English Wednesday lesson. To get us started this week, I want to ask you a

課程開始前，我將問你們一個問題：

question: when you meet someone new in English - when you meet a new business

當你遇到了不認識然後說英文的人，像是新客戶

client, a new partner, someone who just moved to where you live - how do you start

新的工作夥伴或是剛搬到你住家附近的人

a conversation with them in English? What questions do you use to start that

你如何用英文開啟對話？你會問哪些問題來開啟對話 ?

conversation, to make small talk? If you often feel nervous about asking

如果你時常覺得用英文問問題來開啟一段對話使你很緊張...

questions in English, starting conversations... if you're not sure about

如果你不確定哪些問題可以問而不會不禮貌

what questions are polite to ask, then today's lesson is perfect for you.

那今天的課程非常適合你

Today I'm going to share my favorite questions for starting conversations in

今天我將要來分享我常用來開啟英文對話的問題

English. These are questions I use when I meet someone new or if I haven't seen

這些問題我常用來問一些我剛認識的人或我有很長一段時間沒見到的人

someone in a long time. We'll also talk about why they are great questions, what

我們也會談到為什麼它們會讓我覺得是好問題

I love about them, and how you can use them. What situations are perfect for

我為什麼愛用它們，而你要如何使用它們。哪些場合適用它們

these questions. So the next time that you're getting to know a new client or

所以下次你遇到新客戶或工作夥伴

partner at work; the next time that you're at an international conference

或你參加國際會議時

talking to people in your profession, getting to know them, building your

盡可能與他們進行職業上的交談，去了解他們，建立你的人脈

network; or the next time you have some new neighbors to meet or people at a

或下次你有新鄰居或在生日派對上新認識一些人

birthday party, you can start that conversation and you've got questions

你可以主動開啟對話，而你也已經知道

that are perfect for that situation. Now let's pause just for a moment because in

在那種場合要如何開啟了。讓我們現在暫停一下

this video we're going to talk about questions to start a conversation with

因為這支影片是要介紹如何用英文開啟話題

anyone in English but you might be thinking, "HOW do I start a conversation

但你可能會覺得很困惑，「要如何用英文開啟對話 ? 」

in English? I always feel nervous, I feel stressed, I

「我總是覺得很緊張，壓力大，我總是忘記我想說的。」

forget the words that I want to use. I have questions that I want to ask but I

「我有想問的問題，但我不知道如何開口。」

don't know how." If that sounds like you, I actually have a much more in-depth

如果你有這樣的困擾，我確實有一部扎實的訓練影片可以推薦給你

training video just for you. You can download it for free in the online

你可以上網免費下載

lesson. And in that video I go much more in-depth and we get some strategies for

在那部影片中我將會更深入介紹並提供一些策略來教導你如何增加自信心

how to be confident, how to be prepared, and ready to start a conversation. So

如何準備，然後開啟對話

when you have the right questions you can go to that international conference,

所以如果你有好的問題可以問，你可以去參加國際會議

you can go meet your neighbors, go to the dinner party and not feel nervous, not

你可以去認識新鄰居，去晚餐派對，而不覺得緊張、害怕的用英文開啟對話

feel afraid to start that conversation in English. So again if you want that

所以我再強調一次

training just go to the online lesson and click download to get that

如果你想要那個進階訓練課程請自行到網路上下載

advanced training. Okay so let's get started with my favorite questions. In

那將從我最喜歡的問題開始

this video I'm going to highlight four questions that I almost always ask and

這部影片將強調我常用的 4 個問題

then in today's lesson I have a list of 10 questions. So whatever your situation

而今天的影片我將介紹 10 個問題，所以不管你遇到什麼樣的情況

is, wherever you are going, whoever you are talking, to I have a question that

不管你去哪裡，跟誰說話，我都會介紹到你可以問的問題

you can use, to ask them, to start that conversation, keep the conversation going

你可以問，然後開啟對話，保持對話持續

and enjoy your discussion in English. My first question for today and honestly

享受用英文談論的成就感。今天第一個問題，也是我最喜歡的

it's my most favorite - I ask my friends this question, I ask people I've met

我會問我的朋友、我第一次認識的人

for the first time, I ask people I haven't seen for a long time, I even

或很久不見的朋友

ask my husband this question sometimes - is what's the most interesting thing

我甚至有時會拿來問我老公的就是 ─ 你最近做過最有趣的事是什麼 ?

you've done lately? Or what's the most interesting thing you've read lately?

