Name : Pradita Sofiana

Class : A 2009
Academic English 2
INTRODCTION T!E A"ERICAN #A$
Introd%ction are &eggining of comm%nicati'e acti'ities( There) for in learning a
lang%age it is &etter to *no+ ho+ introd%ce o%rsel'es) since it is means of comm%nication(
,eside that) it +ill &e a+*+ard to get into a con'ersation +itho%t introd%cing oneself into the
interloc%tor( There are some different +a-s of introd%ction in different co%ntries in the +orld(
In American +a-s in introd%ction) in +hich english is %sed) &asicall- incl%ding 'arieties of
introd%ction) e-e contact and hand sha*ing) and small tal* after introd%ction(
There are 'arieties of introd%ction among Americans) from formal ones to informal
ones( Americans) ho+e'er) tend to %se informal introd%ctions) it is im.ortant to *no+ that
there are some sit%ations +here a formal introd%ction is s%ita&le) it +ill &e im.olite +hen the
formal sit%ation is e/.ected) +hile it %se the infoemal one( One the other hand) it +ill feel
a+*+ar* and a&s%r& to %se the formal introd%ction in a sit%ation) +hen an informal one is
more s%ita&le( Th%s there are &asicall- t+o *inds of introd%ction(
0ormal introd%ction) is %sed +hen +e met o%r s%.erior s%ch as teacher) headmaster)
chairman) etc( In other +ords) a formal introd%ction is %sed +hen there is a difference in
stat%s( A formal introd%ction is also +hen there is a difference in age) es.eciall- the -o%nger
.eo.le to older ones( A formal introd%ction in different stat%s and ages) %ses tittle and last
name( Since it is a formal sit%ation) the +ords and sentences %sed in the introd%ction are
formal and are %s%all- longer( 0or instance) its ad'isa&le to sa- 1!o+ do -o% do2) rather than
1!o+ are -o% doing32 and its more .olite to %se 1its nice to meet -o%2 rather than 1nice to
meet -o%2(
The formal relationshi. &et+een the s.ea*ers e/ists in formal introd%ction( In an
informal introd%ction) the relationshi. &et+een the s.ea*ers is less formal( S%ch an
introd%ction is %sed +hen the s.ea*ers are on the same age) -et some .rofessors in America
.refer an informal re.ort or tal* +ith st%dents and allo+ them to %se their first name either in
or o%t of the classroom( 0or informal introd%ction) there are tendenc- to red%ce the +ords or
.hrases( 0%rthermore) %nli*e a formal introd%ction) an informal one %s%all- red%ce stat%s
differences &- %sing the first names and no tittle along +ith their name(
Direct e-e contact is %s%all- done d%ring introd%ctions in the nited States( In this
sit%ation) Americans maintain fre4%ent e-e contact and it often t%rns into starting( If +e don5t
*no+ a&o%t it) it +ill &ecome ner'o%s and +e thin* there is something +rong +ith them
&eing introd%ced +ith American(
!and sha*ing is cost%mar- d%ring introd%ction in the nited States( #hen sha*ing
hands) American %s%all- sha*e hands firml- and &riefl-( Prolonged hand sha*ing is %n%s%al(
#hen sha*ing hands +ith American) and its not familiar +ith this +a-) .ro&a&l- -o% ma- &e
+ondering or misinter.reting +h- he .%lls his hands a+a- so 4%ic*l-( $o% might s%..ose
that he .%lls his hand a+a- &eca%se he doesnt li*e -o% or there is something +rong +ith -o%(
There is %s%all- a .eriod of time in +hich +e ha'e a chance to tal* a&o%t something
immediatel- after introd%ction( Its called 1small tal*2( D%ring this time) +e can disc%ss
im.ersonal matters) for instance) o%r co%ntr-) the cit- or to+n +here +e come from) etc(
Other+ise) +e are considered im.olite +hen +e as* .ersonal to.ics) s%ch as) 1Are -o%
married32) 1!o+ man- children do -o% ha'e32) 1!o+ old are -o%32) and so on( Small tal*
often hel.s %s to maintain con'ersation( It +ill &e easier +hen t+o .eo.le find that the- ha'e
something in common(
In concl%sion) +hen &eing introd%ced to Americans -o% m%st consider the 'arieties of
introd%ction( $o% ha'e to *no+ +hich one is more a..ro.riate) either formal or informal(
#hen to e/ercise e-e contact and hand sha*ing introd%ction) also +hat to do +ith the small
tal* that follo+s( #hether -o% +ill &e s%ccessf%l or not in -o%r .ractice) it all de.end on -o%r
o+n ca.a&ilit-(
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