Objectives for today:

● To introduce yourself
● To carry on a basic conversation about yourself and others

Meeting someone for the first time, you are most likely to talk about:
● Where you live/come from
● What you do for a living
● What brings you to a particular location
● Personal interests
● The weather
● The environment (the airport, restaurant, hotel, park, beach, etc)
● Your location (city, country, school, or workplace)
● Current happenings such as sports or cultural events in the news

Openers: Excuse Me…

(Indirect)
● May​/​could I​ borrow your newspaper/magazine/the salt and pepper?
● Could you tell me if this is where the plane leaves for Houston?
● (Would you happen to know)(Do you know) a good restaurant/a nice hotel?
● I was wondering if you’re from around here. This is my first visit to London.
● Sorry to bother you, but is this seat taken/is anyone sitting here?
● Would you mind telling me where you got that book?
● (Could I trouble/ bother you for change?)(Can I have change)? I don’t seem to have any
quarters.
● (You wouldn’t happen to know) (Do you know) if there’s a ​cafe/ a bank/ a grocery store
near here?
(Direct)
● Excuse me, do you have the time?
○ Excuse me, do you know what time it is?
● This is a great hotel, isn’t it?
● I can’t believe how busy the airport is today.
● Nice day isn’t it/eh?
● So, what brings you here?
● Do you come here often?
● Are you from here?
Talking About Yourself
1. Nationality
a. I’m Korean/Japanese/German/Mexican.
2. Residence
a. I’m from Seoul/Kyoto/Hamburg/Guadalajara.
b. I come from Korea/Japan/ Germany/Mexico.
3. Age(can be considered rude to ask this)
a. I’m twenty-five/thirty-two/in my forties.
 4. Marital status (can be considered rude to ask this)
a. I’m single/divorced/widowed.
5. Job
a. I’m an engineer/ a teacher/ a student/ a systems analyst.
b. I’m in advertising/ in electronics/ in insurance.
c. I’m self-employed/retired.
d. I’m with McGraw-Hill/ AT&T/Siemens.
6. Hobbies/Interests
a. I’m interested in sports/fashion/travelling/art.
b. I’m into aerobics/gourmet cooking/pottery.
Showing Interest
● That must be very exciting/challenging/interesting!
● That sounds very interesting, indeed!
● Now, isn’t that interesting!
● You don’t say/ don’t mean it!
● You’re kidding!
● How interesting!
● Is that so!
● Really?
● Wow!
Just met someone-What questions can you ask them?
● Is this your first time to New York?
● Have you been to Victoria before?
● Are you new to the company?
● Are you familiar with this area?
● How long have you been here?
● Are you here on business/a holiday?
● Did you come here to study English/ to travel around?
● Do you plan to stay here long?
● Which school/university are you studying at?
● How long are you staying/visiting?
● Have you seen much of the city/country?
● So how do you like it here so far?
● How was your flight/trip/first lesson?
● The weather’s been great/nice/very cold, hasn’t it?
● Are you used to/have you gotten used to the food yet?
● Where are you from?
● Where do you call home?
● What part of Brazil/ Rio de Janeiro do you live in?
● Are you travelling alone or with family/friends?
● Do you like music/theater/sports/skiing/swimming?
● What do you do for a living?
● What kind of business are you in?
Staying in Touch
● It’s been great seeing you/talking to you.
○ Response: Give me a call/a ring/ a buzz.
● We’ll have to stay in touch.
○ Response: That’s a deal!
● We should get together again/sometime/soon.
○ For sure.
● Text me next time you’re in town.
○ I’ll do that.
● Don’t forget to give me a call/ text me/ send me an e-mail.
○ I’ll sure try.
● Drop in sometime.
○ You can count on it/ You bet!
Saying Goodbye
● It was a pleasure meeting you/talking to you.
● Nice/great to have met you.
● I’m glad we met.
● I enjoyed our conversation/talking to you.
● I hope we meet again soon.
● I look forward to working with you.
● Maybe we’ll see each other around.
● Till tomorrow/next time.
● Good-bye.
● Bye/bye-now/bye-bye
● See you around/later/then
● See you!
● So long
Responses
● The pleasure was all mine
● My pleasure
● Same here
● Likewise
● Ditto
● Me,too
● I hope so
● Sure thing
Wishing someone well`
1. Have a nice day/ a pleasant evening/ a safe trip/ an enjoyable flight back.
2. You have a nice day, too.

1. Enjoy your flight/stay/tour.

2. (Thank you) or (I wish you the same)
 1. Good luck to you!
2. Same to you!

1. All the best!

2. Likewise

1. Take care now/ Take it easy!

2. You, too.

Speak about this using English:

1. Your job or studies

2. Your family
3. The city/town or country you come from
4. The city/town or country you’re visiting
5. The flight or journey you’ve been on
6. The reason you’re at your location (hotel, airport, restaurant, city, school)
7. The weather or climate
8. Something you’ve seen or done on your trip
9. A recent sports, social, or cultural event
10. A very different custom or habit that you’ve noticed

Engelhardt, D. (2017). ​Perfect phrases for ESL: Conversation skills.​ New York: McGraw Hill
Education.