How Do I Continue a Conversation in English?
2021-01-02
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1This week, we answer a question from a VOA listener who writes:
2I work with some native speakers of English.
3I want to practice speaking with them so I improve my English.
4But sometimes, I get nervous, so our conversation ends quickly.
5How can I talk with these friends for a longer time?
6Dear VOA fan,
7You are right.
8It is not always easy to keep a conversation going in English.
9You might not be sure about what to say.
10Or maybe you are afraid that your pronunciation is not good.
11First, remember the importance of listening.
12Listen to the other person carefully, so that you can ask a follow-up question.
13For example, let's say the other person tells you, "I just got back from a trip to Canada."
14You can follow up with a question using Who, What, Where, When, Why, or How:
15Where did you go in Canada?
16 What was your favorite place there?
17 How was the food there?
18If you want to keep a conversation going, it's a good idea to ask questions that cannot be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no.'
19If the other person asks you a 'yes' or 'no' question, try to give a longer answer to help keep the conversation going.
20For example, a friend might ask, "Hey, have you seen the new Star Wars movie?"
21You could just answer, "No, I haven't." Or, you could say more.
22You could answer: "No, but I plan to see it soon. How about you?"
23Do not worry about your pronunciation.
24If your pronunciation is a little different, the other person will still understand your message if you try speaking slowly and clearly.
25When you are traveling in an English-speaking country and have some free time, be brave and speak in English with someone who does not look too busy.
26You may make a new friend.
27Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you.
28Please understand that we cannot answer all of the questions our listeners send us. Write to us at learningenglish@voanews.com.
29And that's Ask a Teacher.
30I'm Jill Robbins.
1This week, we answer a question from a VOA listener who writes: 2Question: 3I work with some native speakers of English. I want to practice speaking with them so I improve my English. But sometimes, I get nervous, so our conversation ends quickly. How can I talk with these friends for a longer time? 4- VOA fan 5Answer: 6Dear VOA fan, 7You are right. It is not always easy to keep a conversation going in English. You might not be sure about what to say. Or maybe you are afraid that your pronunciation is not good. 8Listen and follow up 9First, remember the importance of listening. Listen to the other person carefully, so that you can ask a follow-up question. For example, let's say the other person tells you, "I just got back from a trip to Canada." 10You can follow up with a question using Who, What, Where, When, Why, or How: 11Where did you go in Canada? 12 What was your favorite place there? 13 How was the food there? 14Avoid simple 'yes' or 'no' questions 15If you want to keep a conversation going, it's a good idea to ask questions that cannot be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no.' 16If the other person asks you a 'yes' or 'no' question, try to give a longer answer to help keep the conversation going. 17For example, a friend might ask, "Hey, have you seen the new Star Wars movie?" 18You could just answer, "No, I haven't." Or, you could say more. 19You could answer: "No, but I plan to see it soon. How about you?" 20Be brave and practice often 21Do not worry about your pronunciation. If your pronunciation is a little different, the other person will still understand your message if you try speaking slowly and clearly. When you are traveling in an English-speaking country and have some free time, be brave and speak in English with someone who does not look too busy. You may make a new friend. 22Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Please understand that we cannot answer all of the questions our listeners send us. Write to us at learningenglish@voanews.com. 23And that's Ask a Teacher. 24I'm Jill Robbins. 25Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. 26If you are interested in speaking with an online partner, please read our Education Tips story, Five Tips for Great Language Exchanges. 27__________________________________________________________________ 28Words in This Story 29conversation - n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people or the act of talking in an informal way 30nervous - adj. having or showing feelings of being worried and afraid about what might happen 31pronunciation - n. a particular person's way of pronouncing a word or the words of a language 32Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or write to us at learningenglish@voanews.com.