1.1 TIME FOR A CHAT

come along

to develop or improve; to appear or arrive; to follow someone or go with them.

beyond

outside the limits of what someone or something can do

Turkish mezé

Turkish mezé is a selection of small dishes served to accompany alcoholic drinks.

alive

full of energy or activity

flatmate

someone who shares a flat with other people SYN roommate American English

wallet

a small flat case in which you carry paper money, bank cards, etc

handbag

a small bag that a woman uses to carry money and personal things SYN purse American English

meet

to see and talk to someone for the first time

Three things that people talk about when they meet for the first time.

people's very favorite thing to talk about is themselves. where person lives, what person does for fun, what TV show person is watching, what latest movie person saw...

Eat, chat and make friends. What is special about the conversations?

The conversations are about unusual topics, you speak to a number of different partners and you can eat mixed mezé at the same time.

Which four conversation topics mentioned would you be the most interested in discussing?

Which three adjectives might people use to describe you. Where do you feel most 'at home'? What three ingredients would you look for in an ideal job? What do you always have in your wallet or handbag?

avoid

to prevent something bad from happening

Are there any conversation topics which you would avoid asking in your culture?

What do you always have in your wallet or handbag?

gist

the main idea and meaning of what someone has said or written

balance

when the correct relationship exists between different things

straight

immediately, without stopping to do something first

can't stand somebody

to hate someone or something

bright

happy or cheerful

housework

work that you do to look after a house, for example cleaning and washing

tidy

a tidy person keeps their things neat and clean SYN neat American English

stuff

the things that belong to someone SYN things British English

fair

reasonable, right, and accept by most people

share

to have or use something with other people

drive me crazy

make me very annoyed

unreliable

if someone or something is unreliable, you cannot trust them

afford

to have enough money to pay for something

rent

money that you pay for the use of a house, room, car etc that belongs to someone else

earn

to be paid money for your work

judgmental or judgemental

criticizing people unfairly

computer geek

someone who is not popular because they wear unfashionable clothes and do not know how to behave in social situations: a computer geek

handsome

attractive – used especially about men. Handsome is used especially in written English. In everyday spoken English, people usually say good-looking

witty

funny and clever

cool

calm and not nervous or excited. good informal attractive, fashionable, or interesting in a way that people admire

dunno

a way of writing or saying ‘I do not know’, which many people think is incorrect

warm

slightly hot, especially in a pleasant way OPP cool

adventurous

wanting to do new, exciting, or dangerous things

spontaneous

something that is spontaneous happens without being planned

job

the work that you do regularly to earn money

messy

dirty or untidy

be a good laugh

to be amusing

down-to-earth

practical and direct in a sensible honest way

The woman would like someone very sociable?

False. She would like someone who's quite sociable (not antisocial) but not too sociable (gives you privacy). A balance.

She is at her best in the mornings.

False. She's not a morning person.

She is quite tidy.

True. I suppose I'm quite tidy myself.

She would ask a flatmate about their salary.

False. She wouldn't ask a flatmate about their salary: " Could you tell me how much you earn?"

The man has a lot of original ideas?

True. I suppose they'd say I'm good at coming up with new ideas... yes...

He thinks carefully before making a decision.

False. He likes doing unplanned things. "I get an idea and I do it, no hesitation, so I'm spontaneous".

He works for an outdour adventure school.

False. He works for a web design company. "I work for a web design company".

He agrees with the three adjectives.

True. He prefers "non-judgemental" to "creative". Now that's an interesting question. I’d stick with ‘spontaneous’ and ‘disorganised’.

What three questions would you ask a potencial flatmate?

"Do you keep yourself to yourself or do you tend to be around a lot?"; Who cleans the place where tou live now?"; "What about money?"

What examples do the speakers give about being antisocial

the last thing you want is a person who comes in and goes straight up to their room and you never see them again till the morning.

tidy

someone that never did the washing up, someone that left their stuff just lying all over the place

reliable with money

I had a flatmate once and she promised to pay and then never did.

creative

I suppose they'd say I'm good at coming up with new ideas...

adventurous

I like doing new things. So I suppose that means I'm adventurous...

Non-judgemental

Well, I try not to make up my mind about people until I get to know them

Which of the two topics would you prefer to talk about?

Which three adjectives might people use to describe you?

Which three adjectives might people use to describe yourself?

Witty. Cool. Trustworthy.

Johari window

http://kevan. org/johari

What do you think of the idea of a conversation evening?

Are you keen to practise your English and meet new people? Then this could be the event for you! An hour and a half of informal English conversation practice in a lovely café. Come and join us after work and make some new friends!

What other food or drink could you have?

Coffee, oysters, almonds, raisins, water, ricotta with honey, cheese, ham, bacon, smoked salmon, beer, soda.

What three questions would you ask a potential flatmate? 1

Do you keep yourself to yourself or do you tend to be around a lot?

What three questions would you ask a potential flatmate? 2

Who cleans the place where you live now?

What three questions would you ask a potential flatmate? 3

What about money?

You need to know they can afford the rent.

Could you tell me how much you earn? / Can you pay three months in advance?