Topics of Conversation When Speaking English

Some topics of conversation (especially religion, money and politics) are sensitive – we tend to avoid
speaking about them with people until we know them well.
If you want to get to know someone better, be careful about the types of question you ask. English
speakers tend to be indirect (rather than direct) with people they don’t know well, and the following
questions, although grammatically accurate, would sound too direct for a first conversation:
What’s your job?
Do you have a boyfriend / girlfriend?
What’s your opinion of politics in this country?
Instead, try asking in a different way.
1. Use an introductory phrase
So then, what do you do for a living?
Can I ask you, do you use English in your job?
2. Don’t be too obvious with personal questions
Do you have family here?
What brought you to (London)?
These questions ask for personal information indirectly, rather than directly.
3. Make a brief comment about a situation, rather than asking for an opinion.
Politics is a sensitive topic. If you’re curious about someone’s opinion, you could make a brief comment
and wait to hear what the other person says:
Terrible situation at the moment, isn’t it.
It’s such a hard time to find work now, isn’t it.
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You don’t have to say much to keep the other person talking. In fact, in many cases you can reply using
three words or less.
Here are some ways of doing that:
Make a comment
Show surprise at what the other person is saying with “No!” or “Wow!”
Show sympathy at someone’s bad news with “How awful” or “How terrible”.
Show you’re interested with a comment like “That’s incredible” or “Amazing” or “Unbelievable”.
Encourage the other person
If the other person stops talking for a second or so, you can encourage them to keep talking with a phrase
like “Go on” or “Oh yeah” or “So what happened next?”
Ask a question
In all the questions below, make sure your voice goes up at the end to show it’s a question.
“Really?” – to show surprise.
“Did you?” – can be used to encourage someone to tell their story.
For example,
“I heard from Pete yesterday.”
“Did you?”
“Yes, he’s been ill for a couple of weeks.”

Make a comment
1. I heard James is in trouble with the police.
No!
Yeah.
2. Sarah's been involved in a car accident.
Oh how awful!
Yeah, well luckily she wasn't seriously injured.
3. You're not going to believe this, but Jack's got into Oxford.
That's incredible.
I know. His parents are delighted.
 Encourage the other person
1. Jeff was telling me that last week, when he was coming out of the supermarket...
(yeah) Go on...
... He saw Lisa in a car with some bloke or other.
2. So, I was chatting to Mr Donaldson about my promotion yesterday...
Oh yeah...
Well, it looks like they might agree to it.
Keep the conversation going. Asking a question
1. We're thinking of moving house. 2. I saw Helen in the bank this morning.
Really? Did you?
Yeah - this one is just too small for us now. Yes, she's been on holiday and looks fantastic.

Starting a Conversation
The best time to start a conversation is when you are next to someone who is not moving. You can't start
talking to someone walking away from you. Then you are bothering them by making them stop. But if you
are sitting down on a bench and someone is next to you, or you are at a beach and someone is close by,
you can start a conversation by saying something generic. Here are some conversation starting
sentences. But after you make your first sentence, you should see by their reaction if they want to
continue the conversation or not. If they appear a little rude, then stop talking to them. You don't have to
say anything to stop talking. They don't expect you to. They expect you to not say another word. But if
they ask a question back, and they seem friendly, then you can continue with the conversation.

"The weather is so nice today. Are you from around here?"

"How is your day going so far?"
"There are a lot of people out here today. Is this normal?"
An easy way to start talking is when you notice something such as their kids, family, or a dog they might
be with.
"Are you here with your family?"
"Are you on vacation?"
"Are those your kids? They're so cute?"
"What kind of dog is that?"

It's much easier if they start the conversation. If they make a comment or ask a question, then you know
that they would like to talk. Finally, it's common for these types of conversation to last only a couple of
minutes. So don't feel bad or feel pressured to keep the conversation alive. There isn't that much more to
tell you about speaking with strangers. The best way to understand what types of things are said in a
stranger to stranger conversation is to hear a couple of examples. I will give a couple examples to help
you understand more.

Talking to Strangers
If you look like a tourist, some people will ask where you are from. This is just a way to get to know
strangers. It's quite common to talk with strangers here. Here are some questions you might hear.
"Are you visiting from somewhere?"
"Yes. I'm visiting from Korea."
"Are you on vacation here?"
"Yes. I'm taking a vacation from Korea."

It's very common for strangers to talk to each other if you are at a tourist location. For example, if you are
at Disney Land and you are sitting down, someone next to you might ask some questions assuming you
are visiting from somewhere.

"How are you enjoying your vacation?"

