Conversation Skills

" conversation is the laboratory and workshop of student. " Ralph Waldo Emerson

Whether you're meeting someone for the first time or connecting with and old friend or acquaintance, most conversations start Putin a personal note. At first you're most likely to talk about:

* where you live or come from;

* what you do for a living;

* what brings you to a particular location.

If the conversation continues, you'll usually move on to every day subjects with which you're familiar such as:

* personal interest and hobbies;

* the weather;

* your environment (airport, hotel, restaurant, park, beach, etc.);

* your location (city, country, school or workplace);

Topics that you should avoided are:

* marital status;

* age;

* income;

* religion;

* politics.