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AEE Episode 71: Meeting New People an Carrying an English Conversation

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Lindsay: This is an All Ears English Podcast, Episode 71, Teaching Tuesday: “Meeting New People and Carrying an English Conversation.” [Instrumental]

Gabby: Welcome to the All Ears English Podcast, where you’ll finally get real, native English conversation. Now here are your hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the ‘English Adventurer’ and Gabby Wallace, the ‘Language Angel,’ coming to you from Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

In this episode, you’ll learn more than four phrases for carrying a conversation and avoiding awkward, long silences.

[Instrumental]

Lindsay:

Hey Gabby. How’s it going?

Gabby:

Hey Lindsay. Good. How are you?

Lindsay:

Feeling good. We just had lunch, so… Gabby:

Yeah.

Lindsay:

…I’m feeling kind of stuffed, but feeling good and satisfied. Ready to go.

Gabby:

It was good. Grilled cheese and lentils.

Lindsay:

(Hmm) awesome lunch. All right.

Gabby:

So today’s (uh) ‘Teaching Tuesday.’ We’re going to talk about conversation – so confidently carrying your conversation, meeting new people. So if you listened to Monday’s episode, you know that Lindsay met my roommate and my roommate’s boyfriend. So that was, that was pretty cool. That was just an informal meeting here in the apartment where we’re recording.

Our recording studio is my living room.

Lindsay:

Yeah.

Gabby:

So, yeah, we wanna (want to) share some phrases or draw your attention to some phrases that we use to carry a conversation. These are strategies that you can use to have a really confident conversation.

Lindsay:

Yeah. So that’s great. So the first thing that we, that I actually said was I looked for the connection, (um,) between Gabby, who’s the person who introduced the new people and the new people.

Gabby:

Right.

Lindsay:

So I said, “So you guys are roommates?” Gabby:

Right. Yeah, even though I introduced Morgan as my roommate, it’s really great that Lindsay repeated that information. (You know), she’s kind of confirming, and maybe asking for more information on that topic.

Lindsay:

Yeah, exactly. And the next thing I asked was “How do you like the neighborhood?” Why? Because they’re roommates, so I’m seeing that this is a topic that could bring the two together.

Gabby:

Right.

Lindsay:

Gabby and her roommate.

Gabby:

Lindsay:

Gabby:

So in general, comments on the environment are pretty great for carrying the conversation.

Lindsay:

Definitely. What was the next question that was asked?

Really common question you asked “What do you do?” Lindsay:

Almost boring. Almost too common. Gosh- so unoriginal.

Gabby:

Very common. Yeah. But especially in New England, this is maybe the first or second question that people will ask when you meet, (you know), outside of, (um), your job.

Lindsay:

For sure

Gabby:

Yeah.

Lindsay:

Yeah, absolutely. It’s very common ‘cause (because) people -- again, people in the US work hard and sometimes people identify themselves through their job in some ways.

Gabby:

Right.

Lindsay:

Right?

Gabby:

Yeah.

Lindsay:

And then two follow-up questions that you could ask about that. If, if you find out what someone does, you could say (um) “How did you get into it?” Meaning what?

Gabby:

Well, how did you begin your career in that field?

Lindsay:

Yeah.

Gabby:

Lindsay:

Gabby:

Did you study that or, or like last week we talked to (uh), to Jo and she just kind of accidentally started working for the Royal Family. I mean it wasn’t a plan, right?

Lindsay:

Right. To get into something is to begin something. Yeah. And another thing you could ask as a follow-up question to the career topic is “How do you like it?” Gabby:

Right.

Yeah.

“How do you like it?” Yeah. Good questions for follow-up. (You know) it’s so important to have these questions ready in your mind, (you know) ready to go so that you’re not stalling and having long silences between questions. It’s kind of awkward.

Lindsay:

Definitely. Definitely. And then when the conversation seemed to kind of die down a bit, Gabby jumped in because she knows both parties, both groups, both people. And, (you know), she added more info (information).

She said “Oh, you know…” (uh).

Gabby:

Something about cooking.

Lindsay:

About cooking chocolate.

Gabby:

Yeah.

Lindsay:

Yeah.

Gabby:

Lindsay:

Gabby:

Yeah, so you know I thought well this is something interesting that I know about my roommate and her boyfriend, (you know) common interests. So it’s always a nice strategy if you can add some information and (uh)… Lindsay:

Yeah.

Gabby:

Yeah, kind of bring up a new topic that way.

Lindsay:

Yeah, that’s a good way to do it. That makes everyone feel a little bit more at ease.

Gabby:

Yeah.

Lindsay:

Especially because Gabby, you’re the one who knows both of us.

Gabby:

Right.

Lindsay:

(You know), you know your roommate, you know me. So it’s good to -- that you can do that.

Gabby:

Yeah.

You’re the only one who can do that.

Yeah. Exactly. So you have to step it up if you’re the person… Lindsay:

Step it up.

Gabby:

…introducing others.

Lindsay:

Yeah. Be a bit of a hostess.

Gabby:

Yeah.

Gabby:

Lindsay:

Lindsay:

Yeah. And then I finished the conversation by saying “We should all hang out.” And by hang out I mean?

Gabby:

Spend time together.

Lindsay:

Definitely.

Gabby:

Yeah.

Lindsay:

So I say “Let’s get a drink.” Maybe you could say “Let’s have a coffee, go for a walk or play a game of soccer,” whatever it is.

Gabby:

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. It could be really anything. So it’s kind of a nice way to (um) end the conversation and, (you know), let people know that you’d like to see them again.

Lindsay:

Yeah. Perfect. All right. We’ve got some good ways to start a conversation.

Gabby:

Yeah.

Lindsay:

So we’re gonna (going to) repeat?

Gabby:

Yeah, perfect. So (um) the first phrase that we’re gonna (going to) have you repeat is a common question, “What do you do?” But, (you know) we say it faster than that, so let’s try it faster. Whaddya (what do you) do?” Lindsay:

Right. And I think we actually went through this in a previous episode, way at the beginning… Gabby:

Yeah.

…of the podcast, we taught the term “whaddya (what do you) do”.

Gabby:

Yeah.

Lindsay:

And remember we wanna (want to) bring the words together. It’s not what…do… you…do? Right. Remember from the old episode. It’s “whaddya (what do you) do?

Gabby:

Whaddya (what do you) do?

Lindsay:

Whaddya (what do you) do? Okay next one. “How did you get into it?” Gabby:

And (a) follow-up question, “How do you like that?” or “How do you like it?” Okay and then the final phrase to wrap things up, “We should all hang out sometime.” Lindsay:

And ‘sometime’ is the key point. And that’s something we’re actually gonna (going to) talk about… Gabby:

Yeah.

Lindsay:

…in another episode, what that ‘sometime’ mean and how it’s used by Americans. And that’s a different topic for a different day.

Gabby:

That’s a whole ‘nother (other) episode.

Lindsay:

So put your ears into English and stay tuned. Thanks guys.

[Instrumental]

Lindsay: If you wanna (want to) learn four ways to win with English, come to our website and join our email group and we will send you a special audio message that shares our four All Ears English strategies for learning English and winning at English. That’s allearsenglish.com/win. w-i-n.

[Instrumental]

Lindsay: If you like to put your ears into English with Lindsay and Gabby, be sure to subscribe to the podcast audio in iTunes for free on your computer or on your smartphone. Thanks for listening to the All Ears English Podcast. See you next time.