Giving yourself time to think in conversations

How often do you have a conversation in English? For many learners, being able to speak fluently in conversation is a main ambition. However, many say that fluency in speaking is difficult for them.They find it difficult to think of the words they need when someone asks them a question, and find that the conversation then has large, silent gaps in it.

In this extract from English Makeover, Karen Adams gives advice to Adela, a student from Germany, who wants to be able to speak more fluently.

Before you read the extract Imagine a friend has asked you for advice on how to speak more fluently. Think of two things you could tell him or her, then compare your suggestions with Karen’s.

Adela says that, when she has a conversation, she feels that she is always searching for words so she has to stop and start again. And that makes her feel embarrassed, so the problem gets worse.This is a very common problem for learners – the feeling of panic when someone asks you a question and you can’t answer immediately is a horrible feeling, and it can seriously affect your confidence. However, if you can work on strategies which give you thinking time in a conversation, you will be able to relax more – and become more fluent. It’s important to have a set of noises and phrases which can fill the time while you are thinking – in English, long pauses in conversation are quite difficult to deal with.The most common sound you hear in English is ‘ermm’. It’s not a word – it’s just a noise which fills the space while the person thinks of what to say. However, if you need more time, you need longer phrases. So, if someone asks a question, you could say ‘Hmm, let me think...’ in a gentle way – to show you are thinking.You can also repeat the main idea in the question. For example, if someone asks ‘What’s the time?’ it’s not unusual to hear ‘The time? Ah, it’s six thirty.’These are useful tricks to fill the silence while you think of what to say. And that’s what fluency is all about – making sure that something happens in the conversation, even if it’s only ‘ermm’.

1. Karen mentions a common problem which affects fluency.What is it?
2. Find three things you can use to give yourself time to think in a conversation.

Answer

• Learners often panic when they are asked a question in conversation, so they can’t think of what to say.This can affect their confidence.
• Use ‘thinking noises’ like ‘ermm’; use ‘thinking phrases’ such as ‘let me think’; repeat part of the question.

5 top tips for gaining more thinking time

1. Take one or two deep breaths before you begin to speak. If you are nervous or panicking, you need to calm down before you try to speak. If you don’t, it will be more difficult to find the words you need.
2. Use ‘thinking time’ sounds and phrases to fill the silence. ‘Ermm’ and ‘let me think’ are two common ways used to give the speaker thinking time.
3. Learn phrases, not just words. If you have to build your sentence word by word, you need more thinking time.When learning vocabulary, try to identify chunks of language which you can use. For example, in the question ‘Would you like a cup of coffee?’,Would you like a… is a useful chunk which shows you are offering something to someone.
4. Ask for help or clarification. Remember that the person you are speaking with also wants the conversation to be successful. One good way to get thinking time is to ask the person to repeat what they said.Try using the phrase ‘I’m sorry, I missed that. Can you say it again please?’
5. Work on paraphrasing. If you can’t think of the word you need, say what you think in a different way.Avoiding the problem word is a useful way of solving the problem.

TASK        Listening out for thinking time

Look at the programme schedule and choose a discussion programme which you think sounds interesting.As you listen, make a note of the things which the speakers say to give themselves thinking time. It could be ‘well’ or ‘ermm’ – or even longer phrases.