thoughChinEsE pEoplE mAy wAnt to gEt to knowAmEriCAns, thEy oFtEn FEEl AwkwArD tAlking toAmEriCAns. thE lAnguAgE BArriEr is An oBvious proBlEm. howEvEr, thErE ArE othEr proBlEms. mAnyChinEsE ArE hEsitAnt to spEAk with pEoplE thAt thEy Do not know wEll or typEs oF pEoplE who ArE outsiDE thEir prEvious ExpEriEnCEs.BEsiDEs,ChinEsE pEoplE oFtEn Do not know whAt to tAlk toAmEriCAns ABout or how to kEEp thE ConvErsAtion moving. iF you wAnt to gEt to knowAmEriCAns, onE importAnt piECE oF ADviCE is this: mAkE thE First movE yoursElF. in thE unitED stAtEs, it is Common AnD ACCEptABlE to stArt ConvErsAtions, EvEn with strAngErs or CAsuAl ACquAintAnCEs.Don’ t wAit ArounD For AnAmEriCAn to tAlk to you. stArt A ConvErsAtion yoursElF.Ask quEstions. show thAt you ArE intErEstED in gEtting to know thEm. oF CoursE, not EvEry ConvErsAtion will rEsult in A FriEnDship, But iF you Don’t stArt ConvErsAtions, you will hAvE muCh lEss ChAnCE oF mAking FriEnDs. iF somEonE sEEms FriEnDly But you hAvE only ExChAngED grEEt/rigs, try stArting A ConvErsAtion. thErE ArE A numBEr oF possiBlE suBjECts For CAsuAl ConvErsAtion.AmEriCAns tAlk ABout thEir work iF thEy ArE EmployED, thEir ClAssEs AnD mAjors iF thEy ArE stuDEnts, thEir FAmiliEs, thEir hoBBiEs AnD lEisurE timE ACtivitiEs, sports, Cur- rEnt EvEnts, AnD thE wEAthEr, Among othEr topiCs. iF you ArE tAlking to A strAngEr, you CAn Ask, "whAt kinD oF work Do you Do " or "whErE Do you work " iF you know thAt thE othEr pErson is A stuDEnt, you CAn Ask, "whAt ClAssEs ArE you tAking " AnD "whAt is your mAjor " you shoulD Also BE prEpArED to AnswEr quEstions likE thEsE in A ConvErsAtion.Also, mAnyAmEriCAns ArE intErEstED inChinA, so you shoulD BE ABlE to tAlk ABoutChinA AnDChinEsE CulturE inEnglish. whEn you Ask quEstions in A ConvErsAtion, Don’t skip ArounD From onE topiC to AnothEr. Follow up onE quEstion with A rElAtED onE. you might Ask AnAmEriCAn, "Do you hAvE Any ChilDrEn " iF thEAmEriCAn sAys, "yEs," Don’t Follow up with A quEstion ABout work.Ask AnothEr quEstion ABout thE ChilDrEn, suCh As how mAny ChilDrEn thErE ArE or how olD thEy ArE.
For A ConvErsAtion to go on smoothly, you shoulD______.A.AlwAys Ask quEstions First B.Ask As wEll As AnswEr quEstions C.ChAngE topiCs From timE to timE D.tAlk ABoutChinEsE CulturE