Topic: 2.1.9. CONVERSATIONS
Subtopic: 2.1.9.1. Initiating Conversations
MEANING OF INITIATING A CONVERSATION
To "initiate" means to start or begin something. Initiating a conversation means being the first person to speak in order to start a talk with another person.
In everyday life, we meet different people such as friends, teachers, parents, and community elders. How we start a conversation depends on who we are speaking to and where we are. We must choose our words carefully so that we sound polite, respectful, and clear. We use different phrases depending on whether the situation is formal (serious and official) or informal (relaxed and casual).
DISCUSSING HOW TO INITIATE CONVERSATIONS (DO YOU KNOW THAT… ARE YOU AWARE THAT)
Using "Do you know that..." and "Are you aware that..." are two of the most common and effective ways to start a conversation. These phrases help to grab the listener's attention by introducing an interesting fact, piece of news, or an important announcement. They make the other person want to listen and reply to you.
1. "Do you know that..."
This phrase is mostly used in informal or semi-formal situations. It is very friendly and is ideal when you want to share exciting, surprising, or casual information with peers, friends, or family members.
Example:
• Situation: You want to start a chat with your classmate, Mutale, about a school sports event.
• You say: "Mutale, do you know that our school football team won the district cup yesterday?"
• Mutale replies: "Really? I had no idea! Tell me more about the game."
2. "Are you aware that..."
This phrase is slightly more formal, polite, and respectful. It is used when bringing attention to important facts, official announcements, or serious matters. It is highly suitable when speaking to teachers, parents, elders, or people in authority.
Example:
• Situation: You want to inform your class teacher, Mr. Phiri, about a change in the study timetable.
• You say: "Excuse me, Mr. Phiri, are you aware that the computer laboratory will be closed this afternoon?"
• Mr. Phiri replies: "Thank you for telling me, Chileshe. I was not aware of that. I will find another room for our class."
Other Useful Phrases for Initiating Conversations
To help you choose the right words, look at the table below showing how different phrases match different situations:
| Type of Starter |
Examples of Phrases |
Appropriate Situation |
| Information Starters |
"Do you know that..."
"Are you aware that..." |
Sharing news, facts, or announcements with friends or adults. |
| Polite/Formal Starters |
"Excuse me, please..."
"Pardon me, could you please..." |
Speaking to teachers, elders, or people you do not know well. |
| Casual/Informal Starters |
"Guess what?"
"Have you heard about..." |
Speaking to close friends, classmates, or younger siblings. |
Quick Section Task:
Choose the most appropriate phrase from the brackets to fill in the blank space:
"Excuse me, Chief Mumena, _______________ (guess what / are you aware that) the youth group has completed the community garden project?"
Answer: are you aware that (because speaking to a chief is a highly formal situation that requires respectful language).
ROLE PLAYING HOW TO INITIATE A CONVERSATION
Role playing is an activity where you act out a real-life situation to practise how to use language correctly. By role playing, you learn how to speak confidently, use the correct tone of voice, maintain polite eye contact, and choose the right words.
When initiating a conversation in a role play, you must follow these key steps:
1. Approach the person politely: Walk up to them, make eye contact, and smile.
2. Greet them appropriately: Say "Good morning" or "Hello" depending on who they are.
3. Use an appropriate starter phrase: Use "Are you aware that..." or "Do you know that..." to introduce your topic.
4. Listen carefully: Wait for the other person to respond before you continue speaking. A conversation is a two-way street!
Let us study these two role-play dialogues to see how conversations are initiated in different situations.
Dialogue 1: Informal Situation (Between two classmates during break time)
• Setting: Under a shade tree at school.
• Characters: Mwansa and Lombe.
• Mwansa: (Smiling and waving) Hello, Lombe!
• Lombe: Hi, Mwansa. How are you?
• Mwansa: I am fine, thanks. Do you know that the science club is visiting the Kariba Dam this Saturday?
• Lombe: Oh, really? I didn't know that! Who is allowed to go?
• Mwansa: Anyone in Form 2 can sign up, but we must get permission letters from our parents.
• Lombe: That sounds exciting! Let's go and see the club chairperson right now.
Dialogue 2: Formal Situation (Between a pupil and the Deputy Headteacher)
• Setting: Outside the administration block.
• Characters: Musonda (a pupil) and Mrs. Tembo (the Deputy Headteacher).
• Musonda: (Standing respectfully) Good afternoon, Mrs. Tembo.
• Mrs. Tembo: Good afternoon, Musonda. How can I help you?
• Musonda: Excuse me, Mrs. Tembo, are you aware that the main water tap near the Form 2 classrooms is leaking?
• Mrs. Tembo: No, I was not aware of that. Thank you very much for bringing it to my attention. I will ask the school caretaker to fix it immediately.
• Musonda: You are welcome, madam. Have a good afternoon.
• Mrs. Tembo: Thank you, Musonda. You too.
