In this workshop you will practise a short, polite conversation about family and work. You will first listen to and repeat model lines, then take part in a guided exchange, then choose the best reply, and finally recall the conversation with the correct roles. The recordings give you clear examples of questions and answers, so you can focus on speaking smoothly rather than building new sentences from scratch. You can play both roles with the audio, but there is no automatic assessment, so use the answer checks to compare your speaking.
Warm-up: Listen and Repeat
Start by listening to each recorded line and repeating it aloud. Keep your voice calm and clear. The first question asks about the number of people in a family: «ご家族は何人ですか。». The next question asks whether someone has siblings: «ご兄弟はいますか。». Another question asks about parents' work in a general way: «ご両親は何をしていますか。». A more specific question asks about the father's work: «お父さんは何の仕事をしていますか。». Listen for the polite ending and the rising question intonation. Repeat each line two or three times. Then say the lines without looking at the text. This warm-up prepares you for the guided exchange in the next section.
Guided Exchange: Family and Work
Now practise a short exchange between two speakers. Speaker A asks about family size: «ご家族は何人ですか。». Speaker B answers with the number of people and who they are: «四人です。両親と姉と私です。». Speaker A responds and asks about the parents' work: «そうなんですね。ご両親は何をしていますか。». Speaker B gives two jobs: «父は会社員で、母は教師です。». Read the lines in order. First, play the recording and repeat each line. Then take the role of Speaker A and say only A's lines while the recording plays B's lines. After that, switch roles and say B's lines. Keep the same polite tone. If a line feels long, say it slowly in two parts, then join the parts together.
Understanding the Replies
In a real conversation, you also need to understand the answer. Listen to the reply about family size: «四人です。両親と姉と私です。». It tells you the number of people and names each person. Listen to the reply about work: «父は会社員で、母は教師です。». It gives two different jobs, one for the father and one for the mother. When you hear these lines, do not try to translate every word in your head. Instead, listen for the key information: the number of people, the family members, and the jobs. Then check your understanding by saying the main point in English or in simple Japanese. This helps you reply faster in the next exercise.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
ご家族は何人ですか。
How many people are in your family?
go-kazoku wa nan-nin desu ka
ご兄弟はいますか。
Do you have any siblings?
go-kyōdai wa imasu ka
ご両親は何をしていますか。
What do your parents do?
go-ryōshin wa nani o shite imasu ka
お父さんは何の仕事をしていますか。
What kind of work does your father do?
o-tōsan wa nan no shigoto o shite imasu ka
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
ご家族は何人ですか。
How many people are in your family?四人です。両親と姉と私です。
Four people. My parents, my older sister, and me.そうなんですね。ご両親は何をしていますか。
I see. What do your parents do?父は会社員で、母は教師です。
My father is a company employee, and my mother is a teacher.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided Exchange Practice
You will play both roles in a short conversation about family and work. Use the recorded lines as your model. Play the audio and pause after each line so you can repeat it.
Your task: First, repeat each line after the recording: «ご家族は何人ですか。», «四人です。両親と姉と私です。», «そうなんですね。ご両親は何をしていますか。», «父は会社員で、母は教師です。». Then take the role of Speaker A and say A's lines while the recording plays B's lines. Then switch and take the role of Speaker B. Finally, try the whole exchange without the recording, using the same order and polite tone.
Choose the Best Reply
You will hear or read a question and choose the reply that matches the recorded conversation. The questions and answers come from the model exchange.
Your task: Question 1: «ご家族は何人ですか。». Which reply fits? A: «四人です。両親と姉と私です。». B: «父は会社員で、母は教師です。». Question 2: «そうなんですね。ご両親は何をしていますか。». Which reply fits? A: «四人です。両親と姉と私です。». B: «父は会社員で、母は教師です。». Say your chosen reply aloud, then check with the answer key below.
Recall with Correct Roles
You will rebuild the conversation from memory, keeping Speaker A and Speaker B in the correct roles. This checks whether you remember who asks and who answers.
Your task: Say the conversation in order without looking at the text. Speaker A starts with the family-size question, Speaker B answers with the number and family members, Speaker A responds and asks about work, and Speaker B gives the two jobs. Use the recorded lines as your guide: «ご家族は何人ですか。», «四人です。両親と姉と私です。», «そうなんですね。ご両親は何をしていますか。», «父は会社員で、母は教師です。». After you finish, listen to the recording and check your order and roles.
Common questions
Do I need to understand every word in the recordings?
No. For beginner speaking, focus on the main information: the number of people, the family members, and the jobs. Listen for the question or answer shape, then repeat the whole line. Understanding every word can come later.
Can I practise alone if there is no automatic assessment?
Yes. Play the recording, pause, and repeat. Then take one role and speak while the recording plays the other role. Switch roles and repeat. Use the answer checks in the exercises to compare your choices and your order.
Sources and further reading
- japanese: ask about friends familyChecked September 2026
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