Meeting New People and Being Polite in English.

This lesson gives you the language you need to start friendly conversations in English and leave a good first impression. You watch or listen to short meetings between people at work, in class and at social events, and notice common greetings, introductions and polite responses. You practise introducing yourself and other people, asking simple questions such as where are you from and what do you do, and reacting naturally when someone answers. You learn how to use polite expressions like please, thank you, excuse me and sorry so that you sound respectful and friendly. You also see how English speakers close small conversations with phrases such as nice to meet you and see you later. By the end, you can confidently start and end short social interactions in English and avoid common politeness mistakes.

1. Arriving at your first English class.

Imagine you are walking into your first English class. You do not know anyone yet. Two other students are already there, waiting for the lesson to start. One of them smiles and says hello to you. In this block we are going to stay in that moment and focus only on the very beginning of a conversation: the greeting and the first polite responses. I will ask you to listen to a short conversation between two new students. Your job is to notice which greetings they use and how they answer simple questions like “How are you?”. Do not worry if you do not understand every single word. At this level, it is more important to catch the key phrases that you can copy and use yourself. After you listen, you will answer a few questions about the names, countries and jobs of the two people, and you will write the exact greeting phrases that you hear. This will help you connect the sounds to the words on the screen. Listen as many times as you need and try to repeat some of the sentences quietly to yourself.

The scene: before class starts.

You are standing near the door of your new English classroom. A student looks at you and starts a conversation.

Listen for these very common greetings and answers:

• Hi / Hello
• How are you?
• I'm fine, thanks.
• Nice to meet you.

These short expressions are very powerful. With just a few words, you can sound friendly and polite.

A model conversation.

Read this model conversation. It is similar to the one you will hear in the audio.

> Luca: Hi, I'm Luca.

> You: Hi, I'm [your name].

> Luca: How are you?

> You: I'm fine, thanks. And you?

> Luca: I'm good, thanks. Nice to meet you.

> You: Nice to meet you too.

Notice a few things:

• We usually answer How are you? with something simple like I'm fine, thanks or I'm good, thanks.
• We often add a question back: And you?. This keeps the conversation friendly.
• We normally say Nice to meet you when we meet someone for the first time.

Useful chunks to copy.

Try to remember these complete phrases. Do not worry too much about grammar for now; just think of them as useful blocks:

• Hi, I'm ...
• Hello, my name is ...
• How are you?
• I'm fine, thanks.
• Nice to meet you.
• Nice to meet you too.

In the listening activity below, focus on these chunks. Later, you will use them to start your own conversations in English.

Practice & Feedback

Now you will listen to a short conversation between two new students just before class. Your task has three parts:

1. Listen carefully and try to catch the names, countries and jobs of the two people.
2. Notice the exact greeting phrases they use (for example: Hi, I'm ..., How are you?, Nice to meet you.).
3. After listening, write your answers in one short paragraph: say who each person is, where they are from and what they do, and then list at least three greeting or polite phrases from the audio.

You can listen more than once. If you do not understand a word, do not panic. Use the context and focus on the key information. When you write, try to use full sentences in English, even if they are very simple.

2. Introducing yourself clearly and politely.

You have now heard a simple first meeting in your new class. In this block, we are going to slow down and build your own introduction step by step. When you meet someone, you usually need to say four basic things: your name, where you are from, what you do, and maybe one small extra detail. We will look at some short model introductions from different people in your imaginary class. As you read them, I want you to notice the order of information and the small polite phrases, not just the individual words. For example, we normally start with a greeting such as “Hi” or “Hello”, then say “I'm …” or “My name is …”. Later we can add “Nice to meet you” at the end. After reading, you will write your own introduction of three or four sentences. Keep it simple but complete. Use the chunks from the screen, and remember that clear, short sentences are perfect at this level. This text will be useful for you many times, for example in real English classes, online meetings or international events.

How to build a simple self-introduction.