KEY TERMS IN CONVERSATIONS
| Key Term |
Meaning |
| Initiate |
To start or begin a conversation or activity. |
| Conversation |
An informal talk or discussion between two or more people. |
| Formal Language |
Polite, serious, and respectful language used with elders, teachers, or strangers. |
| Informal Language |
Casual, relaxed language used with close friends, classmates, and family. |
| Role Play |
Acting out roles in a simulated real-life situation to practice communication skills. |
COMMON MISTAKES WHEN INITIATING CONVERSATIONS
| Common Mistake |
Why it is Wrong |
Correct Way / Example |
| Using informal starters like "Guess what?" with teachers or elders. |
It sounds disrespectful and too casual. |
Use: "Excuse me, Mr. Banda, are you aware that..." instead of "Hey, guess what..." |
| Not waiting for the other person to respond. |
It becomes a monologue where only one person talks, which is impolite. |
Pause after your starter phrase to let the other person reply before you continue. |
| Using "Are you aware that" for very simple, trivial matters. |
It sounds too dramatic or unnecessarily formal for daily fun topics. |
Use: "Do you know that my dog had puppies?" instead of "Are you aware that my dog had puppies?" |
SUMMARY
• To initiate a conversation means to be the first person to speak in order to start a talk.
• The choice of language depends entirely on the relationship between the speakers and the setting (formal or informal).
• "Do you know that..." is an excellent phrase for starting conversations in relaxed, informal settings with friends and family.
• "Are you aware that..." is a polite and respectful phrase used in formal settings to draw attention to important facts or announcements.
• Role playing is a practical way to build confidence and master conversational starters in real-life situations.
REVISION QUESTIONS
1. Define the term to initiate a conversation.
2. Mention the two main conversational starters taught in this lesson.
3. Why is it important to consider the relationship between you and your listener before starting a conversation?
4. Identify whether the phrase "Do you know that..." is more suitable for an informal or a formal situation.
5. In what type of situation should you use the phrase "Are you aware that..."?
6. Give one example of a formal conversation starter you can use when speaking to a clinic nurse.
7. Explain why waiting for the other person to respond is a critical part of initiating a conversation.
8. Rewrite this informal conversation starter to make it polite and suitable for speaking to a school Headteacher: "Hey, do you know that the school bus is here?"
PRACTICE EXERCISE
1. Complete the dialogue below with a suitable formal starter phrase:
* Pupil: Good morning, Mrs. Mwape. ____________________ the science lab keys have been found?
* Teacher: Good morning! No, I was not. Thank you for telling me.
2. Complete the dialogue below with a suitable informal starter phrase:
* Kunda: Hello, Jane! ____________________ our teacher is planning a trip to the zoo next week?
* Jane: Really? I can't wait! Let's go and pay for the trip.
3. Classify the following situations as either Formal or Informal:
* a) Speaking to your best friend during physical training.
* b) Speaking to a police officer at a checkpoint.
* c) Speaking to your grandmother at home.
* d) Speaking to the guest of honour at a school graduation ceremony.
4. Fill in the blank space with either Do you know that or Are you aware that to match the level of politeness needed:
* a) (To a local village chief) "Excuse me, Chief, _______________ the bridge on the main stream has been repaired?"
* b) (To your cousin) "Hey, _______________ our favourite cartoon show starts in ten minutes?"
5. Read the dialogue below and rewrite the bolded phrase to make it appropriate and respectful:
* Pupil: Good morning, Mr. Phiri. Hey, guess what, the classroom windows are broken.
* Teacher: Good morning. Please use more polite language next time.
6. Write a short role-play dialogue (between 4 and 6 lines) where two classmates, Banji and Taonga, initiate a conversation about a new library book. Ensure they use at least one correct informal starter phrase.
ANSWERS TO PRACTICE EXERCISE
1. Mrs. Mwape Dialogue:
Answer: Are you aware that (or Excuse me, are you aware that*)
Reason:* Speaking to a teacher is a formal situation that requires a polite, formal starter.
2. Jane Dialogue:
Answer: Do you know that (or Have you heard that*)
Reason:* Speaking to a classmate is an informal situation.
3. Classification:
a) Informal*
b) Formal*
c) Informal*
d) Formal*
4. Fill in the Blanks:
a) Are you aware that* (speaking to a chief is formal)
b) Do you know that* (speaking to a cousin is informal)
5. Rewriting Dialogue:
Corrected Phrase: "Excuse me, Mr. Phiri, are you aware that..."*
Reason:* This replaces the informal "Hey, guess what" with a formal and respectful starter.
6. Sample Role-Play Dialogue (Chanda and Taonga):
* Banji: Hello, Taonga!
* Taonga: Hi, Banji. What's up?
* Banji: Do you know that our school library just received twenty new storybooks?
* Taonga: Wow! I did not know that. Can we go and borrow some?
* Banji: Yes, the librarian said we can borrow them starting this afternoon.
* Taonga: Excellent, let us go together!