Talking about your friends and family is a great way to make new friends and establish common ground. Being a topic that is both fun and enjoyable, it also helps create a positive atmosphere between those who have recently been introduced to one another. Asking about friends and family is a great way to get to know a colleague beyond their work or professional capacity. This will help you make genuine connections and feel fully integrated into English culture.
If you would like to start talking about your friends and family in English, read on to discover more.
Great Conversation Starters
To begin a conversation about friends and family, it can be helpful to first mention your own. Perhaps you have been introducing your friends to English, or have family members who have supported your trip abroad.
Mentioning your friends and family leads to follow-up questions and makes your colleagues more likely to share information about their own background. You could see if they have any sociable hobbies or interests, or ask whether their family has ever visited your home country or travelled abroad.
Topics like travel, hobbies and jobs are all interesting and great conversation starters. You may even discover that you and your colleague have a hobby in common. If this is the case, why not ask to arrange a time when you can go together? You could, for example, invite a whole group to the cinema, arrange a walking tour of the city or suggest a trip to the local museum.
Becoming familiar with common questions and answers regarding your friends and family can help you feel more confident when speaking. These might include names, ages, occupations, hobbies and personality traits – but feel free to get creative, too!
Making a Personal Connection
The reason why so many people choose to talk about friends and family is because such a topic brings a smile to our faces. Sharing fun memories, stories and information about your friends and family invites the listener to share a part of your life. It also encourages them to reciprocate in sharing similar details. Do not worry if you cannot yet talk about your friends and family in English in great detail. Asking your colleague questions and listening attentively to their answers is just as important.
Make an Event of It
If you would like to start talking about friends and family with colleagues or peers, why not make an event of it? You could invite others to share stories about their own friends and family at a coffee shop, for example, or have a group picnic at the park. You could even invite your own friends and family who speak English and encourage your colleagues to do the same. Not only is this a great way to practise your spoken English in a natural setting, it will allow you to make a genuine connection with the people around you whilst having lots of fun!
Read more about the Improving Small Talk.