English for Business

Speaking
Section 1-Networking
Unit 2 Starting a conversation

© 2017 Acadsoc Limited

 Outline
01. Review (2mins)
02. Exercise (4mins)
03. Speaking (15mins)
04. Summary (1min)

© 2017 Acadsoc Limited 1

 Suggested time: 2mins

A. Review
In Unit 1, you have learned:

1. Three steps on starting a conversation: 2. Tips on starting a conversation:

① Opening line should be easy and
effective.
② Start off with simple questions like
‘Where do you come from?’’
③ When answering your partner’s question,
you should give personal information
about yourself or comment on what your
partner said.
① Your mood should match that of your
partner. Treat your partner like a friend.
② You should make the first move instead
of waiting for someone to talk to you
first.
③ Speak with confidence

Now, please complete two exercises on the following slides.

© 2017 Acadsoc Limited TI: Do a brief review of the previous unit. 2

 Suggested time: 2mins

B. Exercise
1. Match the tips on the left with appropriate sentences on the right.

Tips Expressions
A. Opening line 1. Sorry, I don’t really want to talk
about it now. Would you mind
leaving me alone?
B. Ask simple questions 2. Where do you come from then?

C. Recognize your partner’s feeling 3. How are you?

D. Offer comments with a tag question 4. I am a nurse. And I work in a public

hospital.

E. Give personal information about 5. The place is gorgeous, isn’t it?

yourself

© 2017 Acadsoc Limited TI: Ask S to do the matching. The answers are on the next page. 3
 Answers:
A 3; B 2; C 1;
Suggested time: 2mins D 5; E 4

2. Which of the following dialogs is the correct way of starting a conversation?

Can you correct the others?

Dialog 1. Dialog 2.
A: Hi, how are you? A: Where do you come from?
B: I’m fine. This place is quite nice, isn’t B: Paris.
it? A: How long have you been there?
A: Yes, I really like its design. B: 5 years.
A: Do you like your place?
B: Yes. I do.
Dialog 3. Dialog 4.
A: Hi, my name is Jack, how are you? A: You know what? My boss is really
B: I’m very well. Thank you. bad. He is the worst boss I’ve ever
A: How old are you? met. He never paid us on time and
B: Almost 30. didn’t give us maternity leave… I
A: Are you married? hate him.
B: Sorry, I want to keep it secret. B: Sorry, would you mind me
interrupting you because I have to
catch a bus.

© 2017 Acadsoc Limited TI: Ask S to do the exercise. The answer is on the next page. 4
 Answer:
Dialog 1
Suggested time: 4mins
C. Speaking
1. Look at the conversation and revise it.

A: Where do you come from?

B: Shanghai.
A: How do you feel about it?
B: It is good.

 What do you think of B’s answer? If you were Speaker A, do you want to
keep talking with B?
 Could you please add some specifics or something interesting to B’s
answers in order to keep their talking going?

© 2017 Acadsoc Limited TI: Ask S to do the exercise. Encourage S to speak and give S useful advice. 5
 Suggested time: 5mins

2. Look at the scenario in the box below and then answer the three questions (a-c).

Scenario:
You are attending a conference held in Beijing. There is a foreign
delegate (your tutor) sitting next to you. You know nothing about him,
but you want to get to know him. How would you start a conversation?

Questions:
a. What topics can be used to start a conversation?
e.g. weather, culture, etc.
b. What questions can you ask the delegate?
c. How would you respond to the delegate’s question?

© 2017 Acadsoc Limited TI: Ask S to complete the conversation. Encourage S to speak and give S useful advice. 6
 Suggested time: 6mins

3. Role play

Here is the scenario:

After the meeting, you’re taking a break in the
lounge with your colleague (your tutor), who is new
to your company. You are standing around a table in
the break area and you want to start the
conversation.

* Use the strategies you’ve learned in the previous unit and

make a conversation with your tutor.

© 2017 Acadsoc Limited TI: Do a role play with S and give S useful advice after finishing. 7
 Suggested time: 1min
D. Summary
What you have learned in Unit 1 and Unit 2:
✓ Three methods of how to start a conversation with others;
✓ Tips on starting a conversation;
✓ Speaking skills in starting a conversation with someone.

What should you do after class?

1. Familiarize yourself with the tips and methods of how to start a conversation.
2. Try to record yourself for review and then listen to yourself to examine whether you
know how to put what you’ve learned into practice.

© 2017 Acadsoc Limited TI: Summarize what S has learned in the previous units and give S feedback. 8
 ￥2

See you the next unit!

© 2017 Acadsoc Limited 9