7 Ways to Start Conversations in American English

Posted On: January 28, 2019

Some foreigners in the US learning English hesitate to start conversations with native US English speakers. If you can relate to this, this post is for you. I’d like to share some common questions you can ask your American colleagues, classmates or friends to start conversations.

 

7 Ways To Make Small Talk and Start Conversations with US Citizens

1. 1. Ask about their day
      • So how’s your morning going?
      • How’s your day so far? 
      • Video tutorial here 
   2. You could talk about something you really want to try
      • I heard there are good coffee shops around here (or say the city you are in, Seattle, for instance is known for coffee). Where can I go to try some good coffee?
      • Where is a good place to go for [coffee]
        

        7 Ways to Start Conversations over Coffee

         

   3. Learn about their background
      • Where are you from? (Ask anyone, citizen or not.)
      • Are you originally from [name of city you are in]? (Ask a classmate or colleague you think/guess grew up in the US.)
      • What part of the US are you from?” or “Where are you from in the US?” (Ask a colleague or classmate you know has moved around a lot.)
   4. Talk about the weather
      • It was a little cool this morning. Is it typical weather for this time of year.
      • I felt a bit cold today, but maybe it’s cause I’m not used to this weather. It doesn’t snow where I am from.

English as Second Language Video Tutorial: How’s the weather? 

1. Find our where people like to go out to eat
   • Where are some good places for lunch/dinner?
   • Where do you like to go out for lunch (or dinner)?
2. Weekend Plans
   • What’s there to do around here on the weekend?
   • 13 more ways to ask about weekend plans at this video post
3. How your classmates or colleagues get to work or school
   • How do you come to work/school?
   • Do you take the bus to work?
   • Note: Instead of saying ‘bus’ or ‘train,’ locals may use the local brand name of the public transit, like Trax in  Salt Lake City, The T in Boston, Marta in Atlanta, Valley Metro in Phoenix or the RTC in Las Vegas. For instance, “Do you take the Trax to work?”

What other conversational openers have you used? Feel free to share your experiences using these or other starters and how they worked out for you.

Jennifer Kumar creates programs such as Business English Seminar that builds your confidence using English with US colleagues. See what others have said about our programs or get in touch with us to start your personalized success program!

Related Posts: