Speaking: Fluency & Coherence A1 - Lesson 1: Speaking in Short, Simple Phrases

Speaking: Fluency & Coherence A1 - Lesson 1

Speaking in Short, Simple Phrases

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to answer common questions using short, complete phrases instead of single words, making your speaking smoother and easier to understand.

---

The Big Idea: Think in Phrases, Not Single Words

To become more fluent¹ in English, the secret is to speak using phrases², not just single words. Answering with a full phrase is smoother, more polite, and easier for people to understand.

Look at the difference:

Question	Good Answer (One Word)	Better Answer (A Full Phrase)
Where are you from?	Cambodia.	I'm from Cambodia.
What's your favorite food?	Amok.	My favorite food is Amok.
Do you like coffee?	Yes.	Yes, I like coffee.

---

Vocabulary & Key Phrases

1. Fluent (Adjective) | ស្ទាត់ជំនាញ | Speaking a language smoothly and easily, without many pauses. ↩
2. Phrase (Noun) | ឃ្លា | A small group of words that are used together as a unit. ↩
3. I'm from... (Phrase) | ខ្ញុំ​មកពី... | Use this to say what country or city you are from. ↩
4. My name is... (Phrase) | ខ្ញុំឈ្មោះ... | Use this to introduce yourself. ↩
5. I like... (Phrase) | ខ្ញុំ​ចូលចិត្ត... | Use this to talk about things you enjoy. ↩
6. My favorite... is... (Phrase) | ...ដែលខ្ញុំចូលចិត្តគឺ... | Use this to talk about the one thing you like the most. ↩

---

record_voice_over Linking Sounds for Smoothness

Fluent speakers often link words together so they flow like music. Let's look at our key phrases.

• "My name is..." -> The 'm' sound at the end of "name" links to "is". It sounds like one smooth word: "na-miz". Listen: My name is Dara.
• "I'm from..." -> "I'm" is a contraction of "I am". Using contractions makes you sound much more natural and fluent. Instead of "I. Am. From.", say "I'm from³..."
• "What's your..." -> The 's' sound in "What's" links to "your". It sounds like "What-syour". Listen: What's your name?

lightbulb Building Your Answers

You can use these phrase "patterns" to answer many different questions. Just change one or two words!

Pattern 1: "My [...] is [...]"

• Question: "What is your name?" -> Answer: "My name is⁴ [your name]."
• Question: "What is your job?" -> Answer: "My job is [your job]."
• Question: "What is your favorite⁶ color?" -> Answer: "My favorite color is blue."

Pattern 2: "I like [...]"

• Question: "Do you like spicy food?" -> Answer: "Yes, I like⁵ spicy food."
• Question: "What music do you like?" -> Answer: "I like pop music."

sports_esports Practice Speaking in Phrases

Activity 1: Expand the Answer

Read the question and the one-word answer. Your task is to say the "Better Answer" using a full phrase.

1. Q: What's your name? | A: Dara. -> You say: "My name is Dara."
2. Q: Where are you from? | A: Cambodia. -> You say: "I'm from Cambodia."
3. Q: What do you do? | A: Student. -> You say: "I'm a student."
4. Q: Do you like mangoes? | A: Yes. -> You say: "Yes, I like mangoes."

Activity 2: Partner Questions

Work with a partner. Ask them three questions from this lesson. Listen to their answers. Do they use a full phrase? Then, switch roles.

task Your Fluency Mission

This week in Siem Reap, your mission is to answer questions using full phrases.

When someone asks you a question like "Where are you from?", do not just say "Cambodia." Take a breath, and say the full phrase: "I'm from Cambodia."

Try to do this three times this week. You will see that it feels and sounds much better!