It’s easy for me to talk with strangers, I don’t know is’t easy for you too? Once you need to join in a strange place, talking to strangers can make it easy.
how to start
Where you can beginning a talk? For me, it’s everywhere. In hostel’s kitchen, dinning room, any room, bus, bus stop, etc . After saying hi, you can say ‘how is going?’, it kind of hi, they will answer ‘great’ or ‘good’, then it could be ‘what’s your plan today?’ blablabla.
why you should start
Don’t be shy, if you don’t talk to them, they don’t know weather you know English. Last year I lived in a hostel in Beijing, nearby Tsinghua University. There is Russian girl once live the same room with me. When meet her, I thought she was so beautiful, and I’m a little shy to talk with beauties, so I just smile to her. Three days later, I woke up and say hello to her, she said ‘thank god, you know English, I think you people live here don’t speak English, and I don’t know where I can go.’ I told her everyone here can do that, and then I ask friends who are interesting to take her out.
When you see a person with white skin and light hair, you probably think she or he speak English, but it may be from German or France, their English is as good as you. After looking our brown skin and dark hair, they may think you are not good at English. But after you speak to them, show them you know how to communicate friendly and interesting, they’d love to talk with you. There are a article written by a Chinese student, in that he said local people don’t want talk to who of bad English. I think he didn’t try once.
Before I came here, I thought my English is not good. Yesterday a gentleman said my English is very good. He is so nice to me. In the past, I always thought I should speak English suddenly perfect. After coming here, I know just use it and practice it, it could be better. All other things is the same, don’t be afraid, just beginning.
Pretend you are in you favorite city
You may say, there is no chance to have as environment as you. Actually there are English-speaking persons everywhere in your country, just try to know them. And i suddenly get an idea: you can pretend you are in your favorite city online, like change you Facebook address to that country, add groups as city news, and other interesting and public groups. You can add friends who live there. Every morning, you can begin with reading news of favorite city. Since that, you will have chance to be there, who knows.
Why I say so much about how to start speaking English by English? People contact with me to say your English is good, I want to be like you. I think it’s not hard for you to understand, so it’s easy for you to start.
— 在写这篇之前, 我在想, 我真的有必要再用中文重复一遍内容嘛? 我英语写的水平一般, 没什么困难的词汇, 也没有困难的语法. 通俗易懂.
看我博客的人应该喜欢开启 hard 模式, 也就是同时有中文和英文的时候, 会主动选择看英文. 如果你觉得我没有必要再写一遍中文, 在下面评论留言哈.
当然, 从客户思维的角度, 任何作品应该尽量容易, 让其他人感觉不到困难最好. 这里还是会尽量写着.
自从进入英语环境, 我深切感觉到在母语中撒娇. 其实这里的中文不是一一对应上面的英文的, 不知你们发现了没.
如何开始
仅仅说 hi 只能证明你友好, 但还不足以开启一次谈话, 因为他们不知道你能否用英语聊天, 或者有没有心情聊天. 继续多问几句, 你今天有什么计划啊, 都去了哪里呀, 怎么怎么样啊, 就可以了.
之后我会告诉他们一定要去中国, 有美景有美食, 一个德国妹纸问我不会说中文能不能在中国旅行, 我说完全没问题, 那里的人很热情, 你在 Facebook 和 coachsufing 上找到 host, 他们会带你去, 你们也可以加我的 Facebook, 即使我到时不在中国, 我也有很多朋友愿意和你一起出去玩, 带你逛吃逛吃. 她们都会很开心的加我. 就这样, 我勾搭到了很多国家的朋友, 将来有机会还可以去他们家玩.
为什么要开始
之前发博客, 有人说我英语说的好, 问我怎么做到的, 其实我来这边之前一直觉得自己的英语不够好, 不能应付外国的生活. 来这边发现只要开口, 就会越来越好. 所以不要害羞, 开口就好. 我以前会认为在没有练好之前不公开用, 总想把最好的一面表现出来. 来了以后发现, 只有练习才会越来越好. 很多技能方面的东西同理.
因为是亚洲人, 不像法国人或德国人等等, 他们一看就像会说英语的, 即使有些实际不会说会说不好, 但大家对他们有这个期待, 而亚洲人的话, 主动一点, 别人才知道你会说, 就可以开始啦. 之前在五道口青旅遇到一个俄国妹纸, 居然在住了三天之后才跟我说话, 还说以为在这里住的中国人都不会说英语, 我告诉她大家都会好嘛. 其实是她木有先开口, 这个案例要谨记.
假装你在最喜欢的城市
来这里之初, 我加的还是但尼丁学者学生微信群, 从中获取信息. 但是我既然要英语环境, 信息源得改, 所以就开始好好经营 Facebook, 发现它有发短信的功能, 也有群组(groups), 于是加入了但尼丁新闻群, 但尼丁负责人驾驶人群, 但尼丁工作群等等. 早上会刷来看看. 而且也会用Facebook 和短信与朋友们联系, 约见时间地点等等.
我有个大胆的想法, 其实, 如果你也这样做呢? 在 Facebook 上更新一条你搬到了那个你最喜欢的城市, 搜索城市名字, 选择你想进的群组, 开始看他们的消息和回复, 这样很有场景感, 也会更有热情, 说不定什么时候, 你就发现了更多的联结, 甚至有机会去到你最喜欢的城市呢.
英文没有的
今天是挺好的一天. 早上去了这里传统集市, 每周六一次, 吃到了但尼丁最传统最好吃的派, 那里的食物和蔬菜都比超市便宜, 有风情, 推荐.
中午借车给脚受伤的妹纸到医院, 她在那里等了一个下午才看到医生, 有空再讲讲这里的医疗吧, 我好像给自己挖了很大的坑.
下午练车学到不少, 当时还用英语当场总结复述了七点开车技巧给教练听, 可惜当时没有录下来. 我真的觉得自己平时的很多对话比故意录音有意思的多, 但是不是总能及时录下来.
晚上在正宗的本地餐厅吃了厚切牛排, 超大份的, 比国内同质量的便宜好多啊, 我绝对是赚到了.
以下附图.
