IDIOMS

(0:16) "You can pick up where he left off."

-You can continue doing whatever it was he was doing before he stopped.

Communication Tips

Tips for speaking to an American   

                           Eye contact

Making eye contact with someone is important in America.  Holding eye contact with someone during a conversation demonstrates confidence and tends to generate a feeling of trust.

Personal space

This may be more important in America than a lot of other countries, as most Americans don’t feel comfortable if someone is standing too close to them while speaking with them.  It is important to maintain a distance of about four feet or more between yourself and the person you are talking to. 

       Exhibit good listening skills and don’t interrupt

In some cultures it is ok to interrupt, but not in America.  Making sure you show the person you are talking to that you place value on what they are saying is important, and not interrupting them is one way you can do this.  Another way you can demonstrate your good listening skills is to look interested in what they are saying and once in a while repeat something important they have said back to them.  Click on the link for more information about this. 

Different settings call for different and more specific etiquette.  For example, if you are conversing with a standardized patient for the Step 2 CS test to get your U.S. medical license, you need to exhibit a lot of empathy during the conversation.  For a business meeting, empathy may not be appropriate, but attentive listening would be. 

Along with good speaking skills, communication skills, which include body language and cultural norms, are important.

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