Speaking English

Making Conversation

When meeting someone for the first time

• There are MANY ways to start a first-time conversation with someone.

Hello, nice to meet you. My

name is _ _ _ _ _

Hey, I’m Sue. I’m a new

student here

Formal and informal

• There is a difference in the way we speak English depending on who we are talking to, what we are talking about, and where we are talking.

• It is important to keep both formal and informal phrases in mind and know when to speak what kind of phrases

Greetings

Formal• Hello, Mrs. Sue• Good afternoon, Good morning, Good evening, Mr. Bill. How are you? How have you been?

Informal• Hi Mrs. Sue• Hey [there]Mr. Bill!

How’s it going?• What’s up, Hà?• He-e-e-y! Long time

no see; how ya doin’?

Greetings

Formal• Hello, Ms. Hương;

good morning, how have you been? [or how are you (today)]

• Good day, Ms. Thanh. It is good to see you.

Informal• Hey Trang, what’s

up; how’s things?

Follow up questions

• Where are you from?• Is this your first time in Vietnam?• How long have you been in Vietnam?• What school are you attending? going to• Where are you studying?

• What is your major?

Answers to “Where are you from”?

• I come from…; it is about …kilometers from Thai Nguyen.

• I come from a small town/village about… kilometers north/south/east/west of here.

• I live in … province; it is about … hours away from Thai Nguyen.

• I come from a city/town/village in … province.

Question & Response

• Where are you from?1. I come from …; it is

about … kilometers from TN.

2. I come from a small town/village about … kilometers north/ south/east/west of here.

3. I live in …province; it is about … hours away from TN.

4. I come from a city/town/village in … province.

5. My family lives in …, but I live here in TN.

Answers you might hear:

• I come from the U.S. • I am an American. • I come from the United States. • I come from America. • I am a tourist visiting working [as a…

teacheran engineercontractor

Answers to other questions:

You might hear or you might answer:•Not long, just … days/weeks.•This is my third year.•I attend … Thai Nguyen University the School of Foreign Languages Su Pham, the Teacher’s University the School of Medicine

• I am studying agriculture English computer science environmental science mathematics Vietnamese literature business administration pharmacy

Do not (don’t) be surprised…

• When a foreigner asks you: “What’s your name”? and you say your name, and then…

he or she says…“What”? “Say that again”? or

“HOW do you say that”?

• If your name begins with ‘Th’ (Thủy, Thương) or ‘Ng’ (Nga, Ngọc) or ‘Nh’ (Nhi, Nhai)…

•Let’s try something…

reading out loud

• Reading-a-loud is one of the best ways to improve your speaking, listening, reading, and understanding of English.

• The first time or two through, just listen to the speaker or speakers.

• After the second time, try to read with the speaker, trying to sound similar to her or him.

• When you are ready, try reading-a-loud solo.

•Listen

The Cyclone

• Dorothy lived in a small house in Kansas, with Uncle Henry, Aunt Em, and a little black dog called Toto.

• There were no trees and no hills in Kansas, and it was very windy.

• Sometimes the wind came very fast and very suddenly.

• That was a cyclone, and it could blow trees and people and buildings away.

• There were cellars under all the houses.

• And when a cyclone came, people went down into their cellars and stayed there.

• One day Uncle Henry came out and looked up at the sky.

• Then he ran quickly back into the house.• ‘There’s a cyclone coming,’ he called to Aunt

Em and Dorothy.• ‘We must go down to the cellar!’

• They ran to the door of the cellar, but Toto was afraid, and he ran under the bed.

•Dorothy ran after him.

•‘Quick!’ shouted Aunt Em from the cellar.

•‘Leave the dog and come down into the cellar!’

• Dorothy picked up Toto and ran to the cellar door.

• But, before she got there, the cyclone hit the house.

• And then a very strange thing happened.

•Listen again

The Cyclone

• Dorothy lived in a small house in Kansas, with Uncle Henry, Aunt Em, and a little black dog called Toto.

• There were no trees and no hills in Kansas, and it was very windy.

• Sometimes the wind came very fast and very suddenly.

• That was a cyclone, and it could blow trees and people and buildings away.

• There were cellars under all the houses.

• And when a cyclone came, people went down into their cellars and stayed there.

• One day Uncle Henry came out and looked up at the sky.

• Then he ran quickly back into the house.• ‘There’s a cyclone coming,’ he called to Aunt

Em and Dorothy.• ‘We must go down to the cellar!’

• They ran to the door of the cellar, but Toto was afraid, and he ran under the bed.

•Dorothy ran after him.

•‘Quick!’ shouted Aunt Em from the cellar.

•‘Leave the dog and come down into the cellar!’

• Dorothy picked up Toto and ran to the cellar door.

• But, before she got there, the cyclone hit the house.

• And then a very strange thing happened.

•Once again, listen

The Cyclone

• Dorothy lived in a small house in Kansas, with Uncle Henry, Aunt Em, and a little black dog called Toto.

• There were no trees and no hills in Kansas, and it was very windy.

• Sometimes the wind came very fast and very suddenly.

• That was a cyclone, and it could blow trees and people and buildings away.

• There were cellars under all the houses.

• And when a cyclone came, people went down into their cellars and stayed there.

• One day Uncle Henry came out and looked up at the sky.

• Then he ran quickly back into the house.• ‘There’s a cyclone coming,’ he called to Aunt

Em and Dorothy.• ‘We must go down to the cellar!’

• They ran to the door of the cellar, but Toto was afraid, and he ran under the bed.

•Dorothy ran after him.

•‘Quick!’ shouted Aunt Em from the cellar.

•‘Leave the dog and come down into the cellar!’

• Dorothy picked up Toto and ran to the cellar door.

• But, before she got there, the cyclone hit the house.

• And then a very strange thing happened.

Some words sound the same…

• Cellar – a space under a house used for shelter (protection) during very bad weather; or a space under a house where food and other things can be kept or stored.

“There are canned vegetables in the cellar”• Seller – a person who sells something to a

person or a group of people. “She is a seller of books”.