When you first meet someone in English, a short, clear introduction is enough. A good introduction usually has four parts:

1. Greeting
2. Name
3. Country / city
4. Job or study + one extra detail

Three model introductions.

Read these three short introductions from students in your class.

> 1. Aisha

> Hi, I'm Aisha. I'm from Egypt, but I live in Manchester now. I work as a nurse in a big hospital. Nice to meet you.

>

> 2. Tom

> Hello, my name is Tom. I'm from the UK. I study engineering at university. In my free time I like football.

>

> 3. Mei

> Hi, I'm Mei. I'm from China. I work in a café. I'm learning English because I want to travel.

Useful sentence patterns.

From these examples we can take some useful patterns (chunks) that you can copy:

• Hi, I'm ...
• Hello, my name is ...
• I'm from [country/city].
• I live in [city].
• I work as [job]. / I work in [place].
• I study [subject]. / I study at [school/university].
• Nice to meet you.

You do not need to use all of them every time. Choose three or four sentences that feel natural and true for you.

Tips for a good first introduction.

• Keep each sentence short. One idea per sentence is fine.
• Use I'm, I work, I study at the beginning of your sentences.
• Finish with a friendly line such as Nice to meet you.

In the activity, you will write your own introduction using these patterns.

Practice & Feedback

Now it is your turn to introduce yourself as if you are in this new English class. Imagine another student looks at you and says, “Hi, I'm Luca.” and then waits for your answer.

Write a short introduction of 3–5 sentences. Try to:

• Start with a greeting and your name (for example: Hi, I'm ... or Hello, my name is ...).
• Say where you are from and, if you like, where you live now.
• Say what you do (your job or your studies).
• Add one extra detail, for example a hobby or a reason for learning English.
• Finish with a polite phrase such as Nice to meet you.

Use the model introductions above to help you. Do not worry about making it perfect; focus on being clear and polite. Write your introduction in one short paragraph.

3. Introducing other people and using polite words.

You can now say who you are, where you are from and what you do. That is an excellent start. In real life, however, we often need to bring other people into the conversation. Maybe you arrive at class with a friend, or you want to introduce a new colleague to your manager at work. In this block we will stay in the classroom scene. The teacher, Sara, comes in and you introduce your new classmate Luca to her. At the same time, the room is a bit busy, and you need small polite words like “excuse me”, “please” and “sorry” to move around people and to sound friendly. We will read two short mini-dialogues: one for introducing a friend, and one for a small accident when you step on someone's foot. Focus on the exact phrases used, such as “This is my friend…” and “I'm sorry”, and on how people respond politely. After that, you will write a few of your own mini-dialogues to practise these patterns. These are very common in English-speaking countries, and using them well makes a very good impression.

Introducing someone to your teacher.

The teacher, Sara, walks into the classroom. You are standing with Luca.

> You: Sara, this is my friend Luca.

> Sara: Hello, Luca. Nice to meet you.

> Luca: Nice to meet you too.

> You: Luca is from Italy. He works as a chef.

> Sara: Great, welcome to the class.

Here are the key chunks:

• This is my friend ...
• Nice to meet you.
• Nice to meet you too.

You can also say This is my colleague …, This is my sister …, etc.

Using “excuse me”, “please” and “sorry”.

Now the classroom is full and you need to pass behind someone.

> You: Excuse me. Can I get past, please?

> Other student: Sure, no problem.

Later, you accidentally step on someone's foot.

> You: I'm sorry.

> Other student: It's OK, don't worry.

> You: Thank you.

These little words are very important:

• Excuse me – to get someone's attention or to pass.
• Please – to make a request more polite.
• I'm sorry – to apologise for a small mistake.
• Thank you / Thank you very much – to show you are grateful.

Polite social phrases to remember.

Try to remember and use these complete phrases:

• This is my friend ...
• Please, after you.
• Excuse me, can I sit here?
• I'm sorry, I'm late.
• Thank you very much.

