C. Practice introducing yourself, friends and groupmates. Remember to smile (and use handshakes where appropriate).

After you have been introduced to someone, it is polite to ask a few general questions to get acquainted. For example:

- Where are you from, Carol?

- I'm from Connecticut.

- Connecticut, which part?

- Hartford, the capital. How about you, Ben?

- Nebraska - a place called Bellevue. It's near Omaha.

- How do you know Alan (A)?

- He is my friend from college.

When meeting someone for the first time, it is not appropriate to ask certain types of questions. Do NOT ask: A person's age, Birth date, Salary, Weight, Marital status. You may ask general questions about the situation. For example:

- How do you know Alan (the person who introduced us)?

- Are you a student at this university?

- Is this your first time here?

- What do you do for a living?

- How long have you been working for (company)?

LANGUAGE SKILLS 3: CLOSING A CONVERSATION

D. How would you close a conversation in the following situations?

v You are in a hurry to leave. What do you say?

v You really don't want to leave, but you can see the other person needs to go.

v You’ve just met someone at a party, but you have to leave the party early.

v You are "seeing someone off" at the airport/train station.