AEE 280: Spark the Conversation! 4 Topics to Use on a First Date in English

<p><strong>Are you dating in English?</strong></p> <p><strong>Today, we welcome back dating expert Jessica Coyle to give you four easy topics for conversation when dating!</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Conversation can be tricky on a first date.  You might be nervous, and it can be hard to know what’s safe to talk about.  Jessica has a great acronym to help you with simple, safe discussion topics.  It’s <strong>FORD</strong>, and it stands for:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Friends:</strong> If you have mutual friends, ask how your date met them.  Or, if you don’t have mutual friends, ask if your date knows anybody in the area where you’re meeting.</li> <li><strong>Occupation:</strong> Asking about another person’s job is usually a good conversation starter.  You might say, “What do you do with your time?”  That way, if your date happens to be unemployed, they are still able to give an answer.</li> <li><strong>Recreation:</strong> Ask about what somebody likes to do for fun. You might follow up by asking, “How often do you get to do that?”</li> <li><strong>Dreams:</strong> This is good for asking hypothetical questions. You could ask things like “Where do you see yourself in ten years?” or “What would you do if you had a billion dollars?”</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>People love talking about themselves, so being interested in others is what might make you more interesting to them.  When starting a conversation, don’t just ask a list disconnected questions.  Follow-up with the other person’s answers to show that you are listening to what they are saying.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Are you dating in English?</strong></p> <p><strong>What are your experiences?</strong></p> <p><strong>Tell us how it’s going in the comments section below!</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Jessica Coyle has been teaching English since 2007. She received her Master’s in TESOL in 2013, finishing with a professional project researching the use of improvisational comedy teaching techniques to teach English as a second language. She has studied and perfor