Los 4 Mejores Lugares Para Reunir a Tu Club de Inglés
Las razones para la creación, y la organización, de tu club de inglés no son los únicos aspectos importantes para su éxito.
La elección del lugar en el que se llevarán a cabo las reuniones también es vital para mantener el interés de los miembros del club y para asegurarse de que se presenten a la cita regular y puntualmente.
Aquí te presentamos los que nosotros consideramos son los 4 mejores escenarios para reunir a tu club de inglés:
1.En la escuela de inglés
Probablemente, el lugar de reunión más cómodo y accesible para todos sea una sala libre en la escuela de inglés, ya que después de clases la mayoría de las escuelas permanecen abiertas por un par de horas para que los profesores preparen sus lecciones.
Esta también es una opción conveniente porque la mayoría de los miembros del club probablemente ya se encuentren en la escuela, así no tendrán excusa para faltar a la cita, y además, tendrán acceso a materiales y equipo audiovisual.
2. En casa de los miembros del club
Es ameno sacar al grupo del ambiente de clase para volverlo más social y no tan académico.
Si deciden reunirse en casa de los miembros, asegúrate de que las casas se roten, para que el peso de la organización no recaiga sobre la misma persona todas las semanas, y que las casa estén en lugares céntricos.
Las casas deben poseer un espacio amplio y sin distracciones. Recuerda desconectar el teléfono y servir alguna bebida como té o café. Si la comida está permitida, cada persona puede llevar un snack o platillo para compartir con los demás.
3. En un café o restaurante
Aquí los miembros del grupo probablemente tendrán que desembolsar dinero, ya sea para reservar un espacio tranquilo o para consumir algo durante la reunión.
En este caso, puede ser difícil utilizar medios audiovisuales, pero es un gran escenario para estimular la conversación.
4. Al aire libre
Esta es una de las mejores opciones, pero puede que sea posible solo durante ciertos meses del año dependiendo del país en que te encuentres.
Si vas a estudiar inglés en USA, habrá estaciones en las que no será muy agradable permanecer mucho tiempo fuera, sin embargo, puedes buscar un sitio donde haya la opción de entrar en algún establecimiento en caso de lluvia o de incomodidad.
También debes tomar en cuenta que vas a utilizar papeles y libros durante la reunión, por lo que necesitas un lugar resguardado del viento.
Un lugar ideal son los parques con mesas para picnic y árboles que dan buena sombra.
Sin importar dónde se reúnan, recuerda que estás en un club de inglés, no en una clase. Tienes la libertad de abrir las ventanas, poner música de fondo, o encender candelas. Puedes tomar café y comer “popcorn”, te puedes quitar los zapatos y sentarte en el piso.
Recuerda que el propósito del club es practicar el inglés en un ambiente de vida real, así que haz lo que se sienta natural y a gusto.
¿Cómo Empezar un Club de Inglés?
Un club de inglés es un lugar donde quienes están aprendiendo inglés pueden practicarlo en un ambiente informal, y una de las ventajas de estudiar inglés en Estados Unidos es que cuentas con muchas oportunidades y personas interesantes para empezar uno.
Por supuesto que es importante practicar tus habilidades en la clase, sin embargo, ahí normalmente te enfocas en una habilidad, por ejemplo, la gramática. Luego de que te explica las reglas, el profesor te da una práctica; en clase tienes los libros frente a ti, y las reglas están frescas en tu mente.
Pero, ¿serás capaz de utilizar tus habilidades la próxima semana o el próximo año? Un club de inglés te permite practicar muchas habilidades diferentes en un ambiente que es muy parecido a la vida real.
Tu profesor de inglés puede entender tu inglés, pero tus compañeros de club necesitarán que hables muy claro y que escuches muy atentamente para que la comunicación sea efectiva.
Un club de inglés es una gran forma de hacer buenos amigos, y es importante que los miembros sean buenos estudiantes y compañeros, porque tu confianza aumentará si así es.
