Starting a Conversation with Someone New — English Shadowing Practice
Practice the natural English for starting a conversation with someone new. In this lesson you shadow real lines like “Hi, is this seat taken?”, “What brings you here today?”, and “I like your jacket.”. It gives you easy openers and a compliment or question to break the ice. You listen and speak along, copying the relaxed, friendly rhythm so the phrases feel natural when you actually say them.
More lessons from this course
a1Introducing Yourself Naturally — English Shadowing Practice
Shadow natural English for introducing yourself — “Hi, I'm Emma.”, “Nice to meet you.”. Speak along to introduce yourself naturally.
a1Talking About Where You're From — English Shadowing Practice
Shadow natural English for talking about where you're from — “Where are you from?”, “I'm from Seoul.”. Speak along to talk about where you're from.
a2Talking About Work and Study — English Shadowing Practice
Shadow natural English for talking about work and study — “So, what do you do?”, “I work in marketing.”. Speak along to talk about your work or studies.
a1Talking About Hobbies and Interests — English Shadowing Practice
Shadow natural English for talking about hobbies and interests — “What do you do for fun?”, “I like reading in my free time.”. Speak along to talk about your hobbies.
a2Talking About Movies, Music, and Shows — English Shadowing Practice
Shadow natural English for talking about movies, music, and shows — “Do you watch a lot of movies?”, “I'm into action films.”. Speak along to chat about movies, music, and shows.
a1Talking About Food and Restaurants — English Shadowing Practice
Shadow natural English for talking about food and restaurants — “I love trying new food.”, “I'm a big fan of spicy food.”. Speak along to chat about food and restaurants.
a2Talking About Weekend Plans — English Shadowing Practice
Shadow natural English for talking about weekend plans — “Do you have any plans for the weekend?”. Speak along to talk about your weekend plans.
a1Accepting an Invitation Politely — English Shadowing Practice
Shadow natural English for accepting an invitation — “Would you like to join us?”, “Sure, I'd love to.”. Speak along to accept an invitation warmly.
What this lesson trains
Make these lines automatic: “Hi, is this seat taken?”, “What brings you here today?”, “I like your jacket.”, “This place is nice, isn't it?”.
Pattern in focus: Openers and tag questions (“…, isn't it?”) that invite a reply.
Handy expressions to own: is this seat taken, what brings you here, have you been here before, I thought I'd say hello.
Copy the casual intonation on “This place is nice, isn't it?” — friendliness in English lives in the melody, not just the words.
Learning goals
- Sound natural and relaxed when starting a conversation with someone new.
- Use the key phrases for starting a conversation with someone new with a friendly tone.
- React and keep the conversation flowing instead of going quiet.
- Copy casual intonation rather than sounding stiff or formal.
About this practice
The lesson is built from a real exchange of short, natural lines you'd actually use when starting a conversation with someone new.
At A2 level it's a quick social-English win you can repeat until it feels automatic.
Practice tips
- 1Shadow out loud with a warm, easy tone, not a flat one.
- 2Swap in your own details so the lines feel personal and true.
- 3Practice reacting (“is this seat taken”) so the conversation feels alive.
Frequently asked questions
What will I be able to do after this lesson?
You'll be able to break the ice with someone new naturally, using friendly, practiced phrases instead of freezing up.
What level is this lesson?
A2. The phrases are short and casual — real social English rather than textbook sentences.
What if I don't know what to say first?
You practice ready openers like “What brings you here today?” and a friendly compliment like “I like your jacket.”
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