In this workshop you practise a short, realistic conversation at a museum or ticket desk. You will ask whether an audio guide is available in Spanish, ask how much the rental costs, ask whether you need to leave a deposit, and ask by what time you must return the device. You will also listen to a short exchange between a visitor and a staff member and check that you understand the answers. Each native line is given with its English meaning before you use it, so you always know what you are saying. You can play both roles with the audio, but there is no automatic scoring, so use the answer keys to check yourself honestly.
Asking the four key questions
Start with the most useful question at a ticket desk or information counter: «¿Tienen audio guía en español?». This means "Do you have an audio guide in Spanish?" Tienen is the plural/polite form, standard in Latin America. If the answer is yes, the next natural question is about money: «¿Cuánto cuesta la renta del audio guía?». This means "How much does renting the audio guide cost?" Renta means rental in most of Latin America. Many places hold a deposit or an ID card until you return the device, so ask «¿Necesito dejar un depósito?», which means "Do I need to leave a deposit?" Finally, you need to know your deadline: «¿Hasta qué hora tengo que devolverlo?» means "By what time do I have to return it?" The pronoun -lo attaches to the infinitive and refers to the device. Say each line slowly, then repeat it at a natural speed.
Understanding the answers
A real exchange usually moves quickly, so it helps to hear the questions and answers together. In the recorded dialogue, the visitor opens with «Buenos días, ¿tienen audio guía en español?», which means "Good morning, do you have an audio guide in Spanish?" The staff member replies with «Sí, tenemos en español y en inglés. Cuesta cincuenta pesos.»: "Yes, we have it in Spanish and in English. It costs fifty pesos." Notice that the answer confirms the language and gives the price in one short sentence. The visitor then asks «¿Necesito dejar un depósito?», meaning "Do I need to leave a deposit?" The staff member answers with «Sí, deje su identificación. Devuélvalo antes de las cinco.»: "Yes, leave your ID. Return it before five." Here the answer gives two pieces of information: what to leave and when to come back. Listen for the number and the time, because those are the details you will need later.
Speaking tips for the counter
Keep your questions short and polite. A greeting such as "Buenos días" before your first question is normal and friendly. Speak a little more slowly than you think you need to, and pronounce the question marks with a rising tone at the end. If you do not catch a number or a time, it is fine to ask the person to repeat it; you can simply say the same question again. When you hear an answer, repeat the key detail silently in your head, for example the price or the return time, so it stays with you. Practise both roles: first as the visitor asking the questions, then as the staff member giving the answers. This makes the whole exchange feel familiar instead of one-sided.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
¿Tienen audio guía en español?
Do you have an audio guide in Spanish?
TYEH-nehn OW-dyoh GEE-ah ehn es-pah-NYOL
¿Cuánto cuesta la renta del audio guía?
How much does renting the audio guide cost?
KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah lah REHN-tah del OW-dyoh GEE-ah
¿Necesito dejar un depósito?
Do I need to leave a deposit?
neh-seh-SEE-toh deh-HAR oon deh-POH-see-toh
¿Hasta qué hora tengo que devolverlo?
By what time do I have to return it?
AHS-tah keh OH-rah TEHN-goh keh deh-bol-VEHR-loh
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Buenos días, ¿tienen audio guía en español?
Good morning, do you have an audio guide in Spanish?Sí, tenemos en español y en inglés. Cuesta cincuenta pesos.
Yes, we have it in Spanish and in English. It costs fifty pesos.¿Necesito dejar un depósito?
Do I need to leave a deposit?Sí, deje su identificación. Devuélvalo antes de las cinco.
Yes, leave your ID. Return it before five.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange at the ticket desk
Imagine you are at a museum ticket desk. You want an audio guide in Spanish. Play the visitor role and say each question out loud before you compare with the recorded lines.
Your task: Say the four visitor questions in order: ask about availability in Spanish, ask the rental price, ask about the deposit, and ask the return time. Then compare what you said with the recorded lines.
Listen and choose the right detail
In the recorded dialogue, the staff member gives a price and a return time. Listen to the answers and focus on the numbers.
Your task: After listening, answer these questions: What two languages are available? How much does the audio guide cost? What does the visitor leave as a deposit? By what time must the device be returned?
Recall the exchange with correct roles
Cover the text. You will now rebuild the whole conversation from memory, first as the visitor and then as the staff member.
Your task: Say the visitor's opening question, then the staff answer about languages and price, then the visitor's deposit question, then the staff answer about the ID and the return time. Do this once for each role.
Common questions
Do I need to memorise every line before I speak?
No. Learn the four visitor questions first, because they let you start the conversation and get the information you need. Then learn to recognise the staff answers when you hear them. Short, repeated practice is more useful than trying to memorise everything at once.
What should I do if I do not understand the answer?
Stay calm and ask the same question again, or ask the person to repeat. In this situation the most important details are the price and the return time, so listen for those numbers. Repeating the key detail in your head right after you hear it helps you remember it.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: ask for the audio guideChecked September 2026
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