
Your turn: Imagine you're lost near [Destination] — practice asking a stranger for help.
Lesson 08 — Asking for Directions10
Stage 4

Listening

77 min
A tourist stops a local person on the street.
Tourist
Excuse me, sorry to bother you — how do I get to the History Museum?
Local
Oh sure, no problem. It's actually not too far. Go straight down this street for about two blocks.
Tourist
Okay, straight for two blocks...
Local
Right, and then you'll see a big intersection with a coffee shop on the corner. Turn left there.
Tourist
Turn left at the coffee shop, got it.
Tourist
Is it far after that?
Local
Not really — maybe five more minutes on foot. The museum is across from a small park, and it's right next to a red brick building. You really can't miss it.
Tourist
Great, thank you so much!
Local
No problem. Oh, wait — actually, I forgot, that street is closed for construction this week. You might need to go one more block before turning left.
Tourist
Oh no, okay — one more block, then turn left. Got it. Thanks again!
Local
You're welcome. Good luck!
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Comprehension & discussion

Listening Check

Before listening

  1. Look at the setting: a tourist asking for directions to a museum. What phrases do you think you'll hear?
  2. Do you think the directions will be simple or will something change? Guess before listening.

While listening

  1. Listen and count: how many blocks does the tourist walk straight before turning?
  2. Which direction does the tourist turn — left or right?
  3. What two landmarks are near the museum?
  4. Listen for the "surprise" — what changes near the end of the conversation?

After listening

  1. In your own words, explain the directions the tourist finally needs to follow.
  2. Has this ever happened to you — directions changing or being wrong? Tell me about it.
  3. If you were the tourist, what would you say when the local corrected the directions?
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Stage 5

Controlled Practice

88 min
Model
Teacher demonstrates each pattern naturally with gestures (pointing straight, left, right) to reinforce meaning.
Repeat
Student repeats each pattern 2–3 times with natural rhythm and stress.
Substitute
Teacher gives a cue, student swaps it into the pattern.
  • Cue: "the post office" → "Excuse me, how do I get to the post office?"
  • Cue: "right" → "Turn right at the corner."
  • Cue: "the bank" → "It's next to the bank."
  • Cue: "the hotel" → "It's across from the hotel."
Personalize
Student gives real directions from their home to a nearby place (a subway station, a supermarket, their workplace).
  • "From my home, go straight, then turn [left/right]..."
Remove prompts
Teacher plays a lost tourist with no script and asks the student for directions to a real or imagined place nearby; student must respond spontaneously with accurate, connected directions.
Lesson 08 — Asking for Directions13
Stage 6

Role-play

1010 min
Situation
The student is a tourist in an unfamiliar city (or the teacher is) and needs to ask a local for directions to a specific place, then follow up when something doesn't go as planned.
Teacher
Play a helpful local giving directions. Occasionally give directions that turn out to be wrong, incomplete, or that change midway, forcing the student to ask clarifying questions.
Student
Approach a stranger, ask how to get somewhere, confirm understanding of the directions, and react if something changes or doesn't match what was said.
Useful language
Excuse me, how do I get to...?
Is it far?
Go straight. / Turn left/right.
It's next to... / It's across from...
Sorry, I'm a little lost. Can you help me?
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Make it unpredictable

Challenge Cards

Drop one of these in mid-role-play.
Directions don't match reality

The student follows the directions but the landmark mentioned (e.g., "the coffee shop on the corner") isn't there anymore. The student must stop someone else and ask again.

Construction / road closed

Partway through, the original route is blocked, and the local has to give a new, alternate route on the spot.

Vague directions

The local gives directions that are too vague ("it's over that way somewhere"), and the student must ask follow-up questions to get something usable.

Wrong destination understood

The local misunderstands and starts giving directions to the wrong place; the student must notice, clarify, and correct them.

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Stage 7

Free Speaking

55 min
Ask the student to describe, without looking at notes, how to get from one real place to another — for example, from their home to their workplace, or from a hotel to a landmark in [City] or [Destination] — speaking continuously for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Example prompt: "Imagine a friend is visiting you in [City] for the first time. Explain to them, out loud, how to get from the train station to your home." Encourage the student to structure it themselves: starting point → straight/turns → landmarks → estimated time.
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Error correction

Review & Common Mistakes

Correct immediately
  • Errors that make the direction impossible to follow (e.g., mixing up "left" and "right" consistently, or wrong preposition changing meaning: "next to" vs "across from").
  • Misuse of this lesson's core patterns ("How I get to..." missing "do").
  • Confusing "far" and "near" in a way that reverses the meaning.
Note & correct later
  • Minor grammar slips (missing articles: "turn left at corner").
  • Small pronunciation issues that don't block understanding (e.g., "block" vs "black").
  • Word order issues in longer, more complex sentences during free speaking.
Lesson 08 — Asking for Directions17
Before next lesson

Homework

22 min
Speaking
Record yourself (30–60 seconds) giving directions from your home to any real place nearby — a supermarket, a subway station, a friend's house. Use at least three core expressions from this lesson.
Review
Review the 7 core expressions from Section 4. Write one original sentence for each, based on real places you know.
Real life
Next time you need directions (using a map app or asking someone), try to think through the directions in English first — "go straight," "turn left," "it's next to" — before switching to Chinese.
Lesson 08 — Asking for Directions18
Lesson 08 complete

Nice work.

Next up: Lesson 09
Adult Speaking English

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