[BEST LESSONS] - How to start conversations in English: 40 phrases

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0:25Do you have difficulty speaking English? Sometimes the hardest part is simply starting a conversation. Today, we'll learn some good conversation starters that native English speakers use in various real-life situations, formal or informal, at work, school, or other contexts. Now, these aren't especially deep conversation starters like you might want to use on a first date when you're interested in getting to know someone extremely well. Instead, these are more suited for small talk, casual conversation about topics of general interest.

0:59We're going to learn about 40 phrases today, and if you want to continue improving your English speaking and learn hundreds more phrases, come join my everyday English speaking courses. In these courses, you will learn lots of phrases and expressions that native English speakers use in many different situations so that you can speak English more confidently in daily life. Click on the link under this video to join the everyday English speaking courses. All right, are you ready to learn some phrases for starting a conversation?

1:31Let's get going. First, we'll look at conversation starters with a friend. With close friends, you can use informal conversation starters like these. If someone asks you, what's up, you can say, not much, and then add a detail about what's happening in your life at the moment. If someone says, how's it going, you can answer, good, or not so good, and then say why. If someone asks you, what's new, you can talk about something recent that has happened in your life

2:05that your friend might not know about yet. Let's look at some conversation starters with colleagues. So, in the office, you use slightly more formal English, like these common expressions. Hi, John. How are you doing? How's your day going? We're sure having a busy day today. Or, we're sure having a slow day today. Have you heard the news about? Have you got any plans for the weekend? Or, on Monday, how was your weekend? I saw the funniest thing on social media, and then show or describe it.

2:36That would be for a more casual moment, like on a break from work. You can talk about projects you're working on, hobbies you have outside work, a favorite TV show, etc. Current national and international news can also be a conversation starter, or things happening in your city. Another good question is to ask about the other person's weekend, either the most recent weekend or the upcoming weekend. Here are some conversation starters with a friend who you haven't seen in a long time. Hi, Paula. How have you been?

3:07Long time no see. So, what have you been up to lately? How's your family? Are you still working at ABC Company? So, in this situation, when you haven't seen this friend in a while, you can ask about news in your friend's work, study, family, and hobbies. And the friend will probably ask you about recent developments in your own life, too. Let's learn some conversation starters when you're at a party or a wedding. If you're at a party or a wedding or an event like that, you can start a conversation by asking how the person knows the host of the party or the people getting married.

3:52You could also comment about the food and drinks or about the music. To start a conversation at a conference or a work event, you could also use that line, I don't think we've met, I'm Shana, and the other person will probably introduce themselves. So, where are you from? What did you think of the speaker? That was an excellent workshop. I learned a lot. How about you? So, you can also ask about the person's job, what company they are from, and their opinions about the conference events. Here are some conversation starters with someone who you have just been introduced to.

4:27Say, nice to meet you. How do you two know each other? So, what do you do for a living? That means, what is your job? What are you studying, if the person is a student? How long have you been a journalist, or doing yoga, or interested in music? How did you get into it? So, let's imagine you have a friend, Nora, who introduces you to her friend, Ryan. You can ask about how they know each other, and about Ryan's job. Or, if Nora says Ryan is a student, you can ask about his area of study, or what year of university he's in.

5:01If Nora introduces Ryan as a journalist, or a friend from yoga class, or a musician, you can ask about how long he has done that activity, or how he first got interested in it. And then his answer will provide material to continue the conversation. Let's look at some conversation starters with someone you meet outside. It's a beautiful day, isn't it? It looks like it's going to rain, or snow. Can you believe all this rain, or snow, we've been having? Sure is a hot one today, or sure is a cold one today.

5:34Your dog is so cute, what's its name? If you're in a park, on the street, etc., conversation starters often involve talking about the weather, or other things you can easily observe in the area. Alright, what about starting a conversation in other situations? Well, the secret to starting a conversation with someone who you don't know is to make a comment about the current social context. Here are a few examples of how to do this. At an art gallery, that's an interesting painting, what do you think of it?

6:05At a bar, this is a great song, I love Latin music, how about you? At a sports game, wow, that was a great play, so who's your favorite player? At a coffee shop, boy, do I need some caffeine. At a concert or event, what a great turnout, have you ever been here before? At a playground, my kids are sure full of energy today. As you can see, in the example of the coffee shop in the playground, conversation starters don't necessarily need to be direct questions.

6:37You can simply make a comment to the other person, and this is like an invitation for the other person to comment to. This can then begin a conversation. So now you know lots of different ways to start a conversation in English. Stay tuned for my next lesson on how to keep a conversation going. Again, you can learn lots more phrases inside my everyday English-speaking courses. They cover tons of situations, like what to say during travel, shopping, and eating in restaurants, as well as interactions like socializing, agreeing and disagreeing, making invitations and requests,

7:12giving criticism or advice, expressing your thoughts, and much more. I hope to see you inside. That's all for today. Thanks for watching, and I'll talk to you in the next video. Don't miss it, because we'll be learning how to keep a conversation going with examples. If you want more great English lessons, visit EspressoEnglish.net, where you can sign up by email to receive a free e-book with 500-plus real English phrases. You'll also find online courses to help you improve your English fast,

7:45even if you don't have much time to study. Keep practicing your English, and I hope you have a wonderful day. We'll see you in the next video.

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