I will teach you to become a confident English speaker without schools and rules
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES PT. 2
Three Ways To Escape A Conversation
Not all conversations will be amazing. Not all conversation partners will become your new best friend. And sometimes, well, you want to politely exit the conversation and find a better one.
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
1. Give the person a conversation ball
In one of my favorite books, The Catcher in the Rye, the main character is talking about trying to meet girls in New York City. He’s having a difficult time because the girls aren’t very interesting and the conversation is bad. He then gives an analogy of a good conversation. He says it’s like throwing a baseball with another person. You throw the ball. The other person catches it. He throws it back. You catch it. You throw it back to him. And so on. Back and forth.
I used to have an office in Prague. But after a few months I went back to teaching in my apartment. I thought sitting at a big, wooden table in an old Prague 1 building would be more professional than sitting on my blue couch.
But really, the only difference was that my students weren’t as relaxed. And that was definitely the case with the student I’m about to tell you about.
When I walked in that morning he was already sitting at the table waiting for me.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR MOOD IN 120 SECONDS
If you’re already having a great day, perfect.
But what if you’re not? Or what if it’s the end of the day and you’re feeling tired? Or what if it’s just a normal day and you’d like to feel better?
HOW TO ASK GOOD QUESTIONS
1. Make Them Real
2. Make them Open-ended
HOW TO MOVE THE SPOTLIGHT IN ONE STEP
Ask Questions.
That’s it.
Instead of my usual weekly lesson, today you’re getting the latest section from a book I’m writing. (If you missed last week’s, you can read it here.)
The title: “How to Talk to Strangers in English; And make them think you’re amazing even if your English is so bad it makes rugby players cry and starts earthquakes.”
If you have any feedback for me — if something is confusing, if there’s a word you don’t know, if you disagree with something, or if you think I should add something — please write. And for everyone who emails advice, I’ll put his/her name on a list to send a free copy to when it’s done.
ANOTHER BAD IDEA FROM SCHOOL
For exactly one year I taught English at a high school in Prague.
Never again.
Something different today.
Instead of my usual email, you’re getting the latest from my next book.
The title: “How to Talk to Strangers in English; And make them think you’re amazing even if your English is so bad it makes rugby players cry and starts earthquakes.”
There’s always a better way to do it.
Example:
Last week I was lying in bed in a hotel room (a great place to get stuff done, if you can keep the TV off) and thinking about my priorities.
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