Te sientes más a gusto hablando inglés con personas en las que confías y con las que te diviertes, por esto, aquí te enseñamos la mejor forma de empezar un club de inglés:
- Coloca una hoja de registro en la pizarra de avisos de tu escuela
Invita a todos los estudiantes a registrarse dejando su número de teléfono y correo electrónico, para que los puedas contactar acerca de la hora y lugar de las reuniones.
Asimismo, escribe tu correo electrónico en la parte superior de la hoja para que los interesados puedan contactarte si tienen alguna idea interesante.
- Busca ayuda
No intentes hacerlo todo tu solo(a). Cada miembro del club debe contribuir de alguna forma. Puedes incluso hablar con un estudiante local que pueda asistir a las reuniones para ayudarles a mejorar su inglés.
- Haz una reunión introductoria
Cuando tengas entre 6 y 10 personas registradas, debes hacer una reunión introductoria para que todos se conozcan y hablen sobre el tipo de club que les interesa.
Pueden estipular que cada miembro del grupo sea el líder por una semana, y pueden organizar las semanas por temas, por ejemplo, comida, viaje, música, etc., o por habilidades, por ejemplo, leer, escribir, escuchar, etc.
- Define reglas y rutinas
Tu club debe tener reglas y rutinas claras. Por ejemplo, la regla de que dentro del club solo se puede hablar en inglés. También hay que definir si los miembros pueden comer o beber durante las reuniones, si pueden traer amigos, etc.
Es importante que todas las reuniones se lleven a cabo de forma parecida y que todos sepan qué esperar, para que la asistencia sea regular.
Avoid Mistakes: Business Terms That May Confuse You!
There is a range of business terms and words you will need to know before you can confidently enter the business field in an English-speaking country or communicate with English-speaking business associates. But beware, some words are commonly confused and used incorrectly. Here are the top 10 pairings of words to take note of:
1. Accept vs Except
Accept - to agree to (a verb)
e.g. I accept the proposition you have put forward.
Except - not including (a preposition)
e.g. Everyone has been counted except those who are not present.
2. Advice vs Advise
Advice - an opinion or recommendation from another person (a noun)
e.g. What advice would you give me regarding this matter?
Advise - to offer an opinion or suggestion to someone else (a verb)
e.g. I would advise you not to go ahead with the plans.
3. Council vs Counsel
Council - an assembly or body of persons that carry out a role (a noun)
e.g. The council of employees will speak on everybody’s behalf.
Counsel - a piece of advice (a noun) / to give advice (a verb)
e.g. We would like to take come counsel from the previous manager/ He was counseled by our staff.
4. Borrow vs Lend
Borrow - to obtain with the promise to return
e.g. We will have to borrow more money from the bank.
Lend - to grant the use of, on the promise that it is returned
e.g. We plan to lend Mr Smith a new computer until his is fixed.
5. Expand vs Expend
Expand - to increase in size
e.g. We are looking to expand the business within three months.
Expend - to use up/ pay out
We have expended all our resources on this project
6. Improve vs Improvise
Improve - to make better
e.g. We are going to improve our business strategies.
Improvise - to deliver something without time to prepare
e.g. We will have to improvise in our negotiations if it does not go according to our plan.
7. Interested vs Interesting
Interested - possessing a right or a claim to something (an adjective)
e.g. They are an interested party in this business venture.
Interesting - something that has appeal or holds attention
e.g. We found the discussion very interesting.
8. Look Over vs Overlook
Look Over - to browse or read through something
e.g. I will look over the report this afternoon.
Overlook - to neglect
e.g. I’m afraid I overlooked the request you put in yesterday.
9. Precede vs Proceed
Precede - to go or come before
e.g. The person that preceded me was very skilled.
Proceed - to go ahead with
e.g. We will proceed with the business deal unless told otherwise.
