Travel English · Unit T1

At the Airport

Survive every step of the airport in English: check in, pass security, answer the immigration officer and find your bags. Grammar: Can I…?, instructions, have to and the present continuous for travel plans. Pronunciation: stressing the important word.

Travel English3 dialoguesSurvival phrasesAirport

About the audio

Key Vocabulary

Start here. Learn and practice the key words and expressions of this topic before the dialogues.

Tip: on your phone, turn it sideways for Space Quiz.

Vocabulary warm-up

Play before the dialogues. Every game uses all the vocabulary and expressions of this topic and picks new words each time.

Drag across the letters to select a word.

    My Script: At the Airport

    Your key lines for the airport. Build each sentence from the end, one piece at a time, then say the full line.

    Let's talk

    Answer with your teacher. Use the vocabulary and grammar from this topic.

    False friends

    These airport words look like Spanish words, but they mean something different.

    EnglishLooks like…Actually means…
    actuallyactualmentede hecho, en realidad (currently = actualmente)
    assistasistirayudar (attend = asistir a un evento)
    carpetcarpetaalfombra (folder = carpeta)
    librarylibreríabiblioteca (bookstore = librería)

    Cultural note

    In the U.S. you usually arrive two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. Agents and officers are direct, so short and polite answers are best.

    Say please and thank you, keep your passport and boarding pass in your hand, and answer only what the officer asks.

      Read and pronounce

      Read and pronounce

      Listen to the model, tap Say it and say each sentence out loud. Bold words are the strong ones, gray words are soft and quick, and the underlined word carries the main stress. The app checks your pronunciation and marks any word it did not hear clearly.

      Practiced: 0/8Correct: 0/8Works best in Chrome or Edge. The browser asks for the microphone the first time.
      1

      Can I check in here?

      2

      I'd like a window seat, please.

      3

      Where is gate twelve?

      4

      I'm here on vacation for two weeks.

      5

      Excuse me, where is baggage claim?

      6

      Good morning. Can I see your passport, please?

      7

      Yes, of course. Do you want a window seat or an aisle seat?

      8

      Please put it on the scale. It weighs twenty kilos. That's fine.

      Playing audio