Moving the conversation

When we are having a conversation, there are times when we wish to show our interlocutors that we would like the conversation to progress in a certain way.

There are some phrases we can use to start the conversation, to clarify points, to manage the conversation or to bring the conversation to an end. Learning a few of these phrases can help us feel more confident with our English.

In fact, many students mishandle the interaction part of the oral exam at EOI from the very beginning because they do not know how to go about these conversation markers. Phrases like Start?, I start?, which are obviously wrong, are frequently said by students in exams and in class.

Here are some phrases that may come in handy for you:

Beginning a discussion
Shall I start? or Shall we start?
Let's start by talking about ...
OK, let's begin.

Clarifying points
I didn't quite catch that.
I don't quite follow you.
I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean.

Managing the discussion
Let's move on to another point.
Moving on to the next topic...

Closing the discussion
Is there anything else to cover?
Shall we stop now?
Is that it?

Self-study activity:
Get together with an English-speaking friend and discuss the topic below. Do not forget to use some of the above-mentioned phrases to signal the different stages of your talk.
Parents, not teachers, are primarily responsible for their child's education.