10. Personnel vs Personal
Personnel - a body of people employed by an organization
e.g. The personnel at this office are very friendly
Personal - relating to an individual person
e.g. That is my personal belief about this situation.
If you are interested in mastering your business English, opt to take ESL classes in the USA to teach you everything you need to know to be successful with your business matters. Executive English courses last from three weeks and equip you with the English you need to know for every business situation.
If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).
17 Words to Know Before Your Next Business Meeting
If you’re scheduled to attend a business meeting carried out in Business English, you’ll want to be focused and make sure you understand all the information being shared.
Do some preparation beforehand to learn common terms, phrases and words you’re likely to hear at the meeting.
Here are 17 words you’ll want to know:
1. A.G.M
Meaning: An abbreviation for ‘Annual General Meeting’
Example: We will start the A.G.M with some company news
2. A.O.B
Meaning: An abbreviation for ‘Any Other Business’
Example: A.O.B can be discussed at the end of the meeting.
3. Adjourn
Meaning: To postpone/to suspend the meeting and recommence it at another time
Example: If we run out of time, this meeting will have to be adjourned until next week.
4. Agenda
Meaning: Written program or schedule for the meeting
Example: Please look at your agendas so you can read through the matters we will be discussing.
5. Ballot
Meaning: A form of voting - usually done in writing
Example: At the end of the meeting, we will have a ballot on the decisions we need we make.
6. Casting Vote
Meaning: The vote that will decide the outcome of a ballot or voting procedure
Example: The chairman will have the casting vote if no decision can be made or the votes are equal.
7. Chairman
Meaning: Person who presides over/governs the meeting
Example: I am the chairman of this meeting but at the next meeting there will be a new chairman.
8. Comment
Meaning: Something you wish to say or discuss
Example: If you have a comment about what is being said, please raise your hand at the end.
9. Commence
Meaning: To begin/ start
Example: This meeting will commence once everyone is comfortably seated.
10. Consensus
Meaning: A general agreement
Example: After discussing the decision with our workers, we found the consensus was they agreed with it.
11. Conference
Meaning: A formal meeting for discussion - especially one that is held at regular periods
Example: At the next conference between our managing department, we will discuss all of your issues.
12. Conference Call
Meaning: A telephone call between three or more people in different locations.
Example: We will have to address the next issue through a conference call since Mr Brown is away in Europe.
13. Item
Meaning: A separate point for discussion (usually listed on an agenda)
Example: We have three items that we need to discuss today.
14. Minutes
Meaning: The written record of everything said or discussed at a meeting
Example: Please look through the copy of the minutes taken from the last meeting.
15. Motion
Meaning: A suggestion/proposed action that needs approval
Example: There has been a motion for more chairs to be added to the office and we will take a vote on this.
16. Show of Hands
Meaning: A request to have people raise their hands to express an opinion or vote
Example: Please could we have a show of hands for people who believe we should proceed with this decision.
17. Wrap up
Meaning: To finish/ draw to an end
Example: Before we wrap up, I would like to make one more point.
If you are interested in mastering your business English, opt to take ESL lessons in the USA to teach you everything you need to know to be successful with your business matters. Executive English courses last from three weeks and equip you with the English you need to know for every business situation.
If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).
5 Ways to Get Better at English Reading Comprehension While Having Fun
Improving your ability to read in English fast and accurately requires a lot of work, and if the materials you read don’t interest you, most probably your English learning experience is becoming a nightmare and will not prove too effective.
It is not necessary to read boring materials to get good at reading in English, in fact it is counterproductive. Once you know the basics of the English language, you are free to choose among a wide array of reading materials and different methods of presentation.
Here are 5 ways to practice your English reading comprehension, which in addition to being effective and dynamic, are lots of fun:
1.Play word games
Today you can find all kinds of crossword and word game puzzles to amuse native and ESL speakers of all ages. These games will improve your vocabulary, sharpen your mind, and are a great way to have fun and pass the time.
