Hello. My name is Paul Simon. I am British. I am from Bristol, which is situated on the river Avon, in the South–West of England. I’m a language student at Christ Church College in Oxford. Christ Church College is quite famous and I’m proud to be a student of it. I’m twenty. I’m not married yet, I’m single. My new friends are from various countries – Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Holland and Japan, too. We are very friendly but it isn’t quite easy to understand each other. You see, our accents are so different! Sabine is French. Her home town is Bordeaux. She is in her late teens. Sabine is very smart and her English is rather good. She is keen on classical music and art. Mr Lewis, our language teacher is from Manchester. He is intelligent, experienced and always ready to help. My favourite subjects are Literature and History. I’m also interested in Natural Sciences and I’m good at sports. My hobbies are table tennis and computer games.
Am I happy here? Yes, sure. The only trouble is my parents are far away and I feel a bit lonely sometimes.
35. Are the following sentences true or false? If false, say why.
1. Paul is British.
2. He is a History student.
3. His friends are from Britain and Holland.
4. Mr Lewis is a young and inexperienced teacher.
5. Sabine is from France.
6. It’s not easy to understand Sabine because of her French accent.
7. Paul is interested in History and Literature.
8. He is keen on music and art.
9. Paul is proud to be a student at Christ Church College.
Here are the answers to some questions about the text. Ask the questions.
| 1 ____________________? | — Paul. |
| 2 ____________________? | — Simon. |
| 3 ____________________? | — From Bristol. |
| 4 ____________________? | — In Oxford. |
| 5 ____________________? | — 20. |
| 6 ____________________? | — He’s single. |
| 7 ____________________? | — From various countries. |
| 8 ____________________? | — She isn’t German. She is French. |
| 9 ____________________? | — She’s in her late teens. |
| 10 ____________________? | — Classical music. |
| 11 ____________________? | — A language teacher. |
| 12 ____________________? | — Clever and experienced. |
SOCIAL ENGLISH
INTRODUCING YOURSELF AND OTHERS
37. “Breaking the ice” is an idiom that means getting to know someone. An atmosphere that was cold becomes warm. Now we will break the ice by introducing ourselves.
Activity 1. Introducing yourself
A. When you meet someone for the first time, it is customary to introduce yourself.
Some expressions used:
My name is... / My name’s...
I’m... (first name, last name)
Hi / Hello
How do you do?
B. Go over this dialogue:
| Neil: | Hello. Are you a student here? |
| Ami: | Yes, I am. |
| Neil: | So am I. My name’s Neil Bois. |
| Ami: | How do you do? I’m Ami Frank. |
| Neil: | I’m pleased to meet you. Is Frank your first name or your last name? |
| Ami: | My last name. |
| Neil: | Neil’s my first name. Please call me Neil. |
| Ami: | Okay, Neil, and please call me Ami. |
| Neil: | Okay, Ami. |
Activity 2. Preparing to Introduce Someone
A. Here are some expressions used when we want to introduce someone:
I’d like to introduce...
I’d like you to meet...
Can I introduce you to...
Quan, this is Rodolfo. This is my friend, Jack. — Hi, Jack. I’m Linda.
(After an introduction)
Nice to meet you. — Nice to meet you too.
B. These types of introductions involve three people:
A: The introducer (who knows both B and C)
B: Introducee (knows A but not C)
C: Introducee (knows A but not B)
Example:
A: Have you two met each other?
B: No, we haven’t.
A: Ben, this is Carol. Carol this is Ben. (B and C smile and shake hands.)
B: Nice to meet you Carol.
C: Nice to meet you too, Ben.
C. After you have been introduced to someone, it is polite to ask a few general questions to get acquainted.
For example:
B: Where are you from, Carol?
C: I’m from Connecticut.
B: Connecticut, which part?
C: Hartford, the capital. How about you, Ben?
B: Nebraska – a place called Bellevue. It’s near Omaha.
C: How do you know Alan?
B: He is my friend from college.
D. Work in small groups. Practise introducing your friends to each other. Remember to smile (and use handshakes where appropriate).
E. The purpose of this activity is to get information about another person, and then introduce him/her to the class. You will be working in pairs. Here are some questions to use:
1. What’s your name?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work? If not, what do you do?
- When did you arrive here?
- Do you have a hobby?
- What are three things you like and three things you dislike?
