60 role play topics for English speaking, with roles and sample dialogues

A role play is a short conversation where you each take a character, like customer and waiter, and act out a real situation in English. It is one of the fastest ways to practise speaking because you need real phrases, not textbook answers. Here are 60 role play topics in four levels, each with its two roles, eight role cards with goals and a twist, a complete sample role play, and the phrases for complaining, asking, agreeing and negotiating.

By The YoFluent teamUpdated 9 min read

The YoFluent cat chatting next to the title: Role play topics
On this page
  1. 60 role play topics, by level
  2. 8 role cards with goals
  3. A sample role play: returning a faulty phone
  4. Phrases you’ll need in most role plays
  5. How to practise a role play (alone or with a partner)
  6. FAQ
  7. Sources

60 role play topics, by level

Beginner (A1–A2)

  1. Ordering food at a restaurant (Customer / waiter)
  2. Buying clothes (Customer / shop assistant)
  3. Asking for directions (Tourist / local)
  4. Meeting a new classmate (Student / student)
  5. At the doctor’s (Patient / doctor)
  6. Buying a train ticket (Traveller / ticket clerk)
  7. Ordering a pizza on the phone (Customer / pizza shop)
  8. Checking in at a hotel (Guest / receptionist)
  9. At the supermarket checkout (Customer / cashier)
  10. Inviting a friend to a party (Friend / friend)
  11. At the library (Student / librarian)
  12. Booking a haircut (Customer / salon)
  13. Talking about the weather (Neighbour / neighbour)
  14. Lost in a shopping mall (Child / security guard)
  15. At a bakery (Customer / baker)

Intermediate (B1–B2)

  1. Returning a faulty phone (Customer / store manager)
  2. Job interview (Candidate / interviewer)
  3. Complaining about a noisy neighbour (Resident / neighbour)
  4. Booking a holiday (Customer / travel agent)
  5. Renting a flat (Tenant / landlord)
  6. At the airport: lost luggage (Passenger / airline staff)
  7. Asking a teacher for an extension (Student / teacher)
  8. Planning a weekend trip (Friend / friend)
  9. Reporting a theft (Victim / police officer)
  10. Opening a bank account (Customer / bank officer)
  11. A wrong order at a restaurant (Customer / waiter)
  12. Calling customer service (Customer / agent)
  13. Negotiating at a market (Buyer / seller)
  14. A pharmacy visit (Customer / pharmacist)
  15. Telling a friend bad news (Friend / friend)
  16. Joining a gym (Customer / gym manager)
  17. A parent–teacher meeting (Parent / teacher)
  18. Asking a stranger to take a photo (Tourist / stranger)
  19. Car breakdown on the road (Driver / mechanic)
  20. Choosing a film to watch (Friend / friend)

Advanced and work (B2–C1)

  1. Asking for a pay rise (Employee / manager)
  2. Handling an angry customer (Customer / support lead)
  3. Pitching a startup (Founder / investor)
  4. Disagreeing in a meeting (Colleague / colleague)
  5. Giving feedback to a team member (Manager / employee)
  6. Negotiating a contract (Supplier / buyer)
  7. A press conference after a mistake (Spokesperson / journalist)
  8. Resigning from a job (Employee / manager)
  9. Persuading a friend to quit smoking (Friend / friend)
  10. A TV debate (Host / two guests)
  11. Mediating an argument between flatmates (Mediator / two flatmates)
  12. Selling a used car (Seller / buyer)
  13. A medical consultation with bad news (Doctor / patient)
  14. Interviewing a celebrity (Journalist / celebrity)
  15. A client presentation (Consultant / client)

Fun and creative

  1. Aliens land in your city (Alien / mayor)
  2. A time traveller from 1900 (Traveller / teenager)
  3. A detective questions a suspect (Detective / suspect)
  4. A talk show with a famous animal (Host / animal)
  5. A superhero job interview (Hero / HR manager)
  6. Customer service for magic wands (Wizard / agent)
  7. Shipwrecked on an island (Survivor / survivor)
  8. A restaurant on Mars (Customer / robot waiter)
  9. A ghost who wants to rent a room (Ghost / landlord)
  10. The world’s worst tour guide (Guide / tourists)

8 role cards with goals

Give each person only their own card. Not knowing the other person’s goal is what makes it feel real.

