Introducing Yourself To New People and Making Small Talk

Introducing Yourself to New People and
Making Small Talk

There are lots of possible situations where you’ll meet new people: at a
party, in the student lounge, at a conference, on the train, while traveling,
just to name a few.
What do you usually say when you meet someone new?

How do you introduce yourself?
Do you find it difficult to continue the conversation with them after
exchanging names?
Even though the language we use to make small talk with new people may
appear to be very simple, it is often difficult to use without practice.
(In addition, some questions which are normal in your native language are
actually considered rude in the United States!)
Let me guide you. In this article, I’m going to give you some tips on how
to find out information you’re interested in from someone new.
Introducing Yourself to New People

If I’m honest, introducing yourself can be the most challenging part of a
conversation. Even native speakers feel a little shy when approaching
someone new.
That’s why you usually practice the easiest way to introduce yourself in
beginning English classes:
 Hi! I’m _____________. What’s your name?

However, there are many other ways to introduce yourself. These
expressions sound a little more natural.
Make sure you pay attention to your intonation so that you sound friendly.
 Hi there! My name’s _________. What’s yours?
 I don’t think we’ve met. I’m ___________.
 I don’t believe we’ve met before. My name is __________.
 Have we met? I’m ____________.
 I think I’ve seen you around, but we haven’t officially met. I’m
_________.
Don’t forget to say, “Nice to meet you!” after the other person says his/her
name!
Introducing People to Each Other
At any social event, you are probably going to introduce other people to
each other and talk with more than one person at a time, which makes
conversation much more interesting.
Here are some good ways to introduce two people who haven’t met:
 I’d like you to meet ____________.

 This is ______________.
 I’d like to introduce you to _______________.
 Have you met ____________? (This phrase was made famous by
Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother!)
Small Talk Topics

When meeting someone new, we usually stick to very basic conversation
topics until we get to know the person better.
While you may want to learn a lot about an interesting person, you need
to be careful not to ask too many personal questions the first time you
meet.
Please note: in the United States, it is rude to ask, “How old are you?” Age
is not a common topic of conversation with people you have just met.
Americans are well-known for almost always asking these three questions:
 What do you do for work?

 Where did you go to school? (This question means, what college or
university did you attend?)
 What brings you to __(this event/this party)__?
In general, people will ask you about work or school as soon as they meet
you.
They may ask “What brings you here?” to find out more about you without
being too direct.
This question encourages you to talk more about yourself and give
reasons for attending the event.
Similarly, if you live in a city like Boston with a lot of neighborhoods and
nearby cities, another neutral topic is asking for more details about where
you live.
 Do you live in __(this city/this neighborhood)__?
 What brings you to __(this city/this area)__?
 Where do you live?
 Where are you living?
 What kind of place do you live in? (Is it an apartment, a house, a
dormitory, etc.?)
 What’s your place like?
 How do you like living here/there?
If you are just visiting or are not from the United States, people will usually
ask you more questions about your background and for your opinion
about their city.
 Where are you from originally?
 Where are you from in __(your country)__?
 What are you doing in __(this city)__?
 How do you like living here?
 What do you think about __(this city)__?
 Do you like it here?
Asking about Romantic Partners and Family

Let’s be honest: if you are single and talking to someone attractive, you
probably want to know whether they have a boyfriend/girlfriend or romantic
partner, are married, or have kids.
However, it’s best not to be too direct when asking questions about the
other person’s relationships. You can ask in a more indirect way:
 Are you here with anyone?
 Did you come here with anyone?
 Did you move to __(this city)__ on your own?
 Do you live alone or have roommates?
If you have been talking to this new person for a while, you can ask more
direct questions:
 Is there anyone special in your life?
 Do you have any kids?
Americans also really like their pets, so it’s common to ask, “Do you have
any pets?”
Conversation Topics
After learning basic information about the person you have just met, you
can continue the conversation by asking him/her more general questions.
This also enables you to find something in common! Here are some basic
questions to start with:
 What do you like to do?

 What do you like to do outside of work/school?
 What kinds of things interest you?
 What kinds of things do you do in your free time?
 Do you like/watch/follow any sports/TV series?
Deciding to Continue or End the Conversation

As you can see, making small talk with someone you’ve just met is easy if
you remember to stick to neutral, general conversation topics.
After you’ve talked for a while, you may want to continue the conversation
and can ask for more details about their work, studies, or interests. (Get
some suggestions here.)
If you don’t want to continue talking, you should end the conversation
politely:
 It was nice meeting you. See you later!
 There is someone I want to say “hi” to over there. Nice talking with
you!
 I’m going to get a drink/some water. Nice to meet you!
Your Turn
After reading this article, I hope you feel more confident and comfortable
introducing yourself to and making small talk with new people.
You may be interested in how to make small talk with acquaintances and
friends you run into unexpectedly.
Or perhaps you’d like to find out how to make small talk in the workplace.
Now it’s your turn! Please leave a comment below introducing
yourself and asking me one of the questions we discussed above! I’ll
respond and we’ll get the conversation going.
Remember, the language is simple, but you must
practice!
In order to improve your conversation skills, you must find opportunities to
interact, so go to a party or event, introduce yourself to someone new at
your school, or talk to someone at a bus stop.

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Introducing Yourself to New People and

Making Small Talk

What do you usually say when you meet someone new?

Introducing Yourself to New People

 Hi! I’m _____________. What’s your name?

 I’d like you to meet ____________.

Small Talk Topics

 What do you do for work?

Asking about Romantic Partners and Family

 What do you like to do?

Deciding to Continue or End the Conversation

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