Responding to Invitations from Friends (Intermediate)

Practice on Your Own

Imagine you are studying abroad in a country where the language is spoken. You have made friends with some of your classmates, and sometimes your friends invite you to parties or to go out with them to dinner, a movie, a dance club, etc. You need to be able to politely accept or decline an invitation.

• Imagine a friend invites you to their birthday party. How can you accept the invitation? What information do you need from your friend about the party (date, time, location, etc.)?
• Imagine a friend invites you to go out to dinner with them. Think about how to accept the invitation and clarify the details. Where will you go, and how will you get there (walking, public transportation, getting a ride from your friend, etc.)?
• What if you already have other plans? How can you politely tell your friend that you are not available on that day?
• Also think about a scenario where you do not want to accept an invitation because you do not feel comfortable with the situation. Perhaps you are concerned about potential drug use at the party, or you do not feel safe riding on your friend’s motorcycle. How can you politely refuse the invitation? What reasons could you give your friend? (Your host family will not allow you to go, you have to study for a test, your study abroad program has a rule against riding on motorcycles…)
• Review dates, times, transportation vocabulary, and anything else that you need to brush up on.

Practice in Conversation Session

• Be prepared to role play situations in which you accept an invitation from a friend. Your conversation partner will play the role of your friend. Use appropriate greetings, accept the invitation, and make sure you have all the information you need about date, time, place, etc.
• Now role play scenarios in which you decline an invitation. Explain to your friend why you cannot attend the party or go out with them.
• Your conversation partner may share some relevant cultural information. Is there any etiquette around responding to invitations in that culture that is different from American culture? If someone tells you that a party starts at 6:00pm, does that mean that you should actually arrive at 6:00? Or should you plan to arrive at 6:30, 7:00, or later?