Consider playing Scrabble and doing word searches, these can be of great help to train your mind to think in English.
2.Take a speed reading course
If word games are not your thing, consider taking a speed-reading course.
In this course you will learn how to pick the key words out of a paragraph to understand the message without having to read every word; thus, you must have, at least, an intermediate knowledge of English to be able to recognize and separate nouns and verbs.
3.Take notes on matters of interest to you
When you read a book about a topic you like, take notes. You can copy parts of the text word by word or you can try to write something in your own words.
As you write, you will have the chance to think in English, to think about the sentence structure, and to see how ideas are expressed; as a result, you will learn to talk about the topic in a more natural way.
4.Choose challenging materials
You must regularly establish new personal goals when learning English in order to progress and get better, just as you do when you exercise.
Let’s say you can already understand a 100 page children’s book, then it is time for you to try a 200-page book or one directed towards your age group.
No matter the topics that interest you, some books will be easier to understand than others; every time you chose the ones that are more challenging, you will be gaining mastery at understanding what you read in English.
5.Read materials from many different sources and authors
The number of websites out there gives you a good idea of the wide range of English writing styles that exist. You will most definitely discover how flexible the English language is and in which ways people feel more comfortable communicating.
If you are an expert in a certain topic in your native language, use that expertise to read websites in English that focus on similar topics.
In the same way, read books by different authors that talk about the same topics and try to understand the differences in writing styles.
After you learn the basics of the English language, only practice and time will make you proficient. It is crucial that, as a complement to your ESL class, you read about things that interest you in as many different forms as possible, and it is imperative that you have fun in the process.
If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).
Speak With Confidence: Business English You’ll Need On The Telephone
Talking on the phone may present Business English students with a number of difficulties. Firstly, you will be unable to see the person speaking - this will make it harder to understand what is being said without the support of body language or being able to watch the person’s mouth pronounce the words. Also, there is different set of words and phrases people commonly use when on the phone. It’s a good idea to become familiar with them so you can answer the phone and speak with confidence when required.
MAKING A CALL
Introducing yourself / Making a request to speak to someone
Hi, my name is John Smith. May I speak to Sarah Brown?
Hi, I’m calling to speak to Sarah Brown.
Good morning / Good afternoon - this is John Smith from the ABC Company. Please may I speak to Sarah Brown?
RECEIVING A CALL
How to answer the phone
Good morning / Good afternoon. This is John Smith from the ABC Company. How may I help you?
Yes, this John Smith speaking. How may I help you?
Thank you for calling the ABC Company. How may I direct your call?
Connecting someone
One moment please, I’ll transfer you right now.
Please could you hold and I’ll put you through.
Let me see if Jim Andrews is available.
Putting someone on hold
Jim Andrews is on the other line. Would you like to hold?
Jim Andrews is just away from his desk. Would you mind holding?
I’m sorry, could you hold for just a moment?
DURING THE CALL
When you don’t understand something
I’m sorry, I didn’t understand that. Could you please repeat it?
I’m sorry, I didn’t catch what you just said. Would you mind repeating?
I’m having difficulties understanding what you are saying. Would you mind repeating a little more slowly / a little more loudly?
Clarifying what you have heard
Could you please spell that for me?
How do you spell that?
Let me repeat your information to make sure I have got it right.
Your company’s name is ‘The XYZ Company’ - is that right?
Taking a message for someone
I’m sorry, Jim Andrews is not here at the moment. Can I take a message?
Jim is currently in a meeting. May I ask who’s calling? I can take a message.
Jim Andrews isn’t available at the moment. Can I put you through to his voicemail?
Leaving a message for someone / Leaving a voicemail
This is John Smith calling from The ABC Company. My number is 703 333 1234. Please could he / she / you call me back when it is convenient.
This is John Smith calling from The ABC Company. I’m calling regarding (an order that was placed) / (a meeting we have arranged) / (a letter that was sent to me). Please could you / he /she call me back on the following number - 703 333 1234. Thank-you.
