My name is Emma, and in today's video I am going to teach you how to be better at conversation and speaking. Okay?

我是 Emma，在今天的影片，我要教你們如何增進英文對話和口說

So, in this video I'm going to teach you about how to become better at conversation with a technique.

所以在這影片中，我會教你們一個技巧來增進你們的英文對話

We call the technique "F-O-R-D" or "FORD."

我們稱這個技巧為「 F- O- R- D 」或是「 FORD 」

This technique will really help you if you're shy, if when you meet people for the first time you don't know what to say,

如果你們是個害羞的人，或是第一次與他人見面，而不知道要說些什麼時，這個技巧對你們會很有幫助

if you feel very uncomfortable at parties or in meetings or any social events.

或是如果在派對、會議、或其他的社交活動中覺得不自在時

This is a great technique.

這會是一個極好的技巧

Even if you're amazing at socializing, this video can still really help you even improve more than what you already can do.

就算你們是個社交高手，這影片仍然會讓你們更進一步地增進自己的英文能力

So let's get started.

所以我們一起來看看吧

Okay, so the first thing I want to talk about is we use FORD as a way of small talk.

首先， FORD 這個技巧是用來 small talk 的

So, what is small talk? Okay?

small talk 是什麼意思呢？

Small talk is the type of conversation we have with people we don't know well or strangers.

Small talk 是一種我們與他人，不太熟的或是陌生人，彼此之間的對話形式

So, you might make small talk with your neighbours, you might make small talk with your boss,

所以你們可能會跟鄰居閒聊，你們也可能會跟老闆閒聊

with your colleagues, maybe if you're, you know, going to a coffee shop you might make small talk with the store clerk.

或是和同事，或是可能你去一間咖啡店時，會跟店員閒聊

So, you make small talk with people you don't know well and it's just a way to make people

你們與不熟的人閒聊，這種閒聊的方式會讓人

feel comfortable in conversation and to create a connection with people.

感到放鬆，並且與他們有所連結

A lot of conversation is small talk.

有很多對話方式都是屬於閒聊

If anyone has ever talked to you about the weather, sports, you know, all sorts of different topics -

如果有人跟你們聊過天氣、運動，各種不一樣的主題，

these are usually small talk topics.

這些通常就是屬於閒聊的主題

So, again, you might make small talk at parties, in elevators, at meetings,

所以再說一次，你們可能會在派對、電梯、會議中閒聊

even if you're taking English classes, you will probably make small talk there as well.

即使你們在上英文課時，也可能會在課堂中閒聊

So, how do we get good at small talk?

所以我們要如何變得擅長閒聊呢？

What do we talk about when we don't know what to talk about?

我們要在不知道要聊什麼的時候，該聊些什麼呢？

Well, that's where FORD comes in.

恩，這就是使用 FORD 的時機

FORD is a technique which will help you know what to talk about when you really have no idea.

FORD 能幫助你在不知道要聊什麼的時候，想到話題可以聊

So maybe this has been you before.

這位可能就是過去的你

Okay? Maybe this is you: "What should I talk about? Ah."

你可能會說：「我該講些什麼？痾...」

Or, you know, maybe it's just a bunch of question marks.

或是就可能會出現一堆問號

"I don't know what to say."

「我不知道要說些什麼」

It's totally silent. It's awkward.

非常安靜，很彆扭

So, how can we fix this situation?

所以我們要怎麼改善這個情況呢？

Well, FORD stands for four things.

FORD 代表四件事情

"F" stands for "family."

「F」指的是「家人」

You can talk about family, and I'm going to give you some great questions

你們可以聊到家人，我會給你們幾個很好的問題

you can use to ask about somebody's family.

你可以問的，有關他的家庭的問題

"O" stands for "occupation" or" job."

「O」指的是「職業」或是「工作」

I'm going to give you some great questions about occupation that

我會給你們幾個很好的工作問題

you can ask somebody you don't know well to keep the conversation going.

可以用來問不熟的人，並持續你們的對話

"R" stands for "recreation," this is like hobbies, sports, movies, Netflix, TV. Okay?

