Greetings and Introductions
Introductions
When you meet and greet
someone for the first time introductions are needed. There are a number of
standard expressions that can be used for introductions. Take a look at some of
them.
English Expressions
Introducing others
On occasion, you may find
yourself in a situation where you have to introduce one person to another. Look
at these possible expressions that are used for this.
English Expressions
Expression
|
Response
|
Sam: Peter, I would like to introduce
(...
Miss Helen Cranston).
|
Peter: Hello Miss Cranston, nice
to meet
you.
|
Helen: Nice to meet you too
Mr. Kellogg.
|
Bob: Min Ju, this is (my friend Betty Watson).
Betty: Same here.
|
Min Ju: Hi Ms. Watson, a pleasure to
meet you.
|
Alice: Harry, let me introduce
(my supervisor, Mr.
Lee).
|
Harry: Mr. Lee, it’s good to meet
you.
|
Mr. Lee: Good to meet you too.
But please, call me
Sammy.
|
Point
to remember
Many
beginning learners use the expression “Nice to meet you” even when they
interact with a person they have already been introduced to. This
expression (Nice to meet you) is only used at a first meeting, not after that.
Instead, if greeting a person for the second time, use “Nice to see you
again”
Farewells
Just as there are
several standard expressions for greetings, there are also expressions of
farewell. The farewell itself is generally very short- one or two words.
However, many times people add something to the expressions, depending on what
they want to happen in the future or the situation.
Expressions
Goodbye
Bye
So
long
Catch
you later
I
have to run
I
have to be going now
So
long
Later dude
Good day
Extensions
to farewells
See you again
I hope to see you again
See
you later
(soon) Call
me
Point
to remember
Bye
Bye is an expression that very young children use when they are
first beginning to learn to talk or on very rare occasions
by women, but almost never by most adults.
Well
Being
After the greeting are
finished the conversation should be continued in some way. One of the most
common ways is is ask about the other persons well being. Again, there are
several expressions that can be used for this. The responses to such inquiries
will, of course, depend on how one actually feels. Lets take a look at
these.
Expressions
|
Responses
|
IF GOOD
|
|
How are you?
|
Great.
|
How’s it
going?
|
Couldn’t be better.
|
How are things?
|
Fantastic.
|
IF SO-SO
|
|
How are things going?
|
Could be worse.
|
How have you
been?
|
I can’t complain.
|
How do you
feel?
|
Not bad
|
IF BAD
|
|
How goes
it?
|
I’ve had better days.
|
How are you
doing?
|
Not too good.
|
How's life treating
you?
|
Lousy.
|
English Dialogue
Students should work
together in pairs and read the following dialogue, one student reading one
part, the other student reading the other. Note the expressions
used in the dialogue and the progression of the conversation. The dialogue
can be used as a model to have similar conversations.
Sam: Hello,
you look lost. Can I be of assistance?
Mary: Oh, thanks. You’re right,
I am lost. I’m looking for the Student Union building?
Sam: You’re close; it’s just
across the lawn. It’s the three story brick building over there.
Mary: I see, well thanks a
lot. You’ve been a big help.
Sam: Excuse me for saying so,
but you’re not from around here, are you? Are you British or what?
Mary: Actually I’m Australian.
I’m a new transfer student. You’re an American, I assume?
Sam: Yes, by the way I’m Sam,
Sam Jones.
Mary: I’m Mary Donald. Pleased
to meet you.
Sam: So how long have you
been in the States, Mary?
Mary: I’ve been here about
three weeks now. So, what’s your major Sam?
Sam: I’m a pre-med student.
What’s yours?
Mary: I’m not sure yet, but
I’m kind of interested in sociology.
Sam: So, do you live in the
dorm?
Mary: Actually no, I have a
small apartment about five blocks from here. Well, I have to run. Thanks
for your help. Maybe we’ll bump into each other again sometime.
Sam: Could be, it’s a pretty
small campus. Nice to meet you, Mary. See you later.
Mary: So long.
After
reading, close your book and tell your partner a summary of the dialogue.
Then switch and have your partner tell his or her summary. Start
like this: This dialogue is about two people who meet...This
may seem silly, since you both already know what the dialogue is about, but the
purpose is to practice using your English, not to give information or test your
reading skills.
Conversation Activities
1. Pair work- Role Play
The situation: Meeting new people. Working with a partner, role
play the situation, using the information below
The roles: See items below
1. One partner is a new
student at a university meeting his/her major professor for the first time.
2. One partner has
recently moved to a new neighborhood and is meeting their next door neighbor for the
first time.
3. On partner is a new
employee at a company meeting a coworker for the first time.
4. Both partners are
strangers at a mutual friend’s party meeting for the first time.
5. One partner is a
frightened earthling who is meeting a very friendly ET, who is here on
earth
for vacation. The ET knows English.
6. Both partners are
meeting blind dates.
2. Pair work
Interview someone in the class you do not know
well. After the interview is over, the interviewer could give
a short introduction of the person to the whole class or to
small groups of 4 to 6 people. Questions you may want to
ask during the interview include:
- name
|
- age
|
- where they are
from
|
- job or
major
|
- number of people in their
family
|
-
hobbies
|
-
his or her goal in life
|
-
religion
|
-
what their family members do
|
-
marital status
|
-
favorite kinds of music (or food, movies, etc)
|
-
why they want to learn English
|
