Learn how to network with Americans.

1. Professional Networking with Americans
Part 2
October 5, 2020

2. Introduce Yourself on Chat
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What is your name? What country are you from?

3. About Me
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4. Poll Question
Who are you? Why did you sign up for this webinar?
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5. Founded in 1978, Michigan Language Center (MLC)
partners with corporate clients to help their
non-native English speakers with the following
objectives:
1) Communicate naturally with colleagues
across functional areas
2) Give effective short and long presentations
to both internal and external stakeholders
3) Understand the cultural context of informal
communication
4) Write and understand digital communication
5) Lead meetings with colleagues or clients
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ABOUT US

6. RECAP
First, Update your LinkedIN Profile
1. Connect with people you know on LinkedIn to Grow Connections
a. Use People You May Know Feature
b. Import contact list
c. After meeting someone, add him or her on LinkedIn
2. Join a LinkedIn Group
3. Post on-brand stories and updates
4. Ask your network for help
5. Request an informational interview from alumni if you are looking for a job
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7. Today we are talking about meeting and interacting with new people!

9. Poll Question:
What topics are appropriate and
inappropriate for small talk?

10. What’s Appropriate for Small Talk
APPROPRIATE INAPPROPRIATE
Venue/Surroundings Religion
Weather Politics
Weekend Activities Personal Finances
Hobbies Love life
Food/Drinks Appearance
Arts/Entertainment Offensive/Racial Jokes

11. Question Types
Let’s review these question types used in small talk:
● Open questions: What are your favorite restaurants in town?
● Question tags: I love watching Marvel movies. How about you?
● Hypothetical questions: If you had a free weekend in Ann Arbor, what would
you do?
Your Turn: Take a moment to come up with a question around a small talk topic.
Type it into the chat box.

12. Can you find the pattern?

13. Keeping a Conversation Going: The Pattern
A: Opening question
B: The speaker answer the question.
B: The speaker expands on the answer - one or
two sentences.
B: The speaker bounces the question back to the
other person.
A: The speaker answer the question.
A: The speaker expands on the answer - one or
two sentences.
A: The speaker picks up on something the other
person has said, and asks about that.

14. Your Turn: Who wants to practice with
me?

15. Turn Taking
● Imagine you’re sitting in this meeting
and everyone is talking. You want to
share your opinion. What do you
say?
● Imagine you need to tell this man
something and it can’t wait. How do
you get his attention?

16. Turn Taking: Definitions
● A turn is the time when a speaker is talking
● Turn-taking is the skill of knowing when to start and finish a turn in a
conversation (British Council, Teaching English).
● Turn-taking can be achieved with:
○ specific phrases
○ gestures
○ noises (um and ah to show you’re not finished)
○ intonation (e.g., falling tone to show the end of a turn)

17. Turn-Taking: Expressions

18. Next Steps
Connect with me on LinkedIn: mosesklee.com
Get the Slides: Will be available on mlc.edu
>> More information to come in email <<
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20. Take the Free Online English Placement Test
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● 70 Minutes
● Covers Reading, Writing,
Grammar, Speaking & Listening
● Meet virtually with an Academic
Director

21. What One Thing You Learned Today
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