「R」指的是「消遣」。就像是嗜好、運動、電影、Netflix、電視

So I'm going to give you some great questions for hobbies or recreation.

所以我會給你們幾個很好的嗜好或是消遣的問題

And finally, "D" stands for "dreams."

而最後「D」指的是「夢想」

This is when you ask somebody about their future goals or, you know, something they want to do.

這是你們問他人對未來的計畫，或是他們想要做的事情

This does not...

這字不是指...

Dreams does not mean when you go to sleep, if you have some weird dream and you share it with somebody.

Dreams 不是指你們睡覺時，夢到奇怪的夢，跟他人分享那種夢

I'm not talking about that.

我說的不是那個意思「Dreams （夢）」

I'm talking about your dreams in life.

我說的是你們對生活的期許

What are your goals? Okay?

你們有什麼樣的目標？

So using the FORD technique will make you better at small talk.

所以用 FORD 這個技巧可以提升你們的閒聊能力

So, now let's look at some specific questions you can ask when you're socializing with somebody

我們現在來看幾個具體的問題，可以在與他人社交時問的

who you don't know that well.

跟那些不熟悉的人可以聊到的

Okay, so again, the "F" in FORD stands for "family."

所以 FORD 裡的「F」代表的是「家人」

Family is a great thing to talk about, but remember to keep it light and easy. Okay?

家人是一個很好聊的主題，不過記得要讓對話保持一個輕鬆以及無壓力的

You want to talk about things people are comfortable with.

你想與他人聊會讓他們自在的話題

So don't ask them any private questions, you know, like:

所以不要問任何私人的問題，就像是：

"Oh, is it true so-and-so cheated on so-and-so?"

「哦，某某某劈腿某某某是真的嗎？」

No, no, no. Keep it light, simple, and easy.

千萬不要這樣，保持一個輕鬆、簡單、無壓力的聊天方式

And also share about your own family, too. Okay?

也不要忘記分享你們自己的家人

That's also very important.

這點也是很重要

You don't want to sound like the FBI interrogating somebody.

你們不會想聽起來像個 FBI 一樣地質詢著某人

You want to have a conversation, so each time they say something, you can say something about yourself.

你們想要有個對話，所以每一次他們分享某事，你也可以說一些關於你自己的事情

So keep it kind of balanced.

維持一種平衡的關係

Okay, so one easy question you can talk about: "Where are you from originally?"

你們可以問一個簡單的問題：「你們來自哪裡？」

Okay? "Where are you from?

「你們哪裡來的？

Are you from Toronto?

你是從多倫多來的嗎？

Are you from Tokyo?

你是從東京來的嗎？

Are you from Istanbul?

你是從伊斯蘭堡來的嗎？

Where are you from?"

你來自哪裡？」

This question is great because you can really talk about the difference between your cities and,

這個問題非常好，因為你們可以聊彼此城市的不同、還有

you know, maybe some of your experiences growing up.

你們的成長歷程

Similarly: "Where did you grow up?"

類似的問題像是：「你們在哪裡長大的？」

A lot of people have moved a lot, so maybe they were born in this city, then they moved

很多人會一直搬家，所以他們可能之前是在這個城市出生的，然後出生後他們就搬到

to Mexico, and then they moved here.

墨西哥，然後再搬回這裡

So that's also another interesting question.

所以這也是另一個有趣的問題

"Do you still have family there?

「你們還有家人在那邊嗎？

Do you still have family in Tokyo?

你們還有家人在東京嗎？

Do you still have family in Istanbul?" Okay?

你們還有家人在伊斯坦堡嗎？」

"How did you meet your boyfriend?," "How did you meet your girlfriend?,"

「你們是怎麼跟男朋友認識的？」、「你們是怎麼跟女朋友認識的？」

"How did you meet your husband/your wife/your partner?"

「你們是怎麼認識老公／老婆／另一半的？」

Okay? Even your friend.

甚至是你們的朋友也可以

So this is a great question because it makes the other person tell a story.

所以這是一個很好的問題，因為這可以讓他人講一個故事

You know, and usually the stories are quite interesting.

