Learn English in 30 Minutes - ALL the English Basics You Need

Summary

EnglishClass101.com's 'English in Three Minutes' series offers a quick and enjoyable way to master common English phrases. Host Alicia teaches variations of 'how are you,' 'what's your job,' 'what do you do for fun,' and other everyday questions. She advises on polite conversation starters, such as asking about someone's region or college, and provides tips for remembering names and continuing dialogue. The series is designed to enhance communication skills with practical English, suitable for learners of all levels.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video series 'English in Three Minutes' by Alicia on Englishclass101.com aims to teach common English phrases in a fast and fun way.
• 🗣️ 'How are you?' is a common question, but responses like 'I'm fine', 'Pretty good', and 'Not bad' are more natural in casual American English.
• 🤔 When asked 'How's it going?', it's important to answer with 'Good', 'Pretty good', or 'Not bad' instead of 'I'm fine' to sound natural.
• 🙁 If you're not feeling well, you can respond with 'Not so good', 'Not great', or 'Not so well', but be prepared to explain why if asked.
• 👋 'What's up?' is a casual greeting that can be answered with 'Not much' or 'Nothing much', indicating availability for conversation.
• 💼 When asking about someone's job, use 'What do you do?' instead of 'What is your job?' for a more natural and less direct approach.
• 🏢 If someone asks 'What do you do?', respond with 'I am/an [job title]' or 'I work at [place]', and consider adding a location for context.
• 🏡 When discussing where you live, provide details like 'Do you know [area]?', 'Near [landmark]', or 'On the [train line]' to give context.
• 🏫 Asking 'Where did you go to college?' or 'Where did you go to school?' can be a good conversation starter, but be sensitive to the possibility that the person may not have attended college.
• 👫 Asking about someone's family, such as 'Do you have any brothers or sisters?', is a common first-time conversation topic among native speakers.
• 📱 For modern communication, 'Could I get your number?' or 'Could I get your email address?' are more appropriate than just asking for a phone number, and consider social media or other platforms like Skype.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the 'English in Three Minutes' series on englishclass101.com?

The purpose of the 'English in Three Minutes' series is to teach learners easy and practical ways to ask and answer common questions in English in a short amount of time.

How can you respond to the question 'How are you?' in a more casual and common way in English?

You can respond with phrases like 'Pretty good', 'Not bad', or 'I'm fine', depending on how you feel. It's important to match the response to the context of the question.

What is an alternative way to ask someone how they are doing, and how should you respond to it?

You can ask someone 'Hey, how's it going?' and respond with 'Good', 'Pretty good', or 'Not bad', avoiding the phrase 'I'm fine' as it can sound strange in this context.

How should you react if someone asks 'What's up?' and you're not feeling well?

If you're not feeling well, you can say 'Not so good', 'Not great', or 'Not so well'. Be prepared for the other person to ask 'Why? What's wrong?' and be polite in explaining.

What is the polite way to ask someone about their job in natural English?

Instead of asking 'What is your job?', which can sound too direct, you should ask 'What do you do?' which is a more natural and common way to inquire about someone's occupation.

How can you ask someone about their hobbies without using the word 'hobbies'?

You can ask 'What do you do for fun?' or 'What do you do in your free time?' to learn about someone's hobbies in a more natural way.

What is a common mistake people make when asking about someone's current activity versus their job?

People often confuse 'What are you doing?' which asks about the current activity, with 'What do you do?' which inquires about someone's job. The key difference is the absence of 'ing' in the latter.

How can you politely ask someone for their contact information after meeting them?

You can politely ask for someone's contact information by saying 'Could I get your number?' or 'Could I get your email address?' which sounds less direct than asking for their phone number or email outright.

What is a good way to ask someone where they live without sounding too direct?

You can ask 'So, where do you live?' which is a common and polite way to continue a conversation after learning someone's name and background.

How should you respond if you meet someone who didn't go to college when asking about their educational background?

If someone says they didn't go to college, it's polite to respond positively, such as 'Oh, really?' or 'Did you go straight into a job?' to keep the conversation going without appearing rude.

What is a common way to ask someone where they are originally from in the United States?

A common way to ask someone where they are from in the United States is by simply asking 'Where are you from?' or in a more casual context, 'Where you from?'

