10 WAYS TO HAVE A BETTER CONVERSATION

BY CELESTE HEADLEE

WARM-UP:
1. Discuss these questions:
 Do you more often text/message your friends or
talk with them?
 What kind of conversations do you usually have at
work/outside work? What do you discuss?
 What kind of things are important to know how to
talk and listen properly?

VOCABULARY:
1. Fill in the gaps in the sentences with prepositions:

a) I'm quite excited about some of the ideas we're coming ________________ with,
but I’ll give more details later.
b) In essence, this boils ________________ to whether modern industrial capitalism
is compatible with a healthy planet.
c) I grew ________________ with a very famous grandfather who always looked
after me.
d) She walked me ________________ the presentation so I knew what to expect at
the meeting.
e) If you are at a party and you don't want to or can't leave, you can get
________________ of the conversation by introducing the person to someone
else.
f) He wanted to teach them how to speak ________________ a specific subject
without using notes.
g) Stop complaining and just go ________________ the flow!

2. Match the words in the left column with their definitions in the right column:

a. pundit 1. speaking in a way that is sensible and

that people can understand
b. distracted 2. to make someone upset and angry by
doing or saying something
c. offend
3. establish a meaningful contact or
d. brag connection with
4. to give your opinions in a way that
e. coherent shows you think you are definitely
right, especially when this annoys
f. pontificate other people
5. showing that you think you are more
g. condescending
important or more intelligent than other
h. engaged people
6. to talk about your achievements or
possessions in a proud way that
annoys other people
7. someone who is an expert in a subject
8. not able to concentrate on something
 10 WAYS TO HAVE A BETTER CONVERSATION
BY CELESTE HEADLEE

3. Put the words from exercise 2 into the questions below and discuss them:

a) What features a speech should have to be ________________ ?

b) When was the last time you have ________________ about your
achievements?
c) Do you often get ________________ by what other people say? If so, how do
you deal with?
d) When do you feel that somebody is not ________________ in the
conversation with you?
e) What is your way of dealing with ________________ co-workers?
f) What makes you feel ________________ when you are in a conversation?

DISCUSSION:
1. Look at the Ten Rules for Better Conversation and discuss which of these
rules:

(i) you don’t follow

(ii) would bring the best improvement to the quality of conversations
(iii) are least important

TEN RULES FOR BETTER CONVERSATION

I. Don’t multitask.
II. Don’t pontificate.
III. Use open-ended questions.
IV. Go with the flow.
V. If you don’t know say that you don’t know.
VI. Don’t equate your experience with theirs.
VII. Try not to repeat yourself.
VIII. Stay out of the weeds.*
IX. Listen.
X. Be brief.

* stay out of the weeds = don't say too much unnecessary things/details.