Finding out more information
When do you expect him/her back?
Could I leave a voicemail?
ENDING A CONVERSATION
With someone who has called
Thanks for calling. I’ll speak with you again soon.
Thanks for calling. I’ll pass on your message.
With someone you have called.
It’s been good talking to you. Thank-you. Bye.
I better let you go. Thanks very much. Bye.
I’ll touch base with you again in a few days. It’s been good talking to you.
To gain a solid knowledge of good business English that will fuel your success, consider taking an ESL program based in the USA.
If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).
Cómo Escoger un Curso de Inglés en el Exterior
Puede ser difícil aprender inglés como segunda lengua, pero es imprescindible hacerlo si deseas tener acceso a los mejores trabajos, educación y oportunidades culturales.
Es por esto que muchos hispano hablantes deciden tomar un curso de inglés en el extranjero. Estos cursos se llaman “ESL programs” o “English as a Second Language programs”, que quiere decir ‘programas de inglés como segunda lengua’.
Hay cursos individuales o en grupo, y los mejores pueden ser caros, así que aquí te damos una guía de cómo escoger el mejor curso de inglés para que le saques el mayor provecho a tu inversión:
1. Confirma la experiencia del profesor
Cuando visites sitios de escuelas de inglés en Internet o veas anuncios sobre cursos de inglés, debes investigar a fondo y averiguar todo lo que puedas acerca del programa, quién lo enseña y su experiencia en el campo.
Pon atención y averigua si el curso es dirigido por un voluntario o por alguien que está certificado para enseñar el inglés como segunda lengua.
Una persona certificada ha sido entrenada y conoce muchos, si no todos, los retos que un estudiante de inglés puede encontrar. Por supuesto, esto no quiere decir que un voluntario hará un mal trabajo, sin embargo, un profesor certificado incrementa la posibilidad de que tu experiencia en el aula sea muy enriquecedora.
2. Pide referencias
Una vez que tengas varios programas en mente, pídele al profesor o a la escuela que te envíe referencias. No dudes en pedirlas, pues si estás pagando por el programa tienes derecho a saber si este lo vale.
La mayoría de escuelas y profesores tienen una lista de antiguos alumnos que están dispuestos a hablar con clientes potenciales sobre su experiencia con los programas. Contáctalos y pregúntales sobre el profesor y cómo el curso los benefició. Estas personas inclusive te pueden dar información valiosa sobre la comunidad donde se encuentra la escuela y sobre la cultura del lugar.
3. Analiza cómo aprendes mejor
Es importante considerar en qué tipo de ambiente aprendes mejor.
¿Eres el tipo de persona que trabaja mejor sola, fuera de un aula? Si es así, te conviene más trabajar con un profesor particular o tomar un curso de inglés virtual, sin embargo, esto puede resultar más caro, por lo que debes considerar tu posición financiera antes de decidir.
Hay también opciones de grupos muy pequeños y espacios tranquilos como bibliotecas y salas de conferencia; todo esto es importante porque mucho ruido y distracciones pueden entorpecer el aprendizaje.
4. Busca alternativas económicas
Dependiendo de donde vives, puedes encontrar alternativas más económicas a un programa de inglés, por ejemplo, grupos comunitarios o iniciativas gubernamentales. Estos van a resultar mucho más baratos que un profesor o escuela privada, sin embargo, probablemente no vas a recibir el mismo tipo de atención.
Si realmente deseas aprender el inglés profundamente, vale la pena invertir en un buen programa, en una ciudad donde se hable la lengua diariamente y donde puedas experimentar la cultura de habla inglesa en su totalidad.
5 Formas de Practicar el Inglés Escrito
Una vez que alcanzas cierto nivel de escritura en inglés vas a querer comprobar que te puedes comunicar efectivamente con otros.