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction to EnglishClass101.com

The script introduces EnglishClass101.com, a platform offering English lessons in a three-minute format. Alicia, the host, welcomes viewers and explains that the series will teach common English questions and answers in a fun and easy way. The focus of the first lesson is on alternative ways to ask and answer 'how are you?' beyond the traditional 'I'm fine.' The script covers casual responses like 'pretty good' and 'not bad,' and advises on how to handle negative responses without sounding rude.

05:01

👋 Learning to Ask About Jobs and Hobbies

This paragraph discusses how to inquire about someone's occupation and hobbies in a natural English setting. It clarifies the difference between 'what are you doing?' and 'what do you do?', emphasizing that the latter is a more polite way to ask about someone's job. The script also provides advice on how to answer such questions and suggests giving positive feedback when someone shares their job. Additionally, it introduces the natural way to ask about hobbies without using the word 'hobbies,' such as 'what do you do for fun?'

10:02

🗺 Discussing Origins and Cultural Curiosity

The script explores the common question 'where are you from?' and its various interpretations, including asking about someone's city, state, or country of origin. It advises on how to answer this question and how to respond when asked in a more indirect manner, such as 'are you from [specific location]?'. Alicia's advice highlights the importance of being aware of regional pride and the potential for conversation about different parts of the United States.

15:03

🤔 Polite Inquiry About Names and Contact Information

This paragraph covers the etiquette of asking for someone's name and how to handle situations where you've forgotten it. It suggests indirect methods of asking for contact information, such as phone numbers or email addresses, and provides alternative phrases to use when connecting through social networks. The script also emphasizes the importance of building rapport before requesting personal information.

20:06

🏡 Talking About Living Locations

The script discusses how to answer the question 'where do you live?' by suggesting various responses that could include mentioning local landmarks, train lines, or the name of the area. It advises on how to continue the conversation by asking the same question in return and making positive comments about the area to find common ground.

25:08

🎓 Asking About Educational Background

The final paragraph focuses on asking about someone's educational background, specifically where they went to college or university. It provides guidance on how to phrase the question and how to respond if the person did not attend college. The script also suggests follow-up questions like 'what did you study?' to keep the conversation engaging and respectful.

Keywords

💡EnglishClass101.com

EnglishClass101.com is an educational platform designed to teach English as a second language. It is mentioned in the script as the source of the lessons being discussed. The platform offers a variety of learning methods, including 'English in Three Minutes,' which is a quick and engaging way to learn English. The script promotes the website as a resource for learning common questions and phrases in English.

💡Common Questions

The term 'common questions' refers to frequently asked questions in everyday conversations. In the script, it is used to introduce the theme of the video series, which is to teach learners how to ask and answer these questions in English. Examples from the script include 'How are you?', 'What do you do?', and 'Where are you from?', which are all basic questions used to initiate or continue a conversation.

💡Polite

The concept of being 'polite' is central to the script as it discusses the nuances of asking personal questions in English. Politeness is emphasized in the context of asking about someone's well-being, job, or contact information. For instance, the script suggests using indirect questions or phrasing to avoid sounding too direct or intrusive, such as 'Could I get your number?' instead of 'What's your phone number?'

💡Casual

'Casual' is used in the script to describe a style of conversation that is informal and relaxed. It is contrasted with more formal language to illustrate how native English speakers often use less formal language in social situations. The script provides examples of casual ways to ask about someone's day, such as 'Hey, how's it going?' and 'What's up?'

💡Indirect

The term 'indirect' is used to describe a way of asking questions or making requests that is less direct and more considerate. In the script, indirect language is recommended to avoid making people feel uncomfortable, especially when asking for personal information like phone numbers or email addresses. For example, 'Could I get your email address?' is an indirect way of asking for someone's contact information.

💡Hobbies

Hobbies are activities that people enjoy doing in their free time. The script discusses how to inquire about someone's hobbies without using the word 'hobbies' directly, which can sound formal. Instead, the script suggests asking 'What do you do for fun?' or 'What do you do in your free time?', which are more natural and less formal ways to start a conversation about leisure activities.

💡Nationality

Nationality refers to a person's identity in terms of the country they are from. In the script, it is used in the context of answering the question 'Where are you from?' by stating one's nationality, such as 'I'm Japanese' or 'I'm Brazilian'. It is also used to indicate the country someone is from, like 'I'm from Italy' or 'I'm from Thailand'.

