Have better conversations using the FORD method
1,472,382
Published 2017-07-24
TRANSCRIPT
ello. My name is Emma, and in today's video I am going to teach you how to be better at conversation and speaking. Okay? So, in this video I'm going to teach you about how to become better at conversation with a technique. We call the technique "F-O-R-D" or "FORD". This technique will really help you if you're shy, if when you meet people for the first time you don't know what to say, if you feel very uncomfortable at parties or in meetings or any social events. This is a great technique. Even if you're amazing at socializing, this video can still really help you even improve more than what you already can do. So let's get started.
Okay, so the first thing I want to talk about is we use FORD as a way of small talk. So, what is small talk? Okay? Small talk is the type of conversation we have with people we don't know well or strangers. So, you might make small talk with your neighbours, you might make small talk with your boss, with your colleagues, maybe if you're, you know, going to a coffee shop you might make small talk with the store clerk. So, you make small talk with people you don't know well and it's just a way to make people feel comfortable in conversation and to create a connection with people. A lot of conversation is small talk. If anyone has ever talked to you about the weather, sports, you know, all sorts of different topics - these are usually small talk topics. So, again, you might make small talk at parties, in elevators, at meetings, even if you're taking English classes you will probably make small talk there as well.
So, how do we get good at small talk? What do we talk about when we don't know what to talk about? Well, that's where FORD comes in. FORD is a technique which will help you know what to talk about when you really have no idea. So maybe this has been you before. Okay? Maybe this is you: "What should I talk about? Ah." Or, you know, maybe it's just a bunch of question marks. "I don't know what to say." It's totally silent. It's awkward. So, how can we fix this situation? Well, FORD stands for four things. "F" stands for "family". You can talk about family, and I'm going to give you some great questions you can use to ask about somebody's family. "O" stands for "occupation" or job. I'm going to give you some great questions about occupation that you can ask somebody you don't know well to keep the conversation going. "R" stands for "recreation", this is like hobbies, sports, movies, Netflix, TV. Okay? So I'm going to give you some great questions for hobbies or recreation. And finally, "D" stands for "dreams". This is when you ask somebody about their future goals or, you know, something they want to do. This does not... Dreams does not mean when you go to sleep, if you have some weird dream and you share it with somebody. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about your dreams in life. What are your goals? Okay? So using the FORD technique will make you better at small talk. So, now let's look at some specific questions you can ask when you're socializing with somebody who you don't know that well.
Okay, so again, the "F" in FORD stands for "family". Family is a great thing to talk about, but remember to keep it light and easy. Okay? You want to talk about things people are comfortable with. So don't ask them any private questions, you know, like: "Oh, is it true so-and-so cheated on so-and-so?" No, no, no. Keep it light, simple, and easy. And also share about your own family, too. Okay? That's also very important. You don't want to sound like the FBI interrogating somebody. You want to have a conversation, so each time they say something, you can say something about yourself. So keep it kind of balanced.
Okay, so one easy question you can talk about: "Where are you from originally?" Okay? "Where are you from? Are you from Toronto? Are you from Tokyo? Are you from Istanbul? Where are you from?" This question is great because you can really talk about the difference between your cities and, you know, maybe some of your experiences growing up. Similarly: "Where did you grow up?" A lot of people have moved a lot, so maybe they were born in this city, then they moved to Mexico, and then they moved here. So that's also another interesting question.
All Comments (21)
-
Watch my latest Easy English Conversation video! You'll learn useful phrases for asking someone's opinion, and giving your own opinions as well: https://youtu.be/CVCGEJvTays
-
I'm a native English speaker, but I found this video very helpful as I'm autistic and struggle with small talk. This gave me some great ideas to practice! I'm going to share it with my support group, I think a lot of others would benefit from this as well!
-
Emma is the best teacher on Youtube, I learnt longtime began six years ago from your lessons. Thanks so much, I hope you upload lessons more and more help anyones and me learn Eng language. I love your smiling!!!!! buzz everything well come to you Emma, strong and happy Emma.....
-
excellent teacher, I was searching 10 years to find better English channel in YouTube..today I got it ..thank you very much madam
-
If everybody I meet on my way speaks clearly like this teacher, I won't have any difficulty to understand english.
-
i will share the FORD technique with my university students. Thank you!
-
Emma, When I go to bed at night, I ask God to give me another day; I ask him to keep me strong and make me a good teacher and to keep spreading this right word.
-
I am from Indonesia Emma, thanks you have helped me a lot improving my english. Few months ago i'd really not confident to make conversation with english to anyone. Then i watched your videos esspecially this one and then tried to do directly used the method of FORD with foreign or tourist. I have lived in Yogyakarta, one of best travel destination in Indonesia. So, i can easly find international tourist here. I tried to start speaking with them based on your advice then i feel I have significantly improved lately. Wish you always be great Emma!
-
Emma is not just teaching eng lessons and she taught us how to get better at communication with stranger.
-
Amazing. I'm an employee from Saudi Arabia and a new to your channel. This is the fourth lesson I listen to. Your teaching passion can easily be noticed teacher Emma. It attracted and encouraged me to promptly subscribe to your channel.
-
Thank you teacher Emma for your helping the English learners with useful topics.your accent or pronunciation is also understandable.I currently joined your channel and watched some of the previous ones. I'm looking forward to having some more others from u thanks.
-
Thank you so much teacher Emma!! I'm taking English Calsses for 6 months in USA, and your videos really help to me for understand better!! Tank you so much
-
Emma's teaching and pronunciation is too clear and simple for a native speaker. I never met a native speaker like emma.
-
Current and useful topic, nicely delivered, great teacher. You are getting better and better, thanks Emma!
-
I live in Eastern Europe, and here it is also impolite to ask about money. I use to be shy when talk about the family, too. But you gave the examples of very common question which I can really ask, and I liked it.
-
Hi Emma, thank you very much for posting these videos. They were a fantastic help for me while preparing for my IELTS test which was held on last July 8th. Results came this week and I am very hapy. My scores were: Speaking 7 Reading 8.5 Writing 7 Listening 7.5 and My overall band score is 7.5. :-) :-)
-
Hi Ms. Emma! This is the day I first watched and I just discovered your video randomly. I can see that you are real and passionate teacher! Please continue your mission of helping non-native English speakers (like me) to achieve a better opportunity. Hope to meet you in the future! Regards! 😊
-
I like your lessons, they are so clear. I have been following you for long.
-
I can speak english fluently im from an english speaking country i jut cant talk to people due to social anxiety (im saying that I was born in australia, I am not from any other country. My social anxiety with starting conversations is why im here...Im scared of making friends sorry for the misunderstanding)
-
One day I met this guy and i started a small chat, next time I knew we learn our entired life , to much information of each other
