Phrases to start a conversation

Speaking Courses

Do you have difficulty speaking English?

Sometimes the hardest part is simply starting a conversation. Here are some good conversation startersthat native English speakers use in various real life situations – formal or informal, at work, school, or other contexts!

These aren’t especially “deep” conversation starters like you might want to use on a first date, when you’re interested in getting to know someone extremely well.

Instead, they are more suited for “small talk” – casual conversation about topics of general interest.

Conversation starters with a friend:

With close friends, you can use informal conversation starters like these:

• What’s up?
• How’s it going?
• What’s new?

The correct answer to “What’s up?” is “Not much.” You can then add a detail about what’s happening in your life at the