Jobs & Workplaces: Essential Vocabulary (A1)
A1 ⏱ 5 minutes
Jobs & Workplaces: Essential Vocabulary
“I have been a waiter, a barista, a sommelier, a team leader, and now a teacher. Every job taught me something new — and a whole new set of English words to go with it. From the casino floor in Sydney to a classroom in La Réunion, the vocabulary of work is one of the most useful sets of words you will ever learn.”
🎯 Aim: Learn 10 common English words for jobs and workplaces, and use them in simple sentences.
Jobs Vocabulary
| Job | What they do |
|---|---|
| waiter / waitress | serves food and drinks in a restaurant |
| chef | cooks food professionally in a kitchen |
| receptionist | welcomes people and answers phones at the front desk |
| manager | leads and organises a team or department |
| teacher | helps students learn in a classroom |
Workplaces Vocabulary
| Place | Description |
|---|---|
| office | a room or building where people do desk work |
| restaurant | a place where people pay to eat meals |
| classroom | a room where a teacher teaches students |
| casino | a place where people play games for money |
| venue | a place where events, parties, or shows happen |
Grammar Note: be + job
Tip: In English we say “I am a teacher” — we use the article a/an before a job title. We do NOT say “I am teacher.”
✅ She is a receptionist. ❌ She is receptionist.
✅ She is a receptionist. ❌ She is receptionist.
Examples in Context
- “The waiter brought the menu to our table in the restaurant.”
- “My sister works as a receptionist in a large office.”
- “The chef at Uccello cooked beautiful food every night.”
- “I was a manager at a casino in Sydney for several years.”
- “Now I am a teacher and my workplace is a classroom.”
Practice Task 1: Match the job to the workplace
Draw a line (or write the letter) to match each job with its most likely workplace.
| Job | Letter | Workplace |
|---|---|---|
| 1. teacher | A. casino | |
| 2. chef | B. office | |
| 3. receptionist | C. classroom | |
| 4. waiter | D. restaurant | |
| 5. manager | E. venue |
Show answers
1-C 2-D 3-B 4-D 5-E (also B or A — managers work everywhere!)
Practice Task 2: Simple sentences
Complete each sentence with the correct job or workplace word.
- She teaches English. She is a ________.
- He cooks in a kitchen. He is a ________.
- Students learn in a ________.
- People eat dinner in a ________.
- A ________ welcomes guests and answers the phone.
Show answers
- teacher
- chef
- classroom
- restaurant
- receptionist
🏠 Takeaway: Write 3 sentences about people you know using today’s vocabulary. For example: “My friend is a waiter. He works in a restaurant.”
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