💡Job

The script discusses the topic of jobs and how to inquire about someone's occupation in a natural way. It points out that instead of the direct 'What is your job?', native English speakers often use 'What do you do?', which is a more conversational approach. The script also provides advice on how to respond to such a question and suggests ways to describe one's workplace or company.

💡Contact Information

Contact information refers to the details needed to communicate with someone, such as a phone number, email address, or social media handle. The script addresses the topic of how to politely ask for someone's contact information and suggests indirect ways to do so, such as 'Could I get your number?' or 'Could I get your email address?'.

💡Small Talk

Small talk is the act of making light conversation on topics that are not deeply personal or controversial. The script uses the term 'small talk' to describe the type of conversation that the lessons are teaching, such as asking about someone's well-being, job, or college. It is a way to build rapport and start a conversation in social settings.

Highlights

Introduction to EnglishClass101.com and the 'English in Three Minutes' series for learning English.

Learning common ways to ask and answer 'How are you?' in English beyond 'I'm fine'.

Understanding the casual alternatives to 'How are you?' such as 'Hey, how's it going?' and appropriate responses.

The importance of not using 'I'm fine' to answer 'How's it going?' for a more natural conversation.

Discovering polite ways to inquire about someone's job without sounding too direct.

The distinction between 'What are you doing?' and 'What do you do?' in English.

Practicing the natural English question 'What do you do?' to ask about someone's occupation.

Giving polite responses to the question about one's job and adding positive comments.

Exploring ways to ask about hobbies without using the word 'hobbies' in English.

Using 'What do you do for fun?' as a natural way to inquire about someone's leisure activities.

Describing hobbies using 'I like to' or 'I like' followed by the activity for a more conversational tone.

Handling the question 'Where are you from?' with different responses based on the context.

Understanding the nuances of 'Where are you from?' in American English and its variations.

Learning polite methods to ask for someone's contact information like phone number or email address.

The indirect approach of asking 'Could I get your number?' or 'Could I get your email address?'

Responding to contact requests with affirmations and providing the necessary information.

Asking about someone's place of residence using 'Where do you live?' and giving various types of responses.

Finding common ground by discussing the areas where conversation partners live.

Inquiring about educational background politely by asking 'Where did you go to college?'

Being sensitive to the possibility that someone might not have attended college and responding appropriately.

Continuing the conversation by asking about someone's field of study or major.

Transcripts

want to speak real english from your

first lesson sign up for your free

lifetime account at englishclass101.com

[Music]

welcome to englishclass101.com

english in three minutes the fastest

easiest and most fun way to learn

english

hi

how's it going i'm alicia nice to meet

you

in this series we're going to learn some

easy ways to ask and answer common

questions in english it's really useful

and it only takes three minutes

in this lesson you're going to learn new

more common ways to ask and answer the

question how are you in english

you've probably learned how are you and

i'm fine in textbooks before

but in the united states people will

usually ask this question and answer it

in a different way

first

let's review

if someone says how are you

you can say i'm fine

i'm fine

here are some other ways to answer

pretty good

this means about the same thing as i'm

fine

pretty good

we also have

not bad

you can use this if you are feeling just

okay or so-so

not bad

let's look at our question again

how are you

this is the most well-known way of

asking how someone is you could use it

when you want to be polite

but now

let's look at some different ways to ask

how someone is

these ways are more casual and much more

common

first hey how's it going

hey

how's it going

you can answer this in many ways if

you're feeling good you can say good

good

pretty good

pretty good

not bad

not bad

once more

good

pretty good

not bad

here's a tip

even though these answers mean the same

thing as i'm fine you can't answer how's

it going with i'm fine

it will sound a bit strange

if you're not feeling good you can say

not so good

not so good

not great

not great

or

not so well

not so well

be careful

if you say one of these the other person

will usually ask why what's wrong to be

polite

then you will have to explain

another casual but very common version

of how are you is what's up

what's up

to reply use a cheerful voice as you say

not much

not much

or

nothing much

nothing much

this means you're free and able to chat

since what's up is just another way of

saying hello

you can also reply with hey

or hi

now it's time for alicia's advice

a lot of the time when we ask questions

that mean how are you in english we're

not actually asking about the other

person's health we're only asking to be

polite

you should think of these questions as

another way of saying hello

a way for the conversation to get

started instead of actual literal

questions

in fact when someone asks you what's up

you don't even have to answer just say

what's up in reply

[Music]

