Conversation - First Session

Greetings:

Formal Greetings

-Arriving:
Good morning. (before 12 o'clock)
Good afternoon.(after 12 o'clock)
Good evening
Hello (name), How are you?
How do you do?
Good day sir/Madam
Very well. Thank you. And you?

-Departing:
Good morning. (before 12 o'clock)
Good afternoon.(after 12 o'clock)
Good evening
Good night (after 8 p.m)
It was a pleasure seeing you
Good bye

Informal Greetings

-Arriving:
Hi!
Hey!
Hi there!
Hey there!
How are you doing? How ya doing?
What’s new?
How is it going?
What’s up?
Fine/great

-Departing:
Bye
See you
See you later
later



Speaking to Strangers:
Here are a number of polite phrases used when trying to get the attention or help from people. The use of more formal language is common when speaking to someone you do not know:
Interrupting: It is common to first apologize before interrupting another person, or asking for help if you do not know the person.
Excuse me, could I ...
Sorry, do you think I could ...
Excuse me, do you know ...
I beg your pardon, could you help me? (formal)
Asking Someone to Repeat: When asking for information you may have a hard time understanding in public places which can be very noisy (train stations, restaurants, stores, etc.) Here are phrases commonly used to ask someone to repeat what he has said:
Excuse me, I'm afraid I didn't understand. Could you repeat that? (formal)
I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. (informal)
What? (very informal!)
Pardon me?

Introductions:

My name is…
I am…
It’s nice to meet you
Nice to meet you too
Hey, This is … (introducing third person)
What’s your name/ last name/ nickname?
Where are you from?
What do you do?
Where do you work/live?
How do you like your job?
What’s your country like?
How big is your family?
How old are you?
Are you married or single?
What type of foods are common in your country?
What kind of foods do you prefer to eat?
What kind of sports do you like?

What is Iran like?

Iran is a Middle Eastern country located in the south of the Caspian Sea and north of the Persian Gulf, is three times the size of Arizona.
Iran is divided into thirty provinces. It has one of the highest urban-growth rates in the world. Tehran is the largest city in Iran and is the Capital city. Tehran, like many big cities, suffers from severe air pollution. It is the hub of the country's communication and transport network. It’s ancient religion was Zoroastrianism. The "Official language (of Iran) is Persian.
Iran has a climate that keeps varying. Sometimes the country is terribly hot while sometimes they enjoy some cool and sometimes freezing temperature. Iran has a real mixed up climate. Though the winters can tend to be freezing, their summers can become extremely hot.
Persian people are kind, warm and prefer cuddling and having people around. They are very responsive to positive reinforcement and most of them are extremely bright .
The cuisine of Iran is diverse, with each province featuring dishes, as well as culinary traditions and styles, distinct to their regions. The main Persian cuisines are combinations of rice with meat, chicken or fish and some onion, vegetables, nuts, and herbs. Herbs are frequently used along with fruits such as plums, pomegranates, quince, prunes, apricots, and raisins. To achieve a balanced taste, characteristic flavourings such as saffron, dried limes, cinnamon, and parsley are mixed delicately and used in some special dishes.
Iranian cinema has thrived in modern Iran, and many Iranian directors have garnered worldwide recognition for their work. Iranian movies have won over three hundred awards in the past twenty-five years. One of the best-known directors is Abbas Kiarostami. The Internet has become enormously popular among the Iranian youth. Iran is now the world's fourth largest country of bloggers.
Greater Iran is home to one of the richest artistic traditions in world history and encompasses many disciplines, including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and stone masonry. Carpet-weaving is one of the most distinguished manifestations of Persian culture and art, and dates back to ancient Persia. Persians were among the first to use mathematics, geometry, and astronomy in architecture and also have extraordinary skills in making massive domes which can be seen frequently in the structure of bazaars and mosques. The main building types of classical Iranian architecture are the mosque and the palace. Iran, besides being home to a large number of art houses and galleries, also holds one of the largest and valuable jewel collections in the world.
Iran strives to revive the golden age of Persian science. Despite the limitations in funds, facilities, and international collaborations, Iranian scientists remain highly productive in several experimental fields.
With two thirds of Iran's population under the age of 25, sports constitutes a highly active portion of Iran's society, both traditional and modern. Iran hence was the birthplace of sports such as polo, and Varzesh-e Pahlavani. Freestyle wrestling has been traditionally referred to as Iran's national sport, but today, the most popular sport in Iran is football (soccer), Iran was the first country in the Middle East to host the Asian Games. It is home to several unique skiing resorts, with the Tochal resort being the world's fifth-highest ski resort, Iran offers enthusiasts, abundant challenges for hiking, rock climbing, and mountain climbing.

