How Do I Continue a Conversation in English?

This week, we answer a question from a VOA listener¹ who writes:

Question:

I work with some native² speakers of English. I want to practice speaking with them so I improve my English. But sometimes, I get nervous, so our conversation ends quickly. How can I talk with these friends for a longer time?

– VOA fan³

Answer:

Dear VOA fan,

You are right. It is not always easy to keep a conversation going in English. You might not be sure about what to say. Or maybe you are afraid that your pronunciation is not good.

Listen and follow up

First, remember the importance⁴ of listening. Listen to the other person carefully, so that you can ask a follow-up question. For example, let's say the other person tells you, "I just got back from a trip to Canada."

You can follow up with a question using Who, What, Where, When, Why, or How:

Where did you go in Canada?

What was your favorite place there?

How was the food there?

Avoid⁵ simple ‘yes' or ‘no' questions

If you want to keep a conversation going, it's a good idea to ask questions that cannot be answered with a simple ‘yes' or ‘no.'

If the other person asks you a ‘yes' or ‘no' question, try to give a longer answer to help keep the conversation going.

For example, a friend might ask, "Hey, have you seen the new Star Wars⁶ movie?"

You could just answer, "No, I haven't." Or, you could say more.

You could answer: "No, but I plan to see it soon. How about you?"

Be brave and practice often

Do not worry about your pronunciation. If your pronunciation is a little different, the other person will still understand your message if you try speaking slowly and clearly. When you are traveling in an English-speaking country and have some free time, be brave and speak in English with someone who does not look too busy. You may make a new friend.

Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Please understand that we cannot answer all of the questions our listeners⁷ send us. Write to us at [email protected].

And that's Ask a Teacher.

Words in This Story

conversation - n. an informal⁸ talk involving⁹ two people or a small group of people or the act of talking in an informal way

nervous – adj. having or showing feelings of being¹⁰ worried and afraid about what might happen

pronunciation – n. a particular person's way of pronouncing a word or the words of a language

1 listener   

n.听众；收听者

参考例句：

• I'm a regular listener to her show.我经常收听她的节目。
• She became an attentive listener.她变成了一个专心致志的聆听者。

2 native   

adj.本国的，本地的；n.本地人，本国人

参考例句：

• No government shall take away the rights of the native people.任何政府也不能剥夺土著人的权利。
• This is my native land and I'll defend it with my life!这是我的祖国，我将用生命保卫她！

3 fan   

n.风扇，迷，狂热者；v.煽，煽动，刺激

参考例句：

• Are you a football fan?你是足球迷吗？
• Jack is a baseball fan.杰克是个棒球迷。

4 importance   

n.重要性，重大，价值

参考例句：

• Never mind who told me,that's of no importance.不用管是谁告诉我的，这无关紧要。
• Today more and more businessmen understand the importance of sports.今天越来越多的商人认识到运动的重要性。

5 avoid   

v.避免；vt.避免，逃避

参考例句：

• You can avoid all kinds of trouble by letting well alone.随遇而安就能避免种种麻烦。
• I wanted to avoid a meeting with her.我想避免与她会面。

6 wars   

n.战争( war的名词复数 )；战争期间；斗争；竞争

参考例句：

• US involvement in European wars 美国对欧洲战争的干预
• Fans waited for years for the first Star Wars prequel. 《星球大战》的第一部前传让影迷期待了多年。

7 listeners   

n.倾听者，收听者( listener的名词复数 )；听众

参考例句：

• the demographics of radio listeners 电台听众统计数据
• The singer's high notes jarred on the ears of her listeners. 那位歌手的高音让听众们觉得刺耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 informal   

adj.非正式的，不拘礼的，通俗的

参考例句：

• I got an informal reception.我受到了非正式接待。
• The leaders met over informal lunches.领袖们在非正式午餐时进行会晤。

9 involving   

表明（某人参与了罪行等）( involve的现在分词 )； 使参与； 牵涉； 使专心于

参考例句：

• A girl was killed yesterday in a crash involving a stolen car. 昨天有一女孩在一桩涉及窃车的撞车事故中丧生。
• He tried to be not involving himself in this endless argument. 他尽力使自己不介入这场没完没了的争论。

10 being   

n.存在；生存；生命存在，生命，人， 本质；art.在，有，是

参考例句：

• Can you explain to me the purpose of being?你能对我解释一下存在的目的吗？
• What is the purpose of our being?我们生存的目的是什么？