或你最近讀過最有趣的事是什麼 ?

What's the most interesting thing you've heard lately? I love this question

你最近聽過最有趣的事有什麼 ? 我喜歡這個問題

because you can use it everywhere. If you're at a business meeting and you're

因為你到哪都可以用。如果你在一個商業會議

just chatting with people before the business meeting starts, ask someone what

會議開始前，你正在跟一個剛認識的人聊天，你就可以問他

the most interesting thing they've done lately is. Or if you just met someone at

最近做過最有趣的事是什麼。或你在派對上新認識一個人

a party and you want to keep the conversation going, this is a super

而你想讓持續保持對話

simple question to ask. It always starts a conversation and most people are

這個會是一個超級簡單你可以問的問題。然後被問問題的人就會很開心的

really happy to talk about something interesting that they've done. They like

談論他們最近做過有趣的事情

talking about things that are enjoyable. I also like it because I always learn

人們傾向喜歡談論他們喜歡的事情。我也喜歡，因為我總是學新的事物

something new and if I'm talking about something that you've read or you've

如果我們在談論有關你讀過什麼或你聽過什麼

heard, I learn a new fact or I learn about a new book, a new film that I

我就會學到新的知識，認識新書，新的我可以看的電影

should watch. So if you're searching for a polite, easy, conversational question in

所以你如果在找一個禮貌、簡單的

English, for making small talk, getting to know someone,

用來開啟對話，進而認識一個人的問題

I highly recommend this question. My second favorite question is perfect

我強烈推薦這個問題。我第二個喜歡問的問題

for a situation when you're meeting someone for the very first time. I love

適合用在你剛認識一個人時

to ask where are you from originally and I ask this to both native and non-native

我喜歡問你從哪裡來而同樣問題我會問母語與非母語與人士

speakers because honestly even if you come from the same city as I do or you

因為即使他們跟我一樣居住在同一城市、區域

come from the same area, your experience in life growing up, being a child, going

成長、學習經歷勢必跟我不一樣

to school, studying, is different from mine. So even if we come from the same place, I

所以即使我們來自於同一個地方，我還是可以從你身上學到新的事情

will learn something new. But of course if you come from somewhere completely

但如果你來自跟我完全不一樣的地方

different - another part of the country, another region, or a different country

像是國家的另一邊、另一個區域或不同國家

- then I'll definitely learn something new. I might learn about a new culture, a new

我絕對會從你身上學習到新的東西。我可能會學習到新文化

cuisine and all of that information is very easy for follow-up questions. So

新的菜餚等，且所有的資訊皆有利我問延伸的問題

when you want to continue the conversation, if you find out that

因此若你想繼續跟人家對談

someone is from another country then you could definitely ask about their culture,

而他又來自別的國家，你絕對可以問有關他們的文化、菜餚

their cuisine, what is something unique about where they're from, what do they

或他們國家特有的東西

recommend if you visit that place. As I mentioned, this is great anytime you meet

以及若你去他們國家玩時有什麼推薦的。如我所提到的，這個問題適用於問你認識新的人時

someone new. So again, if you're traveling for work or you're at a business meeting

