Speaking: Interactive Communication A2 - Lesson 1
Starting & Ending Simple Conversations
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use a variety of more natural phrases to start and politely end a simple conversation.
A More Natural Conversation
At A2 level, we can move beyond a simple "Hello" and "Goodbye". Let's look at a more natural conversation between two people, Srey and Bora, who meet at a café.
Srey: Excuse me, is this seat taken?1
Bora: Oh, no, please. Go ahead. Hey, you look familiar.2 Haven't we met before?
Srey: I think so. Did you go to the tech workshop last month?
Bora: Yes, I did! I'm Bora. It's nice to see you again.
Srey: I'm Srey. You too! ... (They talk for a few minutes)...
Bora: Anyway, I should get going.3 I have a meeting soon.
Srey: Okay. It was really nice talking to you.4
Bora: You too! Take care.5
Srey: Thanks, you too. Bye.
Your Interaction Toolkit
Function: Starting a Conversation
- Is this seat taken? (Question) | តើកៅអីនេះមានគេអង្គុយហើយឬនៅ? | A polite way to ask if you can sit down. ↩
- You look familiar. (Phrase) | មើលទៅអ្នកដូចជាខ្ញុំធ្លាប់ស្គាល់ | A phrase to say when you think you have seen someone before. ↩
Function: Signaling the End of a Conversation
- I should get going. (Phrase) | ខ្ញុំគួរតែទៅឥឡូវហើយ | A polite phrase to signal that you need to leave soon. ↩
Function: Ending a Conversation Politely
- It was nice talking to you. (Phrase) | រីករាយដែលបាននិយាយជាមួយអ្នក | A warm, friendly phrase to say before you say goodbye. ↩
- Take care. (Phrase) | រក្សាសុខភាពផង | A common, friendly way to say goodbye. ↩
- Let's catch up soon. (Phrase) | ចាំយើងជួបគ្នានៅពេលក្រោយ | A phrase that means "let's meet and talk again soon".
Intonation of Polite Phrases
Your intonation helps you sound polite and friendly.
- "Excuse me? Is this seat taken? ↗" - Your voice should rise at the end of these questions to sound soft and polite.
- "It was really nice talking to you. ↘" - Your voice should be warm and fall at the end to show you are sincere.
- "Anyway... ↘︎" - This word signals a change of topic. Say it with a falling tone, then pause slightly before explaining why you have to leave.
The Anatomy of a Conversation
A good conversation has a clear structure.
1. The Opener: Instead of just "Hello," you can open by asking a question about the situation (e.g., "Is this seat taken?") or making a comment about something you share.
2. The "Pre-Closing" Signal: This is very important for politeness. Before you say goodbye, you should give a signal that you are ready to leave. This prepares the other person. Phrases like "Anyway, I should get going..." or "Well, I have to run..." are perfect pre-closing signals.
3. The Closing: After the pre-closing signal, you say a final nice phrase ("It was nice talking to you," "Take care") and then you can say "Bye."
Practice Your Conversation Skills
Activity 1: What's the Function?
Match the phrase to its job in a conversation.
- It was nice talking to you.
- Anyway, I should get going.
- You look familiar.
- A. Opening a conversation.
- B. Giving a pre-closing signal.
- C. Closing a conversation politely.
(Correct match: 1 -> C, 2 -> B, 3 -> A)
Activity 2: Role-Play Scenario
Work with a partner. Imagine you are talking, but you are late for your English class. Your mission is to end the conversation politely. Use a pre-closing signal, a nice closing phrase, and then say goodbye.
Your Communication Mission
This week in Siem Reap, your mission is to practice ending a conversation naturally.
In one conversation, when you are ready to leave, don't just walk away. Use a pre-closing signal first. Say, "Anyway, I have to go now." Then, say "It was nice to see you. Take care." before you say "Bye."