What kind of foods do you prefer to eat?
Fat, oil, sugar: Cream, candy, oil, butter, potato chips, jam, jelly, lollipop, éclair
Meat and other protein: Fish, beans, chicken, beef, nuts (almond, walnut, hazelnut, peanut, pistachio, chick pea), eggs, black-eyed pea, shrimp, crab
Dairy: yogurt, sour milk, milk, cheese
Fruits: apple, banana, orange, strawberry, mango, tangerine, persimmon, cantaloupe, melon, watermelon, kiwi fruit, cucumber, pineapple, lime, lemon, peach, plum, prune, apricot, pomegranate, greengage, blue berry, mulberry, blackberry, salmonberry, coconut, fig, sour cherry, quince, fig, grape
Vegetables: lettuce, cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, carrot, cabbage, collard green, yam, date, scallion, leek, beet, celery, parsley, dill, mint, thyme, caraway, spinach, rhubarb, egg plant, zucchini, bell pepper, green pepper, barberry, cress, radish, turnip, pumpkin, green beans, garlic, onion
Grains: noodles, pasta, rice, crackers, cereal, bread, sweet bread

What kind of sports do you like?
Play golf, play soccer, play football, go bike riding, go hiking, play baseball, play tennis, play volleyball, go swimming, play hockey, play basketball, go ice-skating, go skiing

ESSENTIAL IDIOMS IN ENGLISH:
to get in/to get on: to enter or to board a vehicle
To get in is used for cars; to get on is used for all other forms of transportation.

o It's easiest to get in the car from the driver's side. The door on the other side doesn't work well.

o I always get on the bus to work at 34th Street.

to get out of/to get off: to leave or to descend from a vehicle.
To get out of is used for cars; to get off is used for all other forms of transportation.

o Why don't we stop and get out of the car for a while?

o Helen got off the train at the 42nd Street terminal.

to put on: to place on oneself (usually said of clothes) (S)

o Mary put on her coat and left the room.

o Put your hat on before you leave the house.

to take off: to remove (usually said of clothes) (S)

o John took off his jacket as he entered the office.

o Take your sweater off. The room is very warm.

to call up: to telephone (also: to give some one a call) (S)
To call can be used instead of to call up, as in the first example below.

o I forgot to call up Mr. Jones yesterday. I'd better call him now.

o Call me up tomorrow, Jane. We'll arrange a time to have lunch together.

o I promise to give you a call as soon as I arrive in New York.
to turn on: to start or cause to function (also: to switch on) (S)

o Please turn on the light; it's too dark in here.

o Do you know who turned the air conditioning on?

to turn off: to cause to stop functioning (also: to switch off, to shut off) (S)
Turn on and turn off, as well as their related forms, are used for things that flow, such as electricity, water, gas, etc.

o Please turn off the light when you leave the room.

o Are you really listening to the radio, or should I turn it off?

right away: very soon; immediately (also: at once)

o Dad says that dinner will be ready right away, so we'd better wash our hands and set the table.

o Tell Will to come to my office right away. I must see him immediately.

o Stop playing that loud music at once!

to pick up: to lift form the floor, table, etc., with one's fingers (S)

o Harry picked up the newspaper that was on the front doorstep.

o Could you pick your toy up before someone falls over it?

sooner or later: eventually, after a period of time

o If you study English seriously, sooner or later you'll become fluent.

o I'm too tired to do my homework now; I'm sure I'll do it sooner or later.

to get up: to arise, to rise from a bed; to make someone arise (S)
For the last definition a noun phrase must separate the verb and particle.

o Carla gets up at seven o'clock every morning.

o At what time should we get the children up tomorrow?

at first: in the beginning, originally

o At first English was difficult for him, but later he made great progress.

o I thought at first that it was Sheila calling, but then I realized that it was Betty.


Slang:

Yes: Yeah (pronounced ya), Yup, Sure, You bet

No: Nope, Nah, No way, Not a chance, Not in this lifetime

Loaded: rich
Many people who live in Beverly Hills are loaded

nuts (or nutty): crazy
That lady keeps talking to herself. Do you think she's
nuts?

Gab: to chat
Amy likes to gab on the phone with her best friend.

Blue (or down): sad, depressed
Mary is feeling blue because her cat died
Mary is down because her cat died

brainy: very intelligent, like a genius
Sue always does well on tests because she's brainy

broke: without money
Lou spent all his money at the casino so now he's broke

Workaholic: person who is addicted to working
Bob works very long hours. His wife thinks he's a workaholic.


Conversation:

1-Keep my nose clean!!! (Means stay out of trouble)

Brenda: Have you heard about Linda's husband?
Mat: No, and I don't …
Brenda: He's having an …
Mat: Before you cut me off, I was going to say I didn't want to hear it. Gossiping isn't my thing.
Brenda: But, it's my thing. Lunch just isn't fun without a bit of gossip.
Mat: Well, I'm new around here, and I just want to keep my nose clean.
Brenda: Oh, well. Suit yourself.