Speaking: Interactive Communication B1 - Lesson 1: Keeping Conversations Going (Follow-up Questions, Comments)

Speaking: Interactive Communication B1 - Lesson 1: Keeping Conversations Going (Follow-up Questions, Comments) 🗣️➡️💬

Objective: To learn and practice how to keep conversations flowing naturally by asking relevant follow-up questions and making appropriate comments.

• Understand the importance of follow-up questions and comments in maintaining a conversation.
• Learn different types of follow-up questions (e.g., Wh- questions, questions that encourage more detail).
• Learn phrases for making encouraging comments and showing genuine interest.
• Practice using these techniques in various conversational contexts.

Have you ever been in a conversation that suddenly stops and becomes awkward? Good conversations are like a game of catch – you need to "throw the ball back" to the other person. Asking follow-up questions and making relevant comments are key ways to show you're listening, engaged, and interested. This helps keep the dialogue flowing smoothly and makes interactions more enjoyable.

Asking Follow-up Questions

When someone shares information, asking questions to learn more shows your engagement and curiosity. This is a great way to encourage them to elaborate.

• Really? Tell me more about that.
• That sounds interesting. What happened next?
• Why do you think that is?
• How did that make you feel?
• Oh, wow! And then what happened?
• Could you give me an example of that?
• What was that like?

Making Comments to Show Interest

Short, affirmative comments can also keep the conversation alive, signal that you're following along, and encourage the speaker.

• That's interesting!
• I see. / Right. / Uh-huh. / Gotcha.
• Wow, that's amazing! / Oh no, that's terrible! (Use according to the context)
• I know what you mean. / I can imagine.
• No way! / You're kidding! / Seriously? (Expressing surprise or disbelief)

Practice Dialogues

Read these dialogues. Notice how follow-up questions and comments keep the conversation going. Practice with a partner, taking turns to be Speaker A and Speaker B.

Dialogue 1: Talking about a weekend trip

Soriya: I went to a floating village near Siem Reap last weekend.

David: Oh, really? That sounds fascinating! How was it?

Soriya: It was incredible! Seeing how people live on the water was a unique experience.

David: Wow, I can imagine! What was the most interesting thing you saw?

Soriya: Probably the floating school and market. Everything happens on boats!

David: No way! That's amazing. Did you take a boat tour?

Dialogue 2: Discussing a new hobby

Chhaya: I've recently started learning to play the chapey.

Lisa: The chapey? That's interesting! How are you finding it?

Chhaya: It's quite challenging, especially the singing part, but I'm enjoying it.

Lisa: Uh-huh. What made you decide to learn it?

Chhaya: I've always admired the storytelling aspect of it. I want to help preserve our culture.

Lisa: That's a wonderful reason. So, what's the hardest part for you so far?

Activity 1: Your Turn!

Read the statement. Think of a good follow-up question or an interested comment. Click "Reveal Sample Response" to see an example.

1. Speaker A: "I tried Amok Trey for the first time yesterday."

Your follow-up/comment:

Oh, really? What did you think of it? / That's great! Did you like it?

2. Speaker A: "I'm planning to visit the Royal Palace next month."

Your follow-up/comment:

That sounds exciting! Have you been there before? / Nice! What are you most looking forward to seeing?

3. Speaker A: "My motorbike broke down on the way to work this morning."

Your follow-up/comment:

Oh no, that's terrible! What happened? / You're kidding! How did you get to work then?

Activity 2: Role-Play Scenarios

Work with a partner. Choose a scenario below. One person starts by making the first statement. The other person should try to keep the conversation going for at least 4-5 turns using follow-up questions and interested comments.

• Scenario 1: One person talks about a recent festival they attended in their province (e.g., Pchum Ben, Khmer New Year, Water Festival).
• Scenario 2: One person describes their favorite Cambodian dish and why they like it so much.
• Scenario 3: One person talks about a new skill they are trying to learn (e.g., cooking a new recipe, learning a few words in another language, basic coding).

Tips for Keeping Conversations Going:

• Be genuinely curious: People appreciate it when you show real interest in what they're saying.
• Listen actively: Don't just wait for your turn to speak. Pay attention to details you can ask about.
• Ask open-ended questions: Questions starting with "What," "Why," "How," "Tell me about..." usually get longer answers than simple yes/no questions.
• Relate to their experience (briefly): You can briefly share a similar experience, but quickly turn the focus back to them (e.g., "Oh, I went there too! What was your favorite part?").
• Don't be afraid of silence: A short pause is okay. It gives people time to think.

Summary: In this lesson, you learned the importance of keeping conversations going by using follow-up questions (e.g., "What happened next?", "How did that make you feel?") and making interested comments (e.g., "That's interesting!", "Wow!"). Practicing these skills will make your English conversations more engaging and natural.