30 |

UNIT

Gettlng acquainted

Read thc

*rti{l*

amd disces$ the questioms lshfrch

fottctl"

Is this your

{irttt;rye here?

What a wonder{vl evenfl

Please, coll

' U.[crrrtr, in pratlice il can be more difficult.

$ Maybe th,e person you're Lrying Lo speak to
?, keeps replying aith one'word answers. Maybe

to meet people in rutisy

you can hartlly hettr
let
alone anderstand it. Or
saying,
wnat they're
to happen to a lot oJ
seems
and
this
nutybe peopte - J'ou can talk about your job;[or hours'

-e

Pedro.

&. you uluays seem

$
\
$
i;
$

conference httlLs where

butJbeL much

less secure

NYno, can you do to

.l

lfell,

there are

a,

maling chit-chat.

{***;
;:.:.-::

^$'

solue these problents?

lot oJ'things you can try.

{l'utelz tlw pros ,,"

Observe people who are confident speaking

rl
rl
a,

ti

English. Howdo theytalk? Contribute, of course,

but listen, and note the questions they ask. Also

thjnk about their intonation - the way they use

their voice to convey meaning. Is it something

i-

ia

you can try yourself.)

]it

I
$
1i

*
ti
&

a
ti

.," trtzd tbe str.*t"s

Of course, your colleagues from London will
thinh you're crazy if yolr start writing down
things they sity. ' "Please, call me Bill," did you
say? Oh that's quile good ...' But actors don't
mind this at all. So the next time you're in the
r.ideo shop, try borrowing an English-language
D\rD. Watch it with subtifles, and pay attention
to the way peoPle interact.

{,isten {ewd le{tr'il.

\\rhile you're at it, do more than watch: repeat
what you hear the actors say. Then record
yourself and play it back. (N{ost laptops and MP5
players have built-in microphones.) It might be
a bit embarrassing at first, but this is the best
way to become aware of your speech and how
it sounds lo others. Compare Sour prottunciation to the one on the CD or DVD, and try again'
You'll be impressed at how quickly you
improve.
P t r.fat: t
but really: don't be shy'
done,
than
Easier said
The more you say during the coffee break, the
more confident you'll feel about making conver

l! raa

t,k:

e $r{e ke s

sation at

lunch.

6
iF

What tips can You add?

has worked for you?
What ideas have you tried to make sociatizing in Engtish easier? What
what makes them so effective?
Do you l<now anyone who is good at socializing in Engtish?

&