故事總是都很有趣的

You know, so this will make the conversation a bit longer which is good.

所以這會延長你們之間的對話，這樣很好

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?,"

「你們有兄弟姊妹嗎？」

"Do you come from a big family or a small family?" Okay?

「你們家是一個大家庭還是小家庭？」

This is a great opener, because then people can talk about their cousins, their aunts,

這是一個很好打開話題的方式，因為之後他們會提到他們的堂表兄弟姊妹、姑姑、

their uncles, what it's like to grow up in a big family.

叔叔、還有在大家庭中長大的感受

Or maybe they grew up in a small family.

或是他們是在小家庭長大的

And you can compare your stories.

然後你們就可以對比自己的故事

If you grew up in a small family, maybe you always wondered what it was like to grow up in a big family, or vice versa.

如果你是在小家庭長大的，可能總會想如果出生在大家庭會怎樣，反之亦然

So it's a great way to show similarities and differences.

所以這是一個很好的方式來看出相似處和相異處

"How is your family?"

「你的家人過得怎麼樣？」

So if you've met the person before, you can ask them this.

如果你們彼此之間見過面了，你可以問他們這個問題：

"How's your family?

「你的家人還好嗎？

How are they doing?"

他們過得好嗎？」

If the person has children, people love talking about their kids usually: "How are your children?" Okay?

如果那個人有孩子，人們總是愛聊自己的孩子：「你的小孩還好嗎？」

"How are your children doing?

「你們的孩子過得如何？

How old are your children?"

你們的孩子幾歲了？」

These questions are really good to ask.

這些問題都是非常好的

Finally, some people might not have children or maybe, you know...

最後有些人可能沒孩子，就

Maybe they have different types of family.

也有可能他們有著不同的家庭環境

Maybe you're on an elevator with somebody and you see they have a dog.

你們可能和他人在電梯中，看到他們有養一隻狗

People also love talking about their pets, and pets are family, too, so feel free to ask about:

人們也總是愛聊他們的寵物，因為寵物就像是家人一樣，所以就自然地問：

"What's your dog's name?

「你們的狗叫什麼？

How old's your dog?"

你們的狗幾歲了？」

You know, all of this... All of these are really good questions to ask.

就這些都是很好的問題

Okay, so now let's look at the "O" which stands for "occupation."

現在我們來看看「O」，指的是「職業」

Okay, so "O," "occupation."

「O」指的是「職業」

What is occupation?

什麼是 occupation ？

Well, usually when we talk about occupation, we're talking about jobs or careers, or sometimes even education.

恩，通常我們講到 occupation 指的就是工作或是職涯，或有時會指的是教育

It's pretty much what you're doing to either make money or, you know, towards a career,

基本上就是你們賺錢的方法，或是你為職涯鋪路所做的事情

although it doesn't always have to be.

雖然也不一定是如此

So, we like to talk about occupation because people know about what they're doing; they

所以我們喜歡聊到職業，因為人們知道他們在做些什麼，他們

know about their job, they know about what they're studying.

知道他們的工作，他們知道他們在研讀什麼

So it's good because it makes the person comfortable with a comfortable topic.

這很棒，因為這對他人會是一個輕鬆自在的主題

So, again, that's the purpose of small talk.

不要忘記，這就是閒聊的目的

We're trying to keep the person feeling comfortable.

我們是要讓他人感覺到自在

Now, the question I like to ask people the most is not: "What is your job?" because sometimes

「你的工作是什麼？」這問題不是我最愛問他人的，因為有時候

people don't have a job or sometimes they're between jobs.

他人沒有在工作，或是有時候他們待業中（be between jobs 較為婉轉）

Sometimes...

有時候...

It happened to me once, the person had just lost their job that day, and it was a very

我之前遇過一次，那個人那天才剛失業，那時候氣氛變得很

awkward, not comfortable discussion after that.

尷尬，之後的閒聊都不是很自在

So what I prefer to ask people is: "What's," so: "What is"

所以我比較喜歡問人：「 What's 」也就是「 What is 」

or "What's keeping you busy these days?"