SituationRole ARole B
Returning a faulty phoneCustomer: the phone stopped charging after 10 days. You want a new one, not a repair.Manager: policy says repairs only after 7 days. You can offer a repair plus a discount voucher.
Renting a flatTenant: you like the flat but the rent is ₹3,000 too high. Ask about deposit and pets.Landlord: you want a 1-year contract. You can lower the rent a little for that.
Lost luggagePassenger: your bag has your work clothes and you have a meeting tomorrow morning.Airline staff: the bag is in another city and arrives in 24–48 hours. You can offer a small allowance.
Job interviewCandidate: you have the skills but changed jobs twice in two years. Explain why.Interviewer: ask about strengths, a challenge you solved, and why they changed jobs.
Wrong order at a restaurantCustomer: you ordered vegetarian and got chicken. You are in a hurry.Waiter: the kitchen is busy. Apologise and offer a solution.
Asking for a pay riseEmployee: you took on a colleague’s work for six months. You want 15%.Manager: the budget allows 5% now and a review in 6 months.
Disagreeing in a meetingColleague A: you want to launch next month to beat a competitor.Colleague B: you think the product needs two more months of testing.
Detective and suspectDetective: the cake disappeared at 3 p.m. The suspect has chocolate on their shirt.Suspect: you were at the library at 3 p.m. (or were you?)

A sample role play: returning a faulty phone

1.Returning a faulty phone

A customer returns to an electronics store. Level B1.

Manager
Good afternoon. How can I help you?
Customer
Hi. I bought this phone here ten days ago, and it’s stopped charging. I’d like to exchange it for a new one, please.
Manager
I’m sorry to hear that. Do you have the receipt?
Customer
Yes, here it is.
Manager
Thank you. Unfortunately, after seven days we can only send phones for repair. It usually takes about a week.
Customer
A week? I really need my phone for work. Is there anything else you can do?
Manager
I understand. I can lend you a phone while yours is repaired, and give you a 10% voucher for your next purchase.
Customer
Hmm, I’d still prefer a new one, but if you can lend me a phone today, that works.
Manager
Of course. Let me get that ready for you.

Notice: Polite complaint (“I’d like to…, please”), pushing back (“Is there anything else you can do?”), offering a compromise (“I can…”), and accepting with conditions (“if you can…, that works”).

Phrases you’ll need in most role plays

To…Say
Ask politely“Could you…?” / “Would it be possible to…?”
Complain“I’m afraid there’s a problem with…” / “I’m not happy with…”
Apologise“I’m really sorry about that.” / “I apologise for the inconvenience.”
Offer a solution“What I can do is…” / “How about if…?”
Negotiate“Could you do it for…?” / “That’s a bit more than I wanted to pay.”
Agree“That sounds fair.” / “OK, let’s do that.”
Disagree politely“I see your point, but…” / “I’m not sure that works for me.”
End“Thanks for your help.” / “Have a nice day.”

How to practise a role play (alone or with a partner)

  • With a partner: read your card, take one minute to plan, play it for 2–3 minutes, then swap roles.
  • Alone: play both roles out loud, or record role A and answer it as role B.
  • With an AI tutor: it plays the other role, reacts to what you say and corrects you after.
  • Add a twist the second time: the shop is closing, the customer is very angry, the price goes up.
  • For more ready dialogues, see short English conversations, ordering at a restaurant and doctor–patient conversation.

Frequently asked questions

What are good role play topics for students?

Good role play topics for students include ordering food at a restaurant, buying clothes, asking for directions, a job interview, returning a faulty product, booking a holiday and a doctor’s visit. Beginners should start with shop and restaurant situations; advanced students can try negotiations and debates.

How do you do a role play in English?

Choose a situation, give each person a role and a goal, take a minute to plan three to five key phrases, act out the conversation for two to three minutes, then swap roles and try again with a twist.

What is a role play in English speaking?

A role play is a speaking activity where learners take on characters, such as customer and shop assistant, and act out a real-life situation in English. It practises useful phrases, listening and reacting in real time.

What are some fun role play ideas?

Fun role play ideas include aliens landing in your city, a detective questioning a suspect, a superhero job interview, a restaurant on Mars with a robot waiter, and a ghost trying to rent a room.

Can I practise role plays alone?

Yes. You can play both roles out loud, record one side and answer it, or practise with an AI tutor that plays the other role and gives you feedback afterwards.

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Sources

  1. Role-play scenarios for English students, Grammar Monster
  2. Top 10 role plays for your speaking class, BusyTeacher
  3. Role-playing, Wikipedia