"I'm having a great time. How about you?"
"It's pretty fun here. Are you having a good time?"
"This is a great place. I'm having a lot of fun. Are you having fun?"
"Are you here with your family?"
"I'm here with my wife and 2 kids. They are so excited to be here."
"My kids love this place. This is our third time here. Have you been here before?"
"This is my first time here. I always wanted to come and I'm having a great time."
Talking to Strangers - Interactive Practice
Click on Listen All and follow along. After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, become
Person A by clicking on the Person A button. You will hear only Person B through the audio file. There will
be a silence for you to repeat the sentences of Person A. Do the same for Person B. The speed of the
conversation is native speed. Use the pause button if the pause between each sentence is too fast for you.
After practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.

A: "It's a nice day."

B: "Yes. It is a beautiful day."
A: "Do you live around here or are you visiting?"
B: "I am on vacation from Korea."
A: "That's cool. Are you having a good time?"
B: "Yes. There are many things to see and I'm taking a lot of pictures. Do you live in this city?"
A: "Yeah. I'm just here with my kids. They wanted to come to the park today."
B: "What's a good place to visit in this city?"
A: "Where have you been so far?"
B: "This was my first stop. I was going to look at my maps."
A: "I recommend going to the water front in downtown. They have a ferry you can ride, some good
restaurants, and a good beach for a walk."
B: "How do I get there from here?"
A: "You see Jackson street over there? Go straight for 10 blocks. When you see 5th Avenue, turn left.
Follow the street for about 3 miles and you should see it."
B: "Thanks. I'll go check it out. It was nice talking to you."
A: "It was nice meeting you. Have a good time."

A: "Are there so many people here all the time?"

B: "I'm not sure. This is my first time here."
A: "Me too. I think this is a great place."
B: "Yeah. I think so too."
A: "Where are you from?"
B: "I'm visiting from Cleveland, Ohio. How about you?"
A: "I'm from Seoul, Korea."
B: "How long are you visiting for?"
A: "For 2 weeks. I went to San Francisco and Los Angeles. I want to see the Grand Canyon before I go.
I'll probably visit Grand Canyon on Monday."
B: "Ah, looks like you are having a great time."
A: "Yes I am. How long are you visiting for?"
B: "I am only here for the three days. My kids have been wanting to come to Disneyland for a long
time."
A: "That's great."
B: "Oh. My family is waiting for me. I hope you enjoy your stay in America."
A: "Thank you. It was nice meeting you."

A: "That's such a cute dog. What kind is it?"

B: "He's a cocker spaniel."
A: "I have a terrier at home. What's his name?"
B: "His name is Buffy."
A: "Hi Buffy. You're so cute. Do you come here for a walk often?"
B: "About 3 times a week. It's a good walk and Buffy likes it too."
A: "It's a great place for a walk. I wish I had a trail like this at home."
B: "Where are you from?"
A: "I'm visiting from Korea. I live in the city so there aren't many places like this."
B: "I guess that's one thing good about suburban life."
A: "I wouldn't mind the slower pace of life. I am always in a hurry. That's why I wanted to come and
relax."
B: "That's good. How long are you staying for?"
A: "I'm here for about three weeks. Oh, it looks like Buffy wants to go."
B: "Yeah. Well, it was nice meeting you. I hope you have a good time here."
A: "Thanks. It was nice talking to you."
Talking about the weather

o Can you believe all of this rain we’ve been having?

o It looks like it’s going to snow.
o Beautiful day, isn’t it?
o It sure would be nice to be in Hawaii right about now.
o I hear they’re calling for thunderstorms all weekend.
o We couldn’t ask for a nicer day, could we?
o How about this weather?
o Did you order this sunshine?
o Lovely day, isn’t it?

Saying that you understand

o I understand.
o I can understand.
o I understand how you feel.
o I can understand German, but I can’t speak it.
o Yes, I get the point.
o Right. I think I’ve got the idea now.
o I think I’ve got that.
o Okay. I get the picture now.

Saying you don’t understand

 When you don’t hear something, use:
o Sorry?

o What was that?

o What did you say?

o I didn’t hear that I couldn’t hear that

 To ask people to repeat it, use:

o Could you say that again?

o Say that again.

o Pardon?

o Could you repeat that, please?

o What did you say the measurements were?

o Can you say it again, please?

 o Could you say that again, please?

o Could you explain it again, please?

 When you can’t understand a phrase, use:

o What does (that phrase) mean?

o I don’t understand (that).

o I don’t know (that word).

o I understood (this), but not the bit after.

o Did you say (this) or (that)?

o What does it mean?

o I can’t understand Spanish.

o I can’t quite make them out.

o Can you speak a bit more slowly?

o I can’t understand you.

o I can’t make any sense out of it.

 To be formal, use:
o I’m afraid I don’t understand (that)

o Sorry, my Hindi isn’t very good.

o I missed/lost half of that

o Could you spell that?

o Could you write that down?

 When someone is difficult to understand, use:

o Could you speak more slowly, please?

o Slower, please.

o Slow down.

o I can’t understand you.

o You’re speaking too quickly for me

o I don’t understand.

o I didn’t quite catch what you

o I’m afraid I didn’t understand.

o Can you translate that?

o Do you speak any (other language)?