Conversations in Class A2_book1

Sounding Natural

22 - Don’t wait for aizuchi

question in most countries, with the notable excep tion of the United States. But you can ask other stu dents how much they make in their part-time jobs because the pay is usually standardized and these jobs are temporary in nature.

You want to make your conversation partner feel positively towards you.

You should complete your sentence, even if your conversation partner doesn’t use aizuchi .

20 - Don’t say “play with friends”

In Japanese, people listening to someone speak fre quently make little sounds like “un” or “ee”, to show they are listening. This is called aizuchi , and using it properly is an important part of speaking Japanese. If you speak with a foreigner who has been living in Japan for some time, chances are that he or she will have gotten into the habit, because aizuchi make conversation easier when speaking with Japanese people. Sometimes when speaking without aizuchi , Japanese people will pause more frequently because they are waiting for someone to prompt them to continue. If you are speaking with a foreigner who is not used to Japan, try to finish your sentences even if that person doesn’t use aizuchi . In the West, people usually wait until the end of a sentence or story to make a comment. Example 1: waiting for aizuchi → unnatural $ /ast suPPer Ζ went to $ustralia. % 8h huh. $ Ζ visiteG a frienG ... % Yes" $ ... that Ζ Pet in -apan. Ζt was cool. :e went to 0elbourne. % HP. $ Ζ was inviteG to a barbecue ... % 8h huh.

You want to talk about spending time with friends.

You can say:

• hanJ out with a • Peet up with a • spenG tiPe with a • catch up with a

In Japanese it is common to use the word asobu when talking about spending time with friends, but the literal English translation, “to play”, is only used when speaking about small children. Examples: • On Saturday I will play with some friends. X • On Saturday I will hang out with some friends. O • On Saturday I will meet up with some friends. O

21 - Eye contact and smile tips

You want to make your conversation partner feel positively about you.

You should look your conversation partner in the eye when speaking. Smiling from time to time during your conversation will also make your conversation partner feel positively towards you. Although the typical amount of eye contact differs from culture to culture, as a general rule, if you avoid eye contact completely during a conver sation you may come across as being insincere and not completely open to communication. Of course, it’s also possible to unsettle people by looking into their eyes too long and too hard, and by smiling too much (!), so a good guide is to watch what native speakers do while they speak and try to mimic them.

$ ... one niJht. Have you ever been to $ustralia" % 1o never but Ζ’G love to. 0y cousin lives there.

Example 2: no aizuchi during a sentence → natural $ /ast suPPer Ζ went to $ustralia. Ζ visiteG a frienG that Ζ met in Japan. It was cool. We went to Melbourne. I was invited to a barbecue one niJht. Have you ever been to $ustralia" % 1o never but Ζ’G love to. 0y cousin lives there.

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