Hi Friends! It can be difficult for people learning a language to find a good way to start a conversation with someone they don’t know!
Of course, talking to new people is important. Not only is it the best way to make new friends, it is also a great way to learn and practice using your English!
Yet many students often find it very difficult to find the chance to talk to a local English speaker when they come to Australia or another English speaking country.
It sounds strange in a way! In Australia, there are many people who speak English, but the students find it very hard to find anyone to talk to!
Why? The answers include:
- they don’t know how to start a conversation
- they are shy or nervous about their English
- and more!
Today, I want to look at some ways to solve this problem!
ACTIVITY: I want to know about your experiences meeting native English speakers.
1. Think of someone you have met that really helped you with your English (not your teacher at school!)
2. Share with us:
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How you met them
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What you talked about when you first met them
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How did your friendship/relationship continue? What did you do?
Put your answer in the comments!
hiya!
1. Travellers from all over the world would be the answer, I suppose.
I believe talking to them in English really has improved my English a lot. I could even say this is the way I have learned speaking English.
2.
How I met them was through travelling in Thailand, India and etc…
What we talked about was our travelling experience, cultual differences etc..If we get closer, we talk about our daily lives back home.
And I do sometimes hear from some friends I met in Thailand. We never meet each other after we went back to our countries, but we are still in touch.
Hope to see them in the future somehow, somewhere.
ooops…
I typed my name in Japanese and it’s bugged…
Sorry, previous message was written by me…
Hi John, this is the story of how I met a friend in the U.S.:
I was in Oregon, U.S., and I went to an ESL school to practice while I was there. She was there doing her social service, helping other people.
By the way, she is so pretty, so I waited for the right moment and I asked her about a doubt with my lessons. Then I ask her e-mail address and her cell phone number, so as she could help me to know the city, cause I was new there.
So she agreed, and we went to a market, and then to a restaurant, and in all that time, she helped to me to improve my English, and I helped her with her Spanish.
So bad she had a boyfriend, but she’s still my friend and we communicate once in a while by e-mail.
i think firest don’t fear 4 talking.u must have courage if u have that in my opinon it’s too easy to impruving english
HI JOHN .I LIKE ENGELIS BUT 4 IMPROUVING MY ENGELISH I DON’T KNOW NOBODY TALK ENGELIS .AND LETS HELP ME
I have been in England for many months and i could speak with English people sometimes. I attended to ESOL school and i passed exam. I try talk in English via skype and i use each opportunity to talking.
When i met native English speakers first time i understood completely nothing! i was terrified, i was in foreign country and i did not understand language. I knew some grammar, i could write and read but i had huge problem with comprehension. I could tell only “speak slower and more distinctly” and “i don’t understand, repeat please”.
At present is much beter because i listen to BBC radio and try to watch movies witout translated subtitles but i would like talking with somebody who has a patience to my lame English. The more speaking the better.
hi john ,i want to partspet in cominti but i cant .cus they ask me username and paswerd and i did it. but i didnt what can i do could do help me
Hi New-1
I have sent you an email with your login details for the Ask John English site.
See you there sometime soon!
Thank you Alan, Jambee, New-1 and Konrad! Such great experiences you have had!
Some of my favourite language teachers have been both children and older people.
What do you think?
When I was in London, a lot of time ago, I was younger and I spoke with english normally about hobbies,experiences of life, our country…I’m italian.
And some english friends of mine said that I could speak english wormly.
But it was long time ago and now I have such difficult to speak about fluently with my english friends.
i wana improve ma english
hi John. I want to talk with you for a time, and I want a full contact to see if I could improve my language!
Hi
As ???? said travelling all around the world is one the best ways of learning any language.When i was in london, i met a lot of different accents which was very hard for me to understand each of them but after a while i got used to them.Another positive side of living abroad is awareness of use of the language ,i mean that you’re ‘forced’ to use it cause without you wouldn’t be able to deal with life situations
Well that’s me finished
all the best for those who’s been learning ENGLISH
Pete: Great point! I agree! I learnt Chinese that way – I was in China and if I didn’t speak, I didn’t eat! Ha ha!
Ettore and Imad: I am happy to chat with you! Please come to one of my scheduled chats! You can read about how to join here: http://www.askjohnenglish.com/learn/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=108
hi this is kunal pardhan from India… i am trying to speak english properly,,, i effort a lot, i practice by talking with my buddies and i think that i got a little success.
Hi Kunal
Yes talking in English a lot is the best way to improve!! Keep it up!
hi john i want to talk to some 1 in engluish
Hi Sana! Great to meet you!
There are many people to meet and talk to in the Ask john English community.
Check it out here: http://www.askjohnenglish.com/learn/
John