L'arte della buona conversazione
Nel mondo della diplomazia, si dice che l'arte della buona conversazione è la dinamica di diverse considerazioni che le persone fanno, invece di argomentare il contrario.
Per sviluppare la nostra capacità di conversazione in inglese suggerisco le seguenti linee guida:
Per sviluppare la nostra capacità di conversazione in inglese suggerisco le seguenti linee guida:
Mostrare interesse, fare domande aperte, utilizzare l'ascolto attivo e partecipare alla conversazione.
Ma facciamo un po' di pratica in inglese... Reading
Ma facciamo un po' di pratica in inglese... Reading
1) Show interest
When we converse with somebody we want the other person to show interest in what we say and vice-versa. So how can we show interest in what the other person says?
We can nod our heads occasionally.
We can also encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments:
“Yes”, “uh huh”, “I see”, “That’s interesting”, “Really”.
When we converse with somebody we want the other person to show interest in what we say and vice-versa. So how can we show interest in what the other person says?
We can nod our heads occasionally.
We can also encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments:
“Yes”, “uh huh”, “I see”, “That’s interesting”, “Really”.
2) Ask open questions.
If we only ask yes or no questions it’s difficult for conversation to flow naturally. Try to ask open questions about things you have in common with the other person (e.g work, the sector, topics, news, events).
Open questions usually start with (What, how, when, where, why)
“What do you think about….?”
“How do you feel about…?”
“Where is the best place to…?”
If we only ask yes or no questions it’s difficult for conversation to flow naturally. Try to ask open questions about things you have in common with the other person (e.g work, the sector, topics, news, events).
Open questions usually start with (What, how, when, where, why)
“What do you think about….?”
“How do you feel about…?”
“Where is the best place to…?”
3) Two-way conversation
Remember boring conversations we’ve had, it usually involves either the other person or ourselves doing all the talking. Remember don’t be afraid to change the conversation.
“What about….”
“Have you heard….”
“Did you see…..What did you think?”
Remember boring conversations we’ve had, it usually involves either the other person or ourselves doing all the talking. Remember don’t be afraid to change the conversation.
“What about….”
“Have you heard….”
“Did you see…..What did you think?”
4) Active listening
We all do it, we think we’re listening to somebody and then we start thinking about something completely different. The other person catches us doing it and thinks we are not interested. End of conversation.
A key part of good conversation is responding appropriately at the right time.
"I see what you mean"
"I know what you mean"
"That´s true"
"I can understand you’re point of view"
We all do it, we think we’re listening to somebody and then we start thinking about something completely different. The other person catches us doing it and thinks we are not interested. End of conversation.
A key part of good conversation is responding appropriately at the right time.
"I see what you mean"
"I know what you mean"
"That´s true"
"I can understand you’re point of view"
Top tips for international socialising
Experts say....
1. Be proactive – break the ice
Ask most non-native speakers of English how they feel about socialising and starting a conversation (breaking the ice) and the answer will be nervous and unconfident.
The only way we can overcome that is practice. The more we practice being proactive and breaking the ice (starting conversation) the more relaxed and confident we will feel. We suggest preparing simple questions you can ask.
How are you enjoying the event?
Is this your first time to…?
Do you work for…?
What did you think of…?
2. What to talk about – safe conversation topics
This is all about talking and asking questions about 5 safe conversation topics.
- weather (What´s the weather like where you come from?)
- jobs and responsibilities (So what do you do exactly?)
- travel ( How was your flight? )( Have you ever been to….?)
- business (How’s business at the moment?)
- interests (So what are you interested in?)
3. Focus on them – not you
Focus on the other person in social situations, even if this means talking for an hour about something which you personally find boring. It´s a good way to find things you have in common to talk about as well as their interests.
4. Active listening – give positive feedback
Show and tell people you´re listening, nod your head and say “ah-hum/ ok/ i agree/ i know what you mean”.Also use positive body language such as smiling, making eye contact and keeping your arms open and not crossed. It may seem obvious but listening styles differ greatly across cultures and across personalities.
5. Inspire others
As a speaker we should try to ‘inspire’ people listening to us so that when they walked away they would be thinking positive thoughts like That was a really interesting conversation. / He’s a really nice guy. / That was fun. etc. If we can achieve this people will remember us and the law of reciprocity means they might even want to help us because we gave them something.
6. Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm in a conversation means being open and enthusiastic about what you say and what the other person says. For example you can practice this by changing your responses from ‘It was fine” to ‘It was excellent.‘, from ‘It was quite interesting.’ to ‘It was amazing.’
So, put them in practise now and have a good conversation !
