Pronunciation ChallengeSecret To Getting Better At Talking To People

And although these interactions on a surface level seemed very simple and short, I eventually found myself transitioning into deeper conversations.

Intro:
Hey guys, welcome back to Pronunciation Challenge. I have a question for you - do you consider yourself a social person? Do you enjoy social settings? Personally, for me, I usually don’t mind going to social events. I know many people dread these kinds of things and feel super awkward when they need to make small talk with strangers. Have you ever thought the other person might be feeling nervous talking to you as well? I usually try to engage in the conversation as much as I can, when there’s something interesting I respond and encourage that person to tell me a bit more about it. When you ask questions, it shows the other person that you’re interested and paying attention. Remember to smile and maintain good eye contact. When we come back later, we can talk about what NOT to do when you’re trying to engage in a friendly conversation. But first, let’s have a listen to our sentence of the day.

Sentence:
And although these interactions on a surface level seemed very simple and short, I eventually found myself transitioning into deeper conversations.

Pronunciation tips:

I think the most difficult word to pronounce in this sentence would be “transitioning”
It would help if you stress the second syllable which is a “zi” sound.
tran · zi · shuh · ning

Now the whole sentence one more time a little bit slower.

Vocabulary:
1.interaction (n.) KK [͵ɪntəˋrækʃən] IPA /ˌɪn.t̬ɚˈræk.ʃən/
an occasion when two or more people or things communicate with or react to each other

Example:
The two of us sat next to each other in English class for two whole years but there has never been any interaction.

2.eventually (adv.) KK [ɪˋvɛntʃʊəlɪ] IPA /ɪˈven.tʃu.ə.li/
in the end

Example:
She is furious right now after seeing my exam results, but I know she will eventually cool down and forgive me.

3.transition (v.) KK[trænˋzɪʃən] IPA /trænˈzɪʃ.ən/
to change from one form or type to another
Example:

The girls quickly made friends at their new school which made the transition less difficult after our big move from Taiwan to New Zealand.

Outro:

Not sure if you’re one of them, but I know a lot of people had a hard time feeling socially isolated during the worst months of the pandemic. It’s more common for people nowadays to interact socially online rather than in person, which explains why some people are lacking in real-life social skills. But don’t worry, us human beings are naturally a very social species. Our brain is extremely good at identifying patterns and rules when it comes to social interactions, which is in fact what language is all about. If you feel like your social skills are weak, you just need more practice at observing social interactions.

Body language is also something to take note of; don’t stand too close or too far away. You want to be heard, but you don’t want to come across as creepy! Facial expressions, your tone of voice, your talking speed, etc, are all social skills which you will get better at with more practice.

What are some of the worst things to talk about when you’re making small talk with someone you’ve just met? You should probably stay away from making offensive or racist jokes. Some people may also find it uncomfortable if you start talking about your strong political views, same goes with religion, keep those to yourself, ok? It’s also not cool to probe into details about their personal life, asking them too much about their relationship with their partner, and so on.

Alright, it’s about time for me to wrap up. Hope you’ve enjoyed our episode today and feel free to leave a comment underneath my transcript. See you guys next week, ok? Bye bye!