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Conversation strategies are important techniques you can use to manage
English conversations. If you master them, you conversation will sound
much more natural and flow more smoothly.
a. Signal
that you are going to start talking.
- Umm... Oh,
- So, ... Excuse
me,... (more polite)
- Well,...
b. Show interest in what the other person is saying.
- Really? That
sounds interesting.
- Is that right?
- Hmm...
- Oh, yeah...
c. Ask for repetition (if you don’t hear or understand)
- I beg your pardon?
- Pardon?
- Huh?
d. Repeat the questions -- when you need time to think
- How often do
I eat out?
- Where did I go
during spring break?
e. Think out loud
- Hmm...
- Uh, let’s
see...
- Ahh...
f. Take time to think.
- Hmm... I'll have
to think about that.
g. Ask for clarification
- What do you mean
by ________?
- I'm sorry, I
don’t understand ___________.
h. Ask for examples
- Can you give
me an example?
i. Ask a summary question
- Do you mean what
do I think of the new government?
j. Show agreement
- Yeah, that’s
right.
- I think so too.
- That’s
true, isn’t it.
k. Find something in common
- Really, I like
cross-country skiing too.
l. Check for understanding
- Do you know what
I mean?
- Do you follow
me?
m. Rephrase what your partner has said.
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