Ten ways to have a better conversation

This weeks theme is about conversation and how to make it better. For almost eighteen years, I have been teaching conversation in English to Japanese students, so it is important for me to encourage my students to talk and to listen. This can be very challenging. Also for my academic students this is an important issue, because they are giving or participating in seminars. This weeks video is by the American journalist, Celeste Headlee, it his her advice about having better conversations. Please watch the video and answer the questions.

1. Why do you think teenagers, these days, prefer texting to face to face conversations?
2. In conversation why is "not multitasking" and "being in the moment" important?
3. What does Celeste Headlee mean by "pontificate" and why does she feel it is bad?
4. Why are open ended questions better for conversation and how could closed questions be a problem?
5. What does she mean by "go with the flow"?
6. Is it important to say "I don't know", if you don't know? Why is this a bad question?
7. Celeste Headlee advises not to equate, what does she mean by this?
8. Why is repeating condescending in conversation? 
9. How can giving too many details be counter-productive?
10. For Celeste Headlee, why is listening her most important point?
11. Why is to be brief important?

Below are four quotes from the video, choose one and use it as the title for a three minute talk to give in class.

• "Everyone you ever meet knows something you do not know". (Bill Nye)
•  "If your mouth is open, you are not learning". (Buddha paraphrase)
• "A good conversation is like a mini skirt, short enough to retain interest, but long enough to cover the subject".  (Celeste Headlee's sister)
• Be prepared to be amazed". (Celeste Headlee)

Finally, think of three specific questions to ask me about how you can improve your conversation in English.

Bonus question:
In this post why have I twice avoided the commonly heard, in Japan, expression "English Conversation"?