Popular Topics of Conversation

Hello everyone! This is Alison from HJ English. When having conversations with foreign friends, sometimes it's difficult to know what to talk about. Something that is very common to talk about in one culture may feel strange and even uncomfortable for someone from another culture. However, it's important to remember that everyone is different, so there is no 'rule for conversation topics' that will apply to everyone. This is only a guide.

Westerners love to talk about experiences like films, restaurants, public events, vacations and TV shows. These are all safe topics, or good conversation starters that people will always feel comfortable talking about. The weather is also always an easy topic, but some people may find it a bit boring.

Westerners also love to give each other advice. Listen to these conversation starters as examples:
"Do you know if anything good is playing at the cinema right now?"
[British: cinema; American: movie theater]
"I really want to find a good Italian restaurant; any suggestions?"
"I saw an advertisement on TV last night for that new show, Prison Break. Have you seen it?"

One of the best ways to hold a conversation with a westerner is to ask a lot of questions. For example, if you ask "Do you know any good Italian restaurants" and they say "No, sorry—I don't really like Italian food", you can respond by saying "Oh, ok. What kind of food do you usually go out for then?" This continues the conversation.