welcome to

englishclass101.com english in three

minutes the fastest easiest and most fun

way to learn english hey everyone i'm

alicia

in this series we're going to learn some

easy ways to ask and answer common

questions in english it's really useful

and it only takes three minutes

in this lesson you're going to learn how

to ask what someone's job is in natural

english

of course you can just say what is your

job

this is correct english but it sounds

too direct and awkward

native english speakers almost never say

this in a social situation instead they

use a different question but before we

master that we need to compare it to a

very similar question

what are you doing

i'm presenting a video about english

what do you do

i'm an english teacher

do you see the difference these two

questions what are you doing and what do

you do

sounds similar but mean different things

the first one is asking what you are

doing right now this minute you answer

it using an ing verb

what are you doing

i'm reading

i'm watching tv

while the second is actually a shortened

version of what do you do for a living

this is how we ask what is your job in

natural english let's practice this

question

what do you do

what do you do

when native speakers of english ask this

question it can come out very fast and

sound more like what do you do

in order to tell it apart from what are

you doing

just listen for the ing sound on the end

of the question

if it's not there then you're being

asked what your job is

so how would you answer this question

just think of it as if the other person

is asking you what is your job

you could answer with i am plus your job

i'm a teacher

i'm a teacher

or

i'm an engineer

if you want to learn more job names go

to

englishclass101.com and check out the

core word lists these cover job

vocabulary and more and include a

picture and audio to help you perfect

your pronunciation

you can also mention the place that you

work at starting with i work at i work

at a hospital

i work at a hospital

i work at a law firm

i work at a law firm

if you work for a big company that is

well known you can say i work for and

then the name

i work for microsoft

i work for microsoft

i work for the new york times

i work for the new york times

now it's time for alicia's advice

when you ask the question what do you do

and the other person tells you their job

it's polite to make some kind of

positive comment about his or her job

for example how interesting or that must

be exciting or even oh really

remember to sound sincere

[Music]

welcome to englishclass101.com

english in three minutes the fastest

easiest and most fun way to learn

english

hey everyone alicia here

in this series we're going to learn some

easy ways to ask and answer common

questions in english it's really useful

and it only takes three minutes

in this lesson you're going to learn how

to ask what someone's hobbies are

without using the word hobbies

you've probably seen the question do you

have any hobbies or

what are your hobbies in an english

textbook before however

native english speakers almost never use

the word hobbies when asking about them

a much more natural way to ask the same

question is

what do you do for fun

let's practice this question

what do you do for fun

what do you do for fun

you can also ask

what do you do in your free time

what do you do in your free time

so how would you answer this question

let's look at how native speakers would

do it

the easiest way is to say i like to or

just i like

followed by what you like to do

for example if you like watching movies

you could say i like to watch movies or

i like watching movies

i like to watch movies or i like

watching movies

and if you like golf you could say i

like to play golf or

i like playing golf

i like to play golf or

i like playing golf

you can emphasize how much you like your

hobby by adding a word like really in

front of like

for example i really like watching

movies on the other hand if you want to

play down how much you like something

you can say kind of

for example i kind of like playing

tennis

now it's time for alicia's advice

if you don't have any special hobbies or

don't want to be specific

a good way to reply is

i like hanging out with my friends and

stuff like that

i like hanging out with my friends and

stuff like that

just use i like and add

hanging out with my friends and then add

and stuff like that

[Music]