Desafortunadamente, si vives en un área o país donde pocas personas leen en inglés, va a ser difícil que recibas retroalimentación acerca de lo que necesitas mejorar.
Por suerte, ahora hay muchas otras formas de practicar y mejorar tu inglés escrito, y aquí te presentamos 5 de ellas:
1. Utilizando una pizarra
Habrá ocasiones en que desees practicar escribir en inglés pero no necesariamente guardar lo que escribiste. Si escribes en una pizarra, podrás escribir cuanto quieras sin necesidad de gastar papel, y además es una gran manera de practicar tu ortografía.
Al mantener una pizarra siempre a la mano podrás hacer anotaciones rápidas acerca de diferentes temas antes de escribir una composición más formal.
2. Escribe un diario en inglés
Algunas veces sentirás la necesidad de practicar escribir en inglés pero no quieres compartir lo que escribiste.
En un diario puedes escribir tus pensamientos y crear un ambiente donde no te preocupa el resultado. Puede que inclusive descubras que te encanta escribir en tu diario y lo conviertas en una práctica diaria.
3. Lleva un blog
Eventualmente, vas a querer compartir tus ideas y puntos de vista en inglés, pero puedes sentir que no estás listo para enfrentarte a un público de carne y hueso.
Un blog es el balance perfecto entre un diario privado y un grupo de personas.
El blog está abierto al público en general y muchas personas lo leerán. Si alguien desea hacer un comentario lo puede hacer y tu te verás beneficiado con la retroalimentación.
No es necesario que te involucres en ninguna conversación en tu blog si no lo deseas.
4. Inscríbete en un club de inglés
Los clubes de inglés son muy populares, los hay de todo tipo y son el complemento ideal de una “ESL class” (clase de inglés como segunda lengua).
Al escribir junto a otros que desean mejorar su inglés, tienes la oportunidad de practicar el tuyo.
Aquí puedes compartir lo que te resulta difícil y entender porqué es así, a la vez que recibes consejos prácticos para mejorar.
5. Únete a un grupo virtual de crítica de escritura
Hasta los que nacieron hablando y escribiendo el inglés como lengua nativa desean mejorar su estilo. En estos grupos puedes encontrar desde personas que desean ser escritores hasta las que simplemente quieren aprender a comunicarse mejor en diferentes medios.
Ya que estos grupos se dedican a ayudar a otros a mejorar su estilo, vas a recibir retroalimentación muy honesta y directa sobre lo que necesitas mejorar.
Hay muchas formas de practicar el inglés escrito y las que te convienen dependen de tu nivel de aprendizaje. Conforme avanzas, es importante que empieces a compartir con personas que escriben en inglés como primera lengua, sin embargo, una mezcla de escritura privada y pública te puede ayudar a cumplir metas específicas.
4 Great Ways to Practice Business English
Nowadays, no matter where you are in the world, business is mainly done in English; thus, if you own or manage a business most probably you will have to talk in English and you will have to make sure the rest of your staff does too.
Whether you just need to create an ad for the local newspaper or negotiate a difficult international contract, it is vital that you understand how to do business in English; and you can’t wait until the business deal is imminent to put yourself into the perfect situation to learn business English.
Fortunately, there are many ways to practice business English in your daily life, here we show you 4 of the best:
1.Try out and share materials created by you
If, for example, you have to get better at creating a flyer to promote your business, begin by designing and writing one in your native language.
Once you have the ideas clear and organized, translate the flyer to English. When you’re done, find a native English speaker and ask him or her to check it for you.
If you repeat this over and over, you will eventually get a better understanding of the language rules and flow.
2.Go to town and city meetings
If you live in a country where the main language is English, you should go to town and city meetings regularly.
Even though these gatherings are mainly planned to talk about local government issues, you will discover that it is common to hear about money and contract negotiations too. Consequently, you will listen to words and vocabulary related and common to different business fields.
