Partner A
Easier: Do you have a best friend? Why or why not?
How did you meet your oldest friend?
More challenging: How do friendships change as people transition from childhood to adulthood?
Jamesleads the live roundsSimmonds · live on simmonds.onlineB15 min · English
Friends and friendship in English: vocabulary, dialogue and conversation questions
Editorially responsible: James Simmondspublished 2 Nov 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.
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.
FriendshipB1 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about friends and friendship (level B1)At the restaurantA2 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about eating out and ordering food (level A2)Clothes and fashionB1 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about clothes and fashion (level B1)Sorry, could you say that again?Give me a second to think.How do you say … in English?
Question of the day
Why do adults sometimes stop communicating with their friends?
Show the answer – Open the answer to the question of the day
Correct answer: Because they move to a new city or start a new job.
You can find the answer in the English introduction.
Listen to the introduction
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Transcript
Hi, I'm Theo, and this is a two-minute conversation starter. Today: friends and friendship. As we grow older, our friendships often change. When we are young, it is easy to get to know someone – Jump to the vocabulary entry for get to know someone at school. We usually have a lot in common – Jump to the vocabulary entry for have a lot in common with our classmates. But as adults, life gets busy. Sometimes we lose touch – Jump to the vocabulary entry for lose touch because we move to a new city or start a new job. However, it is wonderful to reconnect with a close friend – Jump to the vocabulary entry for close friend after a long time. Even if you rarely see them, you can still keep in touch – Jump to the vocabulary entry for keep in touch and rely on – Jump to the vocabulary entry for rely on them when things get difficult. What is the most important quality you look for in a friend?
Vocabulary
- get to know someone/ɡet tə nəʊ ˈsʌm.wʌn/
- Meaning: To learn more about a person over time.
- Example: It takes time to get to know someone in a new office.
- have a lot in common/hæv ə lɒt ɪn ˈkɒm.ən/
- Meaning: To share the same interests or opinions.
- Example: My brother and I have a lot in common, especially our love for music.
- lose touch/ˌluːz ˈtʌtʃ/
- Meaning: To stop communicating with someone over time.
- Example: I hope we don't lose touch when you move to London.
- close friend/ˌkləʊs ˈfrend/
- Meaning: A person you know very well and trust completely.
- Example: She is a close friend who always listens to my problems.
- keep in touch/ˌkiːp ɪn ˈtʌtʃ/
- Meaning: To continue to communicate with someone.
- Example: We usually keep in touch by sending text messages.
- rely on/rɪˈlaɪ ɒn/
- Meaning: To trust someone to help you or do what they promised.
- Example: You can always rely on your family for support.
Dialogue
- SarahI saw David at the supermarket yesterday.
- MarkReally? I haven't seen him for ages. We used to be such good friends.
- SarahHe said you two didn't keep in touch after university.
- MarkYeah, we just seemed to lose touch when I moved here.
- SarahYou should call him! I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.
- MarkI don't know. Do we still have a lot in common?
- SarahOnly one way to find out! He was always a really close friend.
- MarkYou're right. I'll send him a message this evening.
Questions for your conversation
Partner B
Easier: Is it easy to make friends in your city? Why or why not?
What do you usually do when you spend time with your friends?
More challenging: To what extent do you agree that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to friendships?
Partner A
Easier: Do you like spending time in large groups of friends? Why or why not?
How do you keep in touch with friends who live far away?
More challenging: If you joined a new club on your own, how would you start making friends?
Useful phrases
- We've known each other for ten years.
- We have a lot in common.
- I've lost touch with most of my school friends.
- Let's keep in touch!
- She is someone I can always rely on.
- We met through a mutual friend.
Topic quiz
Five quick questions check vocabulary and listening comprehension.
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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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