Từ vựng topic "Conversation with strangers" IELTS

Bên cạnh Hướng dẫn đề thi IELTS 21/11/2020 bài WRITING TASK 1 (map) về school library (kèm bài sửa cho HS đi thi), IELTS TUTOR tổng hợp Từ vựng topic "Conversation with strangers" IELTS

IELTS TUTOR lưu ý:

• Break the ice (idiom): loại bỏ khoảng cách với ai đó để nói chuyện một cách thoải mái hơn
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
    • Sarah suggested that we should play a game to break the ice. (IELTS TUTOR giải thích: Sarah đề nghị chúng tôi nên chơi một trò chơi để loại bỏ khoảng cách)
    • That’s exactly what I had in mind while trying to break the ice with someone I had never talked to. Now, I don’t mind being judged and rarely take offense. >> IELTS TUTOR lưu ý Cách dùng trạng từ "exactly" tiếng anh
• Strike up a conversation (collocation) = begin a conversation, engage somebody in a conversation
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
    • It might be hard to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger you meet at the first time 
    • Although I’ve become more open and sociable now, I do sometimes feel uncomfortable striking a conversation with someone whose style and personality appear far too different from mine
• Leave a good impression (collocation) Để lại một ấn tượng tốt
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
    • If you want to leave a good impression on your first day in the company, you should brush your hair and wear a clean suit.
• Get to know someone (collocation): Làm quen hoặc tìm hiểu về ai đó
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
    • When you meet someone you feel a connection with, keep in contact to talk more in-depth as well as to get to know him or her better. (IELTS TUTOR giải thích: Khi bạn gặp ai đó làm cho mình thấy có sự kết nối, hãy giữ liên lạc để nói chuyện sâu hơn cũng như hiểu hơn về người đó)
• Run into someone (phrasal verb) = Meet someone by chance: Gặp gỡ ai đó một cách tình cờ
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
    • Anna ran into a friend she used to know at university the other day. (IELTS TUTOR giải thích: Anna tình cờ gặp một người bạn cô ấy đã quen ở trường đại học, một ngày nọ)
• admit – to tell the truth 
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
    • I have to admit that I’m not much of a social person – I mean, I am quite shy and inhibited, so most of the time I tend to avoid talking to strangers. >> IELTS TUTOR lưu ý Cách dùng từ "admission" tiếng anh
• not much of – not really
• social person – someone who likes to talk with and be around other people often
• inhibited – unable to relax and act natural
• navigate my way to – find my way
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: 
    • I was unable to navigate my way to the HCMC University of Education where I was about to start studying
• wandering around – walking around without a fixed route or destination
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
    • After hours of wandering around, I finally resorted to asking a lady who was selling noodles at a food cart near where I was standing.
• resorted to – to do something because there is no other option
• renovated – to repair and improve something eg. a building
• recognise – to know someone or something because you have seen it before
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
    • The university was being renovated back then, so I was unable to recognise it, but before I went off to study I decided to sit down and order some noodles from the old lady and have a chat with her. >> IELTS TUTOR lưu ý Cách dùng động từ "decide" tiếng anh
• a tough life – a difficult or challenging life
• gentle – calm, kind or soft
• struggles – to work hard to do something
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
    • As the conversation went on, and I got to know her better I realized that she had had quite a tough life, yet she had managed to maintain such a sweet and gentle personality that many other women who have been through similar struggles to her would have lost by now.

IELTS TUTOR lưu ý:

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

Small talk. Chitchat. These are the short conversations we have at parties, while we wait in line at the store, at family events or work.

Sometimes we make small talk with people we already know but not well. Often we have to make small talk with complete strangers.

Many people find these small conversations about random topics difficult. Some people say they hate it. Others say small talk is a waste of time. They may even call it idle chitchat or idle chatter, meaning it doesn’t do anything. They consider small talk not important.

However, small talk is important.

These exchanges can open doors that may lead to larger, more meaningful conversations. When you first meet someone or talk to someone you don’t know well, it would be awkward to begin a conversation about a really deep topic such as war, politics or the meaning of life.

Small talk also gives you the chance to decide if you want to get know that person better – or not. Let’s say you make small talk with someone at a party. But they only want to talk about cats. You may not want to build a friendship with them unless you really, really love cats.

Chitchat can also increase your feeling of understanding, or empathy, toward people you know but not well. Chatting with a colleague about their child may help you to understand more of their life outside the office. This could help build healthy work relationships. >> IELTS TUTOR lưu ý TỪ VỰNG & IDEAS TOPIC "FRIENDSHIP/FRIENDLY" IELTS

Small talk could even help our larger communities — our relationships with neighbors and colleagues. Exchanging a recipe with a neighbor in your apartment building may make her noises upstairs easier to live with.

And small talk may make us happier!

In 2011, most commuters in the city of Chicago said they would enjoy “quiet cars” where they sat alone and did not talk to anybody.

Researchers at the University of Chicago then asked some participants in a study to talk to people while commuting to work on a train. They found that those who made small talk with strangers were happier than those who sat alone.

In 2013, researchers from the University of Essex in Britain asked some people to make small talk in a similar study. They found people who talked briefly with a cashier in a coffee shop felt happier than those who simply went in, ordered and left.

However, some people are not good at small talk. Making small talk doesn’t have to be either awkward or boring. Here are some tips to improve your small-talking ability.

Tips for making small talk

• Have some conversation starters ready.

If you have seen a really good movie or have read a really good book, you can talk about that. You can talk about something that you recently learned.

When you are sharing the same experience with someone, it’s easy to start a conversation. You simply notice and comment on what’s going on around you. For example, if you are at a party and a song comes on that you like or that reminds you of something, you can talk about that. >> IELTS TUTOR lưu ý CÁCH DÙNG AS &LIKE TIẾNG ANH

• Ask open-ended questions.

These types of questions require more thought and more than a simple one-word answer. If you ask questions that need more details to answer, the conversation will go on longer.

For example, if you are at a summer pool party, don’t ask a person if they like summer. Instead, ask them what they like or dislike about summer. So, instead of getting a one-word answer, you might have the chance to share in a memory.

• Become a student.

Nobody knows everything. So, as someone is answering one of your open-ended questions, they bring up something about which you know nothing. So, tell them!

This lets the other person become the teacher. They feel good about sharing their knowledge and you get to learn something. It’s a win-win situation.

• Don’t ask, “So, what do you do?”

Some people do not like their jobs. Or maybe they don’t want to talk about it. So, instead of asking, “What do you do for a living?” ask something like, “So, what have you been doing these days?” or “So, what have you been up to?”

One general question can lead to an opportunity to share something you have in common. So, ask questions. Ask people about their families, their passions, their ambitions or even their fears.

However, balance these questions with comments about yourself. Asking too many questions may make people feel they are in an interview rather than in a conversation. >> IELTS TUTOR lưu ý Cách dùng động từ & danh từ "balance" tiếng anh

Practice makes perfect

Like anything, getting good at making small talk takes practice.

If you make small talk in your native language, you might become happier. If you are making small talk using English, you will most definitely improve your speaking and listening skills.

And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report.

I’m Anna Matteo.

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