Tips & Tools
Guides by Topic: Social & Family Life

Visiting a Friend's Home (Novice-Intermediate)

Guides by Topic: Social & Family Life

Practice on Your Own

Imagine you are studying or living in a country where the language is spoken. You go to visit a friend at her/his home.

  • What do you know about etiquette for visiting homes in this country? For example:
    • Is it common to drop by a friend’s house, or should you wait for an invitation?
    • If you are dropping by, should you avoid doing so at mealtimes?
    • If your friend invites you to come over at 5:00pm, will she/he expect you to show up right at 5:00, or at 5:30, 6:00, or later?
    • Should you bring a gift, such as chocolates, wine, flowers, etc.?
    • Do people usually entertain inside the house, in a courtyard, or on the sidewalk in front of the house?
    • Should you remove your shoes when entering the house?
    • How should you greet your friend and their family (older relatives and younger ones)?
    • Is it typical to offer food or drinks to guests?
    • If you are offered food or a drink, should you accept right away, or is it polite to refuse the first time you are asked?
    • If food is served, should you eat it all or should you leave a little?
    • How can you politely say goodbye or good night to your friend and their family?
  • If your textbook does not have much information, do some research online or ask your conversation partner.
  • Practice greetings, introductions, partings, accepting/refusing food or drinks, appropriate small talk, etc. to prepare before the conversation session.

Practice in Conversation Session

  • To warm up, tell your conversation partner and fellow students where you are studying or living and how you know the friend that you will be visiting (from school/from work/etc.).
  • Be prepared to role play visiting your friend’s home. Your conversation partner and fellow students will play your friend and their family. (Depending on how many people are in the conversation group, some people may need to play multiple roles.) Greet each person in a culturally appropriate way and role play the situation according to the culture of that country.
  • How is visiting someone’s home in that country different from in the U.S.?