Conversations in Class A2_book1

Sounding Natural

GOLDEN RULE 3

Dialog 2: only one question, many comments- natural

DON’T ALWAYS WAIT FOR A QUESTION- TALK ABOUT YOURSELF

Mayu: Where are you from, Bob?

Golden Rule 3 says that it's important to take the initiative in English conversations by talking about yourself. This is a natural extension of Golden Rule 1, and basically means that you should volunteer information without waiting to be prompted at every step. In Japanese culture, talking about oneself is often avoided, especially in situations where one wants to appear mo dest. However, using oneself as a topic of conversation is quite common in English-speaking cultures. You may think it is a little self-centered to not wait for a question, but it is actually an invitation to the conversation partner to talk about their own related experiences. So, if you want your conversation to flow naturally , try your best to speak about yourself, even when you haven't been asked a question. One way you can do this is to try to answer your partner's "How about you?" question before they ask you.

Bob: I'm from New York City.

Mayu: Oh really? I'm from Toyama, but I live in Tokyo now.

Bob: I see. I'm living in Osaka these days.

Mayu: Osaka? Great. I want to go there this summer. Bob: Yeah, you should. I think it's an exciting city.

Mayu: You should visit Toyama someday.

Bob: Yeah, I'd like to. I've heard it's beautiful.

This back and forth sequence is quite common in English conversation. Sometimes three, four, or more turns go by without a question. Expressions such as "Oh really?" and "I see" are very important , since they show you are liste ning and are interested in what your partner is saying. As long as you do this, you don’t need to worry about coming off as self-centered.

Compare the following dialogs:

In the first one, Mayu and Bob's conversation uses many questions.

GOLDEN RULE 4

Dialog 1: many questions, tiring and a little unnatural

WHEN ASKED A QUESTION, DON'T REMAIN SILENT FOR MORE THAN A FEW SECONDS

Mayu: Where are you from, Bob?

Silence actually has special meaning in conversation, and people from different cultures interpret it in different ways. To put it simply, in Japanese culture silence can mean things like: "Wait, I'm thinking", "I didn't understand what you said.", "I don't know how to answer.", or "I am trying to find the answer to the question you asked me." On the other hand, in most Western cultures, remaining silent for more than a few seconds sends messages that are sometimes negative or rude. It basically means “I don’t want to answer you”, and makes the person who asked you a question quite uncomfortable. To communicate more smoothly in English, you will need to learn the importance of saying something (even just making a sound) within a few seconds after being asked a question. But how can you respond quickly if your Engli sh is not yet fluent? Don’t worry. There are some simple strategies you can apply in the most common problematic situations.

Bob: I'm from New York City. How about

you?

Mayu: I'm from Toyama Prefecture.

Bob: Do you live in Toyama now?

Mayu: No, I live in Tokyo now. How about you?

Bob: I live in Osaka. Have you been to

Osaka?

Mayu: No, but I want to go this summer. Have

you been to Toyama?

Bob: No, I haven't, but l'd like to.

In the second one, only one question is needed to set the conversation in motion. They are both talking about them selves without being asked.

89

The Golden Rules