或是「你們這幾天在忙些什麼呢？」

This way, this gives the person the freedom to talk about what they really want to talk about.

這樣的方式可以讓他人選擇他們想聊到的事情

Maybe they have a lot to say about work, maybe they don't have a job so maybe they'd rather

他們可能會想要一直聊工作，不過他們也可能沒有工作，所以他們寧願

talk about a project they're working on or something interesting they're doing with their time.

聊他們目前要做的計畫或是做了哪些有趣的事情

Or, you know, if they're in school maybe they want to talk about their course.

或是如果他們在讀書，可能就會想要提到他們上的課程

So I think this is actually the best small talk question:

所以我認為這確實是個最好的閒聊問句：

"What's keeping you busy these days?"

「這幾天你們在忙些什麼呢？」

And after they, you know, talk about what's keeping them busy, you can ask a follow-up question:

他們回答他們最近在忙些什麼事情之後，你們就可以問些相關的問題：

"Oh. That's interesting!

「哦，那真是有趣！

How did you get involved with that?"

你們怎麼會想做那件事情呢？」

Or: "How did you get started in that?"

或是「你們怎麼開始去做那件事情的呢？」

You know, if it's work: "How did you get involved in that

如果是工作的話，可以再問：「你怎麼會

with that company?" Okay?

在那間公司工作呢？」

So this is a good follow-up question.

所以這是一個很好的追問問題

You can also, if they are talking about their job, you can ask them:

你們可以問他們，如果他們在聊自己的工作時：

"How long have you been in your field?"

「你們在那個領域多久了？」

You know, maybe they've been doing what they're doing for five years or 10 years. Okay?

就他們可能已經在那領域做了五或十年了

So you can ask more questions about their job.

所以你們可以問更多關於他們工作的問題

"What's the best part of your job?"

「你們最喜歡工作的哪一部分？」

Or if they're a student: "What's the best part of, you know, your course?

或如果他們是學生：「你們覺得你們的課程哪部分是最好的？

What do you like the best?" Okay?

你們最喜歡哪個課程？」

So it's good to get people to talk about what they really like.

讓人們有機會講他們喜歡的事物是很好的

Okay, this is very, very important: In Western culture, we do not like talking about money.

這非常非常重要：在西方文化中，我們不喜歡聊到金錢

In other cultures, it's okay, but in Western culture, it's considered impolite or a little rude.

在其他文化是可以，但在西方文化中，這是被視為不禮貌或是有點無理的

So, if somebody tells you: "Oh, yes, you know, I'm a doctor," and you really want to know:

所以如果有人告訴你：「哦，我是一位醫生」，然後你們真的想知道的話就會問：

"Well, how much money do you make?" you cannot ask that.

「是哦，那你賺多少錢？」，你們不要問這種問題

Okay? So no questions on money, no questions on salary.

所以沒有金錢和薪水的問題

Even if you really want to know, you can't really ask that.

就算你們真的非常想知道，你們就是千千萬萬不行問

So, again: No talk on money or salary.

記得：不行聊到金錢和薪水

Okay, great.

好了

So now let's look at the "R" from FORD, "recreation."

現在我們來看 FORD 裡的「Ｒ」，指的是「休閒」

Okay, so recreation.

關於休閒

When we talk about recreation, what we're really talking about is things we do for fun, usually

我們聊到休閒時，我們就是在聊我們覺得好玩的事情，通常指的是

hobbies, interests, anything you really like to do for fun.

嗜好、興趣、任何你真的覺得好玩的事情

So, the key here is when you talk about recreation what you're really trying to do is you're

所以這邊的重點就是，當你聊到休閒，你就是要試著去

trying to find similarities with the other person.

找到與他人的相似處

Okay? So, you know, for example, if you like soccer or football,

所以你們知道的，例如，如果你們喜歡足球 (football 為英式用法)

does the other person like that, too?

另外那個人也喜歡嗎？

If you really like Game of Thrones and you're, you know, really watching it all the time,

如果你真的很喜歡看《權力遊戲》，隨時都在看

does this other person have that similarity?

