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AI image: a colleague hands a new colleague a coffee in the office kitchen – the first day at work.
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Simmonds · live on simmonds.onlineA25 min · English

Your first day at work in English: vocabulary, dialogue and conversation questions

Editorially responsible: James Simmondspublished 28 Sept 2026AI-generated text (learn more – how we use AI on these pages)

Live rounds with a trainer and a small group. To warm up: Theo asks, you answer.

Allow the microphone – Theo asks the first question.

Find a live round with a trainer – Opens simmonds.online: conversation classes in small groups

AI conversation partner, synthetic voice · your voice is processed live by Google Gemini, we store no audio and no transcript · max. 5 minAbout the AIWith headphones you can interrupt Theo. Without them, the microphone only listens once Theo has finished.

First day at workA2 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about your first day at work (level A2)Deadlines and delaysB1 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about missed deadlines (level B1)International teamsC1 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about working in international teams (level C1)

Question of the day

Where is Lena's new job?

  1. In Leipzig
  2. In Berlin
  3. In Hamburg
Show the answer – Open the answer to the question of the day

Correct answer: In Hamburg

You can find the answer in the English introduction.

Listen to the introduction

Speed

Transcript

A new colleague – Jump to the vocabulary entry for colleague. It is Monday morning. Lena starts her new job at a small company in Hamburg. She is a bit nervous – Jump to the vocabulary entry for nervous. Her new boss – Jump to the vocabulary entry for boss, Mr Weber, shows her the office – Jump to the vocabulary entry for office. The kitchen is small, but the coffee is good. At ten o'clock there is a team meeting – Jump to the vocabulary entry for team meeting, and everybody says hello. One colleague, Tom, asks: Where are you from? Lena says: From Leipzig. I moved here last month. At lunch – Jump to the vocabulary entry for lunch, Tom and Lena eat together. Lena thinks: Maybe this job is OK.

Vocabulary

colleague/ˈkɒl.iːɡ/
Meaning: A person you work with.
Example: My colleague Tom sits next to me.
nervous/ˈnɜː.vəs/
Meaning: Worried about what might happen.
Example: I felt a bit nervous before my first day at the office.
boss/bɒs/
Meaning: The person you work for, who tells you what to do.
Example: My boss shows me the office.
office/ˈɒf.ɪs/
Meaning: A room or building where people work, often at desks.
Example: Our office is next to the station.
team meeting/ˈtiːm ˌmiː.tɪŋ/
Meaning: A time when people in a team meet to talk about work.
Example: We have a team meeting on Monday.
lunch/lʌntʃ/
Meaning: The meal you eat in the middle of the day.
Example: Would you like to have lunch with us?

Dialogue

  1. LenaHello, I'm Lena. It's my first day.
  2. TomHi, Lena. I'm Tom. Nice to meet you.
  3. LenaNice to meet you too. Where is the kitchen?
  4. TomIt's next to our office. Would you like a coffee?
  5. LenaYes, please. What time is the team meeting?
  6. TomAt ten. We can go together.
  7. LenaThanks. I'm a bit nervous.
  8. TomThat's OK. You can ask me for help.

Questions for your conversation

Partner A

Easier: Is Lena nervous or angry? Why?

How does Lena feel on Monday morning?

More challenging: To what extent do a new colleague's first impressions influence their sense of belonging at work?

Partner B

Easier: Was your first day at work good? Why or why not?

Do you remember your first day at work?

More challenging: If you could experience your first day again, what would you want your employer to do differently?

Partner A

Easier: Is it good to have lunch with a new colleague? Why or why not?

What helps a new colleague on day one?

More challenging: How should a team balance giving new colleagues support with allowing them to become independent?

Useful phrases

  • She was a bit nervous.
  • I've worked here for fifteen years.
  • Where are you from?
  • Nice to meet you.
  • Could you show me the kitchen?
  • What time is the team meeting?

Topic quiz

Five quick questions check vocabulary and listening comprehension.

All conversations – Back to all English conversations

Questions

Who is Theo?

Theo is an AI conversation partner for warming up, not a teacher. The voice is synthetic. In the live rounds, a trainer talks with you.

Is my conversation stored?

We store neither audio nor a transcript. During the conversation, your voice is sent to Google (Gemini) for processing. The conversation ends after no more than five minutes.

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