Starting a Conversation with a Foreigner in

EnglishRevision & Language Learning

When a foreigner sits beside you on the bus, there is a perfect opportunity for you to _______________________. But sometimes you are_____________! Here are some tips on carrying on a small talk in English with a newly-met person.

practise speaking Englishtongue-tied

Do’s and

Don’ts

________ a “hello” or “hi” _____the foreigner

Watch facial expression and body language for_____, which ______whether you can start a conversation or not

______a conversation ____ someone

Starter

Exchangewith

cuesindicate

Forceon

Do’s and

Don’ts

Stick to ______ topic

Raise __________ questions

Find points of _________

Offer short _________

Listen__________

Immediately __________ serious topics

Talk about ________ matters

Ask yes-no questions

Main course

casual

open-ended

connection

commentsattentively

launch into

personal

These are some of the rules that can put us ________________ of a small talk or a casual conversation. Let’s get started and ________________ talking with a native speaker of English!

on the right track

have (a lot of) fun

If we talk with foreigners in English, we can ________our spoken English.

= we can ______________________.He wants to ________ law/medicine after graduation.

If we want to speak English fluently, we need a lot of ________, because _______ makes perfect.She's determined to put her new idea into _____. It is common _______ to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money on Halloween.

practis(c)e

V.

practis(c)e speaking English

practice

N.

practice

practis(c)e

practice

practice

practis(c)e (V.)+

practice :

N

doing

N.

language/ basketball/ piano …

practis(c)e

If we want …, we should/need… because practice makes perfect.

exchange sth. with sb. 交换；交流

when/ where, who, what

exchange sth. for sth. 兑换；交易

Don’t force a conversation on someone who wants to be left alone.

Don’t force someone who wants to be alone to start a conversation.

Don’t force someone who wants to be alone into (starting) a conversation.He tried to force a copy of his book into my hand.

他由于健康不佳不得不提前退休。 Ill health forced early retirement on him. Ill health forced him to retire early. Ill health forced him into early retirement. Ill health forced him into retiring early.

她在记者群中挤出一条通路。 She forced her way through the crowd of reporters.

Smiling is a ____ for you to move on.Smiling ________(that) you can keep talking.Smiling indicates the possibility of starting a conversation.Smiling is a positive cue, indicating (that) you are on the right track.

cue

indicates

Kobe’s facial expression

gnash one’s teetha wide smile/ broad grin

Offer/make short comments on/about what the other person says, and listen attentively when what you say is being commented on/upon. The teacher asked me to _______________ Michael’s _______________ Michelangelo’s works, but I had___________.

V.

N.

comment on/upon

comment on/about no comment

Do’s and

Don’ts at the

ExpoWe should /are

supposed to …We’d better …We can …We are

encouraged to …

We shouldn’t…We should

avoid …We can’t …We are not

allowed to …

practise, exchange, pay close attention to, watch for, cue, force, positive, indicate, share opinions about, comment, on the right track,…

Homework 做世博会志愿者给我们提供了与外国游客练习英语口语的好机会。 (practise)通过世博会我们可以和海内外游客交流信息和文化。 (exchange)这位游客的面部表情是一个积极的暗示，表示你做对了。 (cue, indicate)在和其他场馆设计师讨论的时候，我们不能把自己的想法强加于他们。 (force)当别人要你对某个场馆作出评论时，你不能只是给与随意的评论。 (comment v.&n.)