welcome to

englishclass101.com english in three

minutes the fastest easiest and most fun

way to learn english

hey everyone i'm alicia

this series explains some easy ways to

ask and answer common questions in

english it's really useful and it only

takes three minutes

in this lesson you're going to learn

some different ways people will ask you

where are you from

first though

where are you from

can mean many things

it can mean

what city are you from or what state are

you from in fact americans ask this

question to each other all the time to

learn what part of america the other

person comes from

of course though it can also mean what

country are you from

if you want to answer this question

there are two ways to do it

you can say

i'm plus your nationality as in i'm

japanese or

i'm brazilian

or you can say

i'm from

plus the country you are from

as in

i'm from italy

or i'm from thailand

if you're from a really famous city or

place you can say that too

for example

i'm from beijing

or i'm from new delhi

many times though americans won't ask

what country are you from or even where

are you from

in many casual situations they will say

it in a simpler way

where are you from

this is just like where are you from but

they take out the are

where are you from

you can use this too in casual

situations

of course in the united states as in

other parts of the world people may be a

little more indirect because they want

to be polite

to do this they might ask you if you are

from the place where they meet you

for example if you meet someone in new

york they might ask are you from new

york

or if you are in san diego

they might ask are you from san diego

many parts of the united states are very

multicultural so asking the question

this way avoids what could be an

embarrassing mistake

you can answer this the same way you

answer

where are you from

just add a simple no in front

for example

you can say no

plus

i'm plus nationality

no i'm french

or no plus i'm from

plus country

no

i'm from russia

now it's time for alicia's advice

since the united states is very large

people you meet may take great pride in

the place or region they come from

if you ask someone about where they're

from they may respond by saying

something like west coast or the east

coast or california

or the south or the midwest

if they answer in this way it usually

means they are interested in talking

more about their region and how it

differs from others

[Music]

welcome to englishclass101.com

english in three minutes the fastest

easiest and most fun way to learn

english

hey everyone i'm alicia

this series will teach you some easy

ways to ask and answer common questions

in english it's really useful and it

only takes three minutes

in this lesson you're going to learn

some new ways to ask someone what's your

name

including one that you can use when you

have forgotten someone's name

now what is your name

was probably one of the first questions

you learned when you started studying

english

i have to tell you though that most

native speakers of english would never

say this

in english just like in other languages

it is often more polite to be a little

indirect

of course the easiest way to avoid

asking the question directly is to not

ask at all

just introduce yourself and most people

will respond by doing the same

when introducing yourself simple is

nearly always best

just say hi i'm alicia

to show that you want to know the other

person's name just add and you at the

end

hi

i'm alicia

and you

hi

i'm alicia

and you

just like before take out my name alicia

and put your name in its place

after you say this the other person will

tell you his or her name

okay

now let's talk about an embarrassing

situation that happens to everybody

you have already met this person once

before but you have forgotten their name

the most polite thing to do in this

situation is to apologize and ask again

there's a simple way to do this that's

also polite i'm sorry what was your name

again

i'm sorry

what was your name again

this sentence is very similar to

what's your name but it has three

important differences

first we say i'm sorry

a small apology can go a long way

after that we say

what was your name this is just like

what is your name but instead of is we

use the past tense was

this is really important as it tells the

other person that you remember meeting

them you haven't forgotten him or her

you have just forgotten the name

this little word makes all the

difference

i'm sorry

what was your name

finally we add again to the end

this is another hint that tells the

other person that you remember learning

his or her name before but you just

can't recall it right now

i'm sorry

what was your name again this phrase is

appropriate for both formal and informal

situations

now it's time for alicia's advice

in the united states it's normal to

address people by name in conversation

more than once

in both formal and informal situations

it's a way to show respect or interest

in the other person and can help you

make friends

it is also a great way to practice

someone's name so you don't forget it if

you are talking to someone named ann for

example

instead of just what do you do for fun

you could say and what do you do for fun

you can also put the name at the end of

the sentence

what do you do for fun ann

you don't want to say the person's name

too often or it will sound a little

strange

but if you practice someone's name like

this you won't forget it and people love

to hear their own name

[Music]

