One of the main goals in parenting is to help the little ones become independent. Such a task is not easy to manage, but teaching them about giving and asking for directions puts the parents one step closer to reaching that goal. With this, they get to know how to move around thus becoming more confident about themselves.
When learning how to give directions to a location, kids also practice some valuable skills such as how to navigate the town and, of course, city vocabulary. It’s important to take baby steps while teaching this topic, starting first with moving left or right, or up and down.
After this is advisable to talk about directions vocabulary such as roundabouts or sidewalks, and common expressions for giving and asking for directions in English like “turn left” or “go straight”. By doing this they’ll be able to start making more precise sentences to communicate their thoughts.
Here you’ll find information related to this topic, and also useful phrases to give and ask for directions. Remember to practice the prepositions, which are also used when giving directions in English.
Giving directions in English
go straight
Go straight on Main Street.
turn left
Turn left at the supermarket.
turn right
Turn right on the next corner.
go past
Go past the cinema and you’ll find the library.
cross
If you cross the street, you’ll find a bookstore there!
go along
Go along the main road until you find the gas station.
around the corner
The museum is just around the corner.
between
You can find the coffee shop between the office building and the movie theater.
behind
There’s a nice park behind the parking lot.
turn back / go back
If you get to the bridge, you went too far, you’ll have to turn back.
go down
Go down the hill and you’ll find the entrance to the park.
go over
To get to the building, you have to go over the walkway.
go through
Take a shortcut to the school going through the park.
go up
Go up the hill and you’ll find the bus stop.
in front of
The market is in front of the City Hall.
beside
My school is beside a small park.
near
I live near the forest.
around the corner
The museum is just around the corner.
between
You can find the coffee shop between the office building and the movie theater.
behind
There’s a nice park behind the parking lot.
turn back / go back
If you get to the bridge, you went too far, you’ll have to turn back.
go down
Go down the hill and you’ll find the entrance to the park.
go over
To get to the building, you have to go over the walkway.
go through
Take a shortcut to the school going through the park.
go up
Go up the hill and you’ll find the bus stop.
in front of
The market is in front of the City Hall.
beside
My school is beside a small park.
near
I live near the forest.
Asking for directions in English?
Excuse me, where is the…?
Excuse me, how do I get to…?
Excuse me, is there a ______ near here?
How do I get to…?
What’s the way to…?
Where is _____ located?
Directions Vocabulary
roundabout
sidewalk
zebra crossing
traffic lights
street
corner
highway
crossroad
junction
T-junction
intersection
exit ramp
signpost
walkway
avenue
bridge
country road
freeway
lane
overpass
alley
boulevard
tunnel
Giving Directions Printable Flashcards ?
To further practice the vocabulary for giving directions, remember to check the names of places in town and also the different parts of a building. Let’s keep learning!
Let’s Play and Think Critically!
Elliot needs our help collecting all his camp supplies for LingoCamp! Can your little ones help him think logically and give him the right directions so that he can make his way to the supplies?