所以再強調一次，當你出差或參加商業會議

and you're just getting to know some people before or after the meeting, this

而你想要在會議前或後新認識一些人

is a great, simple conversation question. If you've just moved to a new city, an

這將會是一個簡單又很棒開啟對話的問題。如果你新搬到一個新城市

English-speaking country, and you're starting to get to know your neighbors,

一個講英文的國家，你要開始認識你的新鄰居

maybe you're getting to know the other parents at your kids school, this is a

或許你也要開始認識你孩子學校的其他家長

great question to start those first conversations. Now this third question is

這將會是一個開啟話題的好問題。第三個問題

perfect for professional situations. Maybe you're chatting with some

適用於一些職場的場合。或許你正在跟同事聊天

colleagues, maybe it's a colleague that you

又或許你有很長一段時間沒看過他了

haven't seen in a long time or maybe you're getting to know a new business

又或許你想要認識一個新的商業夥伴

partner, a potential client. It's very similar to my favorite question, the

潛在客戶。這個問題跟我第一個問題很像

first question, but it's changed just a little bit to really focus on work. So a

稍微改了一點點，聚焦在工作上

question I often ask is, "have you been working on any interesting projects

我常會問「你最近曾做過哪些有趣的計畫嗎 ?」

lately?" Or have you been working on anything interesting lately? Again most

或是問「你最近有做過哪些有趣的工作嗎 ?」

people really like answering questions or talking about things that they enjoy,

再強調一次人們其實喜歡回答或談論他們享受著

things they find interesting, so this is a really easy question to get a

或覺得有趣的問題，所以這是一個簡單讓話題延續的問題

conversation going, get someone talking a little bit, get to

使人們再講多一點，然後藉此了解他們

know them. And as you learn about a project that they're working on or

而當你知道他們曾經做過的計畫

something they've been doing that's interesting,

或有趣的事情

again you'll learn a lot and you can ask follow-up questions to keep that

你會學到很多且可以繼續往下問問題

conversation going. And the final question for today's video is on the

使對話持續。而最後一個問題，我這部影片要介紹的是

topic of travel. I love talking about travel. I love hearing about other

旅遊。我喜歡與別人聊旅遊

people's experiences, their recommendations, what their favorite

我愛聽別人分享旅遊經驗，他們的推薦，以及旅程中最喜歡的事

thing was on vacation. I love it. So one of my most common questions if

所以其中一個我最常問的問題

I'm meeting someone new, if I haven't seen a colleague or a friend for a long

當我新認識一個人時，或遇到我很久沒見的同事、朋友時

time, I might ask, "Where's the coolest place you've ever been?" This is a great

我會問「你去過最酷的地方是哪裡 ?」這是一個很棒的問題

question for telling stories and sharing memories, even getting recommendations

讓別人去訴說自己的故事以及分享美好回憶，甚至會獲得一些旅行地點

for a great place to visit, something to do, or a place to eat. So there are my

可以跟著做的事或有好吃東西的地方的好建議

four favorite questions for starting a conversation in English. Again these are

這是我最喜歡用英文問的 4 個問題

questions that I use, other native speakers use, all the time and they're

這是我常問的問題，也是其他母語人士常問的問題

perfectly polite for various business situations and daily life in English.

而且問這些問題不會不禮貌，適用於商業場合或日常生活中

You can visit today's online lesson to get my full list of

你可以去我的線上課程網站，下載今天完整的課程

ten questions to start a conversation with anyone. Review the questions and

可以用來與任何人開啟對話的 10 個問題

then share with me in the comments. I want to hear from you and help you get

去複習這些問題然後再留言跟我分享。我想要聽到你們的回應，幫助你們進行英文的練習

some practice using English, give you some feedback. So review the list of

並給予回饋，所以

questions and then tell me your favorite question. What do you think is the best

複習我所介紹的問題然後跟我分享你最喜歡問題。為什麼你會認為它是最好的問題 ?

question on the list? And then share your answer to that question. I look forward

跟我分享你的答案，我期待著

to hearing from you in the comments and I'll see you next week for your

收到你們的留言

Confident English Wednesday lesson.

每周三的 Confident English 於下週再見