Making Small Talk

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In the United States, it is common to “make small talk.” These are little conversations that people do when waiting for the bus or standing in line at the grocery store. Sometimes it is considered rude to say nothing. Notice other people talking when you are doing your daily errands. Sometimes people say something about the weather or a recent event in your community.

When people get together at a party, small talk is a way to start a conversation. It is normal to be nervous the first time you meet people who speak a different language than you. Having some strategies to “break the ice” might help.

Try these ideas for making small talk:

  • Even if you are unsure about what was said—smile! It is considered rude to not respond. It is always okay to say, “I don’t understand.”
  • Try to keep negative words out of the conversation like “no,” “Don’t,” or “that is terrible.”
  • Don’t talk about bad events, politics, religion or death. These are more serious conversations.
  • Don’t talk about a person’s weight, clothing or appearance. People will call you a gossip and you don’t want that.

Practice making small talk and it will get easier each time.

Watching TV Improves English Skills

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Watching TV Improves English Skills
When you watch TV or go to English movies you are working on your new language skills. Even for adults, television shows for children are engaging, fun and make English easier to comprehend. Many English TV programs provide written language or vocabulary to support your listening skills. Series, reality TV and soap operas are a good choice for watching because they are consistent and have the same characters. Check with your local cable TV service to access subtitled features for watching movies, television shows, news programs and more.

Public Television programming to learn English
If you are a parent who is learning English along with your children, check your local PBS television channels to find that there are educational shows that focus on themes like:

  • Literacy
  • English language skills
  • Hispanic themes
  • Music
  • Technology

Watching TV in English helps you get a better job
English is the language of communication, from diplomats and politicians to teachers and travelers, about 1,500,000,000 people in the world speak English, and yet another 1,000,000,000 are learning it (http://www.britishcouncil.org/new/learning/). Watching business broadcasts and global news in English may actually move your career ahead.
You can put “extensive knowledge of English” on your resume if you are well-informed about high technology (computer technology, 21st century global applications, medicine).

I Want to Learn English. Where do I begin?

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I want to learn English. Where do I begin?
Many people say they want to learn English. Why do you want to do this? It is important to know why because it will take dedication and work. The best chance of learning a new language is to make the decision because you want to study and acquire English.

Make a list of goals and write them down
You know why you want to learn English. Now setting goals will help create a study plan that will work. The goals for someone who wants to travel will be different than if you are learning English for your job. Make your goals both short term (daily, weekly and monthly). Choose one or two long term (one year) goals.

How much time will I need?
How long it will take you to accomplish your goals depends on your own realistic choices. For example, if you already work overtime, don’t plan on spending another 40 hours a week learning English. Start slow and set aside regular, consistent time. Even if it is only 15 minutes per day while you ride the bus to work, you will see progress more quickly.

Keep it simple and fun
Reading is one of the best ways for learning and studying English. Whether you like reading newspapers, magazines or love stories, whatever you enjoy in your native language is what you should read in English. Always keep a dictionary nearby. If you are not having fun while you are learning then it is time to go back to the first step; why you chose to learn English. Being a serious student does not mean you cannot give yourself incentives and rewards.

Pronunciation Tips: Watch the Lips

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Good oral production means practice in the mirror

With practice, you can begin to produce more English words with the proper stress and articulation. You are learning new words and now want to be sure you sound as natural as possible.

Pay attention to the speaker’s lips. Watch how words are shaped with the mouth. Listen for how a native speaker’s voice increases and decreases as they form words.

When you practice at home, look in the mirror while you pronounce your English vocabulary. Over-emphasize the motions, saying the word slowly and with deliberate motions in your mouth. As you become more comfortable, your brain will begin to automatically remember what you practiced. When you practice pronunciation, you want to see, hear and feel how the words are expressed in your mouth.

Right now you are concerned more with pronunciation. For example, what does the word “you” look like in the mirror? You can feel the circular position of your lips as you pronounce the “oo” sound. Practice saying “too,” “boo,” and “shoo.” Repeat and practice with other word families.

The more you pay attention to HOW words are being spoken, the easier it will be to pronounce English words so others will understand you. Start looking at the way the words look when people are speaking today.