01+September+16

Learn to meet and greet a person in English.
There are many ways to introduce yourself to a person in English. However, one important factor to be aware of is the use of register in English. Register concerns the level of formality that speakers use. The level of formality can range from very informal to very formal. Here are some examples of different registers people may use:


 * Frozen/Ritual**
 * Formal**
 * Semi-formal**
 * Casual**
 * Intimate**

Since we are all new here, I'd like to have the opportunity to introduce myself to you.
 * Formal Introduction:**

Hello, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Tim Liao. I hope we can become good friends during the coming semester. Hello, let me introduce myself. I'm Michael Cheng.
 * Semi-formal Introductions:**

Hello, my name is Joe. Yo, dude, what's your name? I'm Michael. What's your name?
 * Casual Introductions:**

As university students, you will spend most of your time using Casual and Semi-Formal registers. The casual register is appropriate when you are talking to your peers (your classmates) outside of class. The semi-formal register is used for in class interaction with your teachers and classmates.

Learn to ask questions.
There are three main types of questions in English: Yes/No Questions, WH-Questions, and Tag Questions. It is important to ask questions if you want to keep a conversation going. For example, if you only answer questions from your partner, but never ask any questions, your partner may feel that you are uninterested in having the conversation.

A strategy for maintaining a conversation is to mix your Yes/No and WH questions. Yes/No questions are easy to answer because all you need to say is "Yes" or "No." So you might start a conversation by asking a few Yes/No questions. As the conversation warms up, you can use WH questions to draw longer and more detailed answers from your partner.

Tag questions are used to confirm information that you are not sure about. They can sound very aggressive or very deferential. Studies show that women use more tag questions than men.

Questions: Which department are you in? Do you have any hobbies? Which one is your favorite hobby? What do you like about __?__ __Can you play the piano?__ __Do you like music?__ __Do you play any instruments?__ __How long have you played the__ ? What kind of movies do you like? What do you want to do after you graduate? What do you want to do with your life? Where are you from? What's your nationality?

Learn to carry on a conversation.
In an interesting and involving conversation, both partners need to contribute. If your conversation just takes a QAQAQAQAQA pattern if quickly seems like a policeman or lawyer is questioning a suspect. Therefore, when someone asks you a question, try to do this: Answer, Elaborate, Question So you should answer the question, add a little bit more information that wasn't asked for, and then ask a question back to show you are interested in what your partner has to say.

Learn to close a conversation.
When you want to close a conversation, you usually indicate this intention by using a pre-closing. A pre-closing is a little statement that lets your partner know that you think it's time to finish up the conversation. They can be very subtle or very direct:

Oh my, it's getting late. I'm sorry, I'd like to chat more, but I need to leave for a meeting now.

Sometimes, you partner will ignore your pre-closing and continue the conversation. If this happens, and you really want to end the conversation, you may need to use a stronger and more direct pre-closing:

A: Oh, my it's getting late. B: Oh wait, let me tell you another story. Blah blah blah blah blah... A: That's quite interesting, but how about if you tell me more about it later? I need to leave for a meeting now.

__Making a short in class presentation__
A short presentation can include an introduction, body, and conclusion. Use the following template for organizing your presentation:

**Body: Add information about each of your key reasons**
//**Transition**// //**State Reason 1 and provide support**// //**(Summary - Optional)**// If you say a lot, it is better to have a summary. If you only say something brief, you can skip the summary


 * //Transition//**
 * //State Reason 2 and provide support//**
 * //(Summary - Optional)//**


 * //Transition//**
 * //State Reason 3 and provide support//**

**Conclusion: Summarize your position and the key points of your speech**
It is usually best to put your best reasons first and last and your weaker reason(s) in the middle. The reason for this is that the last thing that you say in the speech is usually what is best remembered, but you also want to make a strong first impression. So decide if having a strong first impression is most important, or leaving the audience a memorable idea at the end is most important to you. You might want to make a strong first impression if you have to win over a hostile or skeptical audience. If the audience is already favorable to your ideas, then leave your strongest idea for last.