另外那個人也有相同的興趣嗎？

Are they the same?

是一樣的興趣嗎？

How are you similar?

你們有什麼共同點？

So this is great for really bringing people together.

所以這是一個與他人有所連結的好方式

A lot of the times people really like talking about their interests and hobbies, so this

很多時候，人們真的都很喜歡聊到他們自己的興趣和嗜好，這樣的話題

can get somebody to open up.

可以讓他人開啟話匣子

Okay, so the question I would ask is: "So, what do you do for fun?" Okay?

所以我會問的問題是：「你們平常休閒時喜歡做什麼？」

This leaves it wide open, and the person might say:

這樣的問題是開放性的，那個人可能會回：

"Oh, you know, I like sailing. I love watching soccer. I'm a huge soccer fan." Okay?

「哦，你們知道的，我喜歡航行。我喜歡看足球賽，我是個足球迷。」

And then you can ask them a bunch of follow-up questions and keep the conversation going.

然後你們就可以接續地問他們更多問題，讓這樣的對話持續下去

You can ask them: "Do you play any sports?,"

你們可以再問他們：「你們喜歡做什麼運動？」

"Have you seen any good movies recently, or any good TV shows?"

「你們最近有看到好電影嗎？或是好的電視劇嗎？」

I know in Canada, people really like talking about Netflix, as well as, you know, different TV shows and movies.

我知道在加拿大，人們都非常喜歡講到 Netflix ，還有不同的電視劇和電影

It comes up a lot in conversation, so, you know, if you're in Canada

這樣的話題時常出現在對話中。所以如果你在加拿大，

this is a really good one to use, and I think US and many other places, too.

這是一個很實用的話題，我想在美國或是很多其他地方也是

You can also ask another follow-up question:

你也可以問另一個延伸問題：

"Oh, you know, you like snowboarding.

「哦，你喜歡滑雪，

How did you become interested in that?

你們怎麼會對那運動有興趣？

Tell me the story.

跟我說這個故事吧

How did you become interested in snowboarding?"

你們是怎麼對滑雪有興趣的？」

You can talk about music: "Did you hear Radiohead's new album?

你們可以聊到音樂：「你們聽過電台司令（英國牛津的搖滾樂）的新專輯嗎？

Did you hear Drake's new album? Taylor Swift?" Okay?

你們聽過德瑞克的新專輯了嗎？還是泰勒絲的？」

So you can talk about music.

所以你們可以聊到音樂

There's so many different things you can talk about.

有很多不同的事情你們都可以聊到

One tip about this, though, think about...

這邊倒是有個小技巧，想想看...

Remember I said you want to share about yourself, you want to talk about yourself, too?

記得我剛說過你也想要分享你自己，聊聊自己的事情，對吧？

When you talk about recreation, make sure you're not taking over the conversation. Okay?

當你們聊到休閒時，小心不要讓對話都圍繞在你身上

For example, if you love soccer and somebody asks you these questions,

例如，如果你喜歡足球，有人問你這些問題，

make sure you don't keep the focus on soccer for the next hour. Okay?

確定你沒有在接下來的一小時都在講足球

Make sure that there's a...

確定在對話中...

It's a conversation, you're both asking each other questions and, you know, pay attention to the cues.

這是一個對話，你們彼此都要問對方問題，就還要注意到對方發出的小暗示

Maybe somebody wants to talk a little bit about something, but not for the whole time. Okay?

或許那個人想要講一下某件事情，但可能只想提一下而已

So when you talk about recreation, it's really good, but also pay attention to what you're saying about yourself.

所以當你們在聊休閒時，這是非常好的，但是也要注意你分享的事情

All right, so now the last one is "D."

好了，現在我們來看最後一個「D」

"D" stands for "dreams." Okay?

「D」指的是「夢想」

So let's talk a little bit about: What questions can we ask about dreams?

我們來講講：關於夢想有哪些問題是我們可以問的？

Okay, so dreams.

恩，關於夢想

When I talk about dreams, what I'm really talking about is motivations and goals.

當我聊到夢想，我指的是動機和目標

What do you want to do in your life? Okay?