Don’t worry if you get lost in the discussion, you will still be able to see the body language and hear the tone in which people are saying the words.
3.Watch business videos
There are tons of videos that can help you learn business English, and we’re not talking about ESL videos. You can look for videos created to train salesmen and distributors; these give you a great opportunity to practice comprehension of sales and business conversations.
4.Join Internet business groups
Most probably there’s a part of the business you like more than others; it could be marketing, sales, accounting, or any other. Well, look for Internet groups and forums that specialize in that area you like and join the ones that are written in English.
This is a superb opportunity to practice words and phrases that are normally used in your industry, and also to talk about your own experiences.
To learn business English you have to practice and devote yourself to learning its nuances.
Based on your interests and goals, and to complement your ESL lessons, you can find means of practicing that let you participate in conversations or that just allow you to listen and observe. No matter what, in the end, you will find yourself talking business English fluently and with confidence.
If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).
The 10 Best Questions to Break the Ice and Practice English
The following 10 questions will help you start a casual conversation in English and keep it going along an interesting line.
The first five questions will help you get to know people. These are simple questions that require simple answers and that give you information so that you can keep asking.
The last five questions will help you maintain a conversation and discover more about the person’s likes and dislikes.
1. What’s your name?
This is a basic question that can prompt an interesting exchange of information.
After the person answers, you can reply:
- “It’s a pleasure to meet you”
- “Where are you from?”
- “That’s an interesting name. Is it French, Indian, Russian…?”
2. Where do you live?
To keep the conversation going, you can ask:
- “How long have you lived there?”
- “Do you like it there?”
- “Do you live in an apartment or a house?”
3. What do you do?
You can find common ground with other people when you know what they do. After breaking the ice, you can follow with something like this:
- “Which company do you work for?”
- “How long have you had that job?”
- “Do you like your job?”
- “What’s the best/worst thing about your job?”
- “What do you like the most/least about your job?”
4. Are you married?
If the person answers “yes”, other questions to ask are:
- “How long have you been married?”
- “Where did you get married?”
- “What does your wife/husband do?”
- “Do you have children?”
If the answer is “no”, you may ask:
- “Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend?”
- “Do you like single life?”
- “Would you like to get married someday?”
5. Where are you from?
It is always interesting to know where other people come from, even more so if they are foreigners. Keep the conversation going by asking:
- “Where is …?”
- “How long did you live there?”
- “What is … like?”
- “Do you like it here?”
6. What do you like to do in your free time?
This is a great question to discover common interests. You can ask:
- “How often do you (eat out in restaurants, play video games, go to the opera, etc.)?”
- “Where do you (eat out in restaurants, play video games, go to the opera, etc.) in town?”
- “Why do you like (eating out, playing video games, going to the opera) so much?”
7. Can you play soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc.?”
Ask about any sport you personally like and are a fan of. Keep it going with:
- “Do you enjoy playing soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc.?”
- “How long have you played soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc.?”
- “Who do you play soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc. with?”
- “Would you like to get together sometime to play soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc.?”
8. What kinds of films/ food/ vacations do you enjoy?
This topic offers great opportunities to learn new things. Keep asking:
- “What’s the best place to see/ eat/ go on vacation?”
- “What’s your favorite kind of films/ food/ vacation?”
- “How often do you watch films/ eat out/ go on vacation?”
9. What do you do on weekends?
You can find new ways to have fun and even make a new friend. Keep the conversation going along the lines of:
- “Where do you go to …?”
- “Can you recommend a good place to (go shopping/ take my children for a swim/ go dancing)?”
- “How long have you done that?”
10. What kind of music do you like?
Find out more by asking:
- “Where do you go to listen to music?”
- “Do you play a musical instrument?”
- “Have you been to many concerts lately?”
You can use all of these questions in one conversation or use them separately to practice English outside of your ESL class, but remember that the most important thing when meeting people is to keep an open mind and enjoy the experience. This is the best way to learn!
If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).
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