welcome to english class 101.com

english in 3 minutes the fastest easiest

and most fun way to learn english

hey everyone i'm alicia

in this series we're going to learn some

easy ways to ask and answer common

questions in english it's really useful

and it only takes three minutes

in this lesson you're going to learn

some ways to get in touch with someone

after you have met them once already

in a lot of textbooks you've probably

seen the question what's your phone

number

what's your phone number

it's a very useful question but there

are two problems with it

first it can sound a little too direct

especially when talking to members of

the opposite sex

and second

people use the phone a lot less these

days than they used to

instead

they might prefer to connect by email or

on a social network like facebook

to start though a simple variation on

what's your phone number that sounds a

little less direct is

could i get your number

could i get your number

we start the sentence with could

which softens the request

next say i

then get and finally your number

which is short for your phone number

this question is slightly casual but it

can be used in almost any situation

recently many people prefer to use email

rather than the phone to communicate

asking someone for his or her email

address is also a little less direct

than asking for their phone number

could i get your email address

could i get your email address

we just took could i get your number

and replaced number with email address

it's that simple

could i get your email address

if someone asks you either of these

questions you can reply by saying sure

my phone number is

sure

my phone number is

or sure my email address is

sure

my email address is

or

sure

it's

and then say your phone number or email

address at the end

by the way if you're having any trouble

with numbers check out

englishclass101.com core word lists for

these and other key vocabulary words

each word comes with a picture

audio samples so you can perfect your

pronunciation and sample sentences and

phrases so you can master its use in a

sentence recently many people use social

networks like facebook or linkedin or an

online chatting service like skype to

communicate

people might ask you about these

especially if they are younger

if someone wants to connect with you

through one of these services they may

simply ask are you on

followed by the name of the service

are you on facebook

are you on facebook

are you on linkedin

are you on linkedin

are you on skype

are you on skype

to answer you can simply say

yes i am or

no i'm not

if you respond with yes i am the other

person may ask how they can connect with

you on one of these services

of course if you're not on one of these

services they won't be able to contact

you

if you still would like to stay in touch

with the person though you can say no

but my email address is or

no but my phone number is and then say

your email address or phone number

by telling the other person a different

way they can contact you you'll show

them that you want to hear from them

now it's time for alicia's advice

if you ask someone for their phone

number their email address or some other

form of contact information they will

usually give it to you if you have

gotten to know them a little beforehand

if you ask too early in the conversation

though they may be hesitant about

sharing that information

the key is to make sure you talk for

some time before requesting this kind of

personal information

[Music]

welcome to english class 101.com english

in three minutes the fastest easiest and

most fun way to learn english

hey everyone i'm alicia in this series

we're going to learn some easy ways to

ask and answer common questions in

english it's really useful and it only

takes three minutes

in this lesson you're going to learn how

to ask and say where you live

usually someone will ask you where you

live as a polite question after they've

asked you your name where you're from

and what you do for a living they'll say

so where do you live

this is inviting you to keep making

conversation

there are lots of ways you could answer

this question but here are some of the

most common

you could say do you know and then the

name of the area you live in

do you know twin pines or you could

mention a local landmark like near the

library

near the movie theater

you could also answer by telling the

person what train line you live on if

your city has a train network or what

station is the nearest to your house

on the green line

near central station

so as you can see there are lots of

possible ways to answer the question

where do you live

once you've told them the other person

might respond in one of the following

ways

oh yeah i know it

i live near there

or maybe i'm afraid i don't know it the

other person is just being polite by

showing interest so you can reply by

saying something like oh really

since the other person is asking you

this question to be polite a good way to

continue the conversation is to ask them

the same question in return

you can just say how about you

or

where do you live

put some stress on the you

where do you live

now it's time for alicia's advice

asking where someone lives is a way to

try to find something you have in common

with the person you're talking to so if

you're familiar with the area the other

person lives in make some comments about

it that's a really nice area or the park

there is really pretty anything is fine

as long as you don't say anything

negative that could be taken as

offensive like

that area has a high crime rate or

i hear that area is really dangerous

[Music]

welcome to english class 101.coms

english in three minutes the fastest

easiest and most fun way to learn

english hey everyone i'm alicia

in this series we're going to learn some

easy ways to ask and answer common

questions in english it's really useful

and it only takes three minutes in this

lesson you're going to learn how to ask

someone where they went to school or

college asking someone where they went

to college is a good small talk question

and conversation starter however you

have to be careful not to offend people

if they didn't go to college we'll tell

you how to do this the question is

simple if the other person is over 22

it's likely they will have left college

already so you ask using the past tense

where did you go to college you could

also say

where did you go to school

in american english depending on context

school often means the same as college

if the other person is british or

european however they're more likely to

say where did you go to university the

answer to this question is really easy

all you say is i went to university in

city

i went to southern oregon university in

ashland

if the name of the city or town is part

of the university's name like tokyo

university or oxford university you can

add the name of the country instead

i went to tokyo university in japan

once you've heard the other person's

answer it's polite to make some kind of

comment for example wow that's a really

famous university or just oh really

sometimes when you ask where did you go

to college the other person might reply

i didn't go to college in this situation

you should be careful how you reply so

as not to appear rude it's polite to not

act surprised but instead make a

positive comment like oh really or ask a

question like did you go straight into a

job now it's time for alicia's advice

a good follow-up question to keep the

conversation going is to ask the other

person what did you study or what was

your major

this gives them an opportunity to talk

about something they're interested in in

the next lesson you'll learn how to ask

another basic question about the other

person which often features in first

time conversations between native

speakers that's do you have any brothers

or sisters

see you next time

[Music]

you