In the activity you will create your own short classroom dialogues using these polite words.

Practice & Feedback

Now practise sounding polite in different small situations in the classroom. Write three very short mini-dialogues (2–4 lines each). You can write them like the examples above, with each line starting with the speaker (You, Teacher, Friend, etc.).

Please include these three situations:

1. Introducing a friend to the teacher. Use This is my friend ... and Nice to meet you.
2. Asking someone politely to move so you can sit down or pass. Use Excuse me and please.
3. Saying sorry for a small problem, for example being late or making a noise. Use I'm sorry and Thank you.

Use simple sentences. Your goal is to use the polite words correctly and naturally, not to write long texts. When you finish, send all three mini-dialogues together.

4. Making friendly small talk with a new classmate.

You can now say hello, introduce yourself, and even introduce a friend. The next step in a real conversation is usually a bit of small talk. This means short, friendly questions about safe topics such as where you are from, what you do and how you feel about the class. In this block we stay in the break time of your first English lesson. You and Luca are standing near the coffee machine, and you start a simple chat. We will look at a phone-style chat between two classmates, because many people now meet and talk in messages as well as face to face. As you read the model chat, pay attention to the question patterns: “Where are you from?”, “What do you do?”, “How are you finding the class?”. Also notice the short, friendly answers. After that, you will take the role of yourself in a new chat conversation. You will write several short messages as if you are texting a new classmate. This is a chance to practise the same questions and answers in a relaxed way.

A small talk chat during the break.

Here is a chat between two students in your class, Luca and Aisha, during the break.

> Luca: Hi Aisha, I'm Luca. Nice to meet you.

> Aisha: Hi Luca, nice to meet you too.

> Luca: Where are you from?

> Aisha: I'm from Egypt, but I live in Leeds now. You?

> Luca: I'm from Italy. I work as a chef. What do you do?

> Aisha: I study business at college.

> Luca: Oh, great. How are you finding the class?

> Aisha: I like it. The teacher is very friendly.

> Luca: Yes, I agree.

> Aisha: Are you learning English for work?

> Luca: Yes, and for travel. I want to work in other countries.

> Aisha: That sounds good.

Common small talk questions.

From this chat, here are some useful question chunks:

• Where are you from?
• What do you do?
• Do you work or study?
• How are you finding the class? (What do you think of the class?)
• Are you learning English for work?

And some short, friendly answers:

• I'm from ...
• I work as ... / I work in ...
• I study ...
• I like it. / It's great. / It's OK.
• That sounds good.

Tips for chat-style conversation.

• Keep your messages short and simple.
• Use question marks for all your questions.
• Be polite and positive, especially at the beginning of a new friendship.
• You can mix face-to-face and chat language, but keep it clear.

Next, you will continue a similar chat as yourself.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine you are in the same class. After the lesson, another student, Luca, sends you a message:

> Luca: Hi, I'm Luca from the English class. Nice to meet you.

Your job is to continue this chat. Write 4–8 short messages as yourself. Try to:

• Answer Luca's first message politely (for example: Nice to meet you too).
• Ask at least two small talk questions, such as Where are you from?, What do you do?, How are you finding the class?
• Give short, clear answers about your country, job or studies, and why you are learning English.
• Finish the chat in a friendly way, for example: See you in class tomorrow or Have a nice evening.

Write your messages one under the other, as if it is a real chat. Clara will reply to you as Luca.

5. Ending a short conversation politely.

Every good conversation has a beginning and an end. You already know how to say hello and how to do a bit of small talk. Now it is time to focus on how to finish a short chat in a polite and natural way. We stay in the same first-day story. The lesson has finished. People are leaving the classroom, putting on their coats and saying goodbye. This is an important moment. If you end the conversation well, people remember you as friendly and polite. You will listen to several very short goodbye dialogues between you and different classmates or the teacher. Your job is to listen for typical closing phrases such as “Nice to meet you”, “See you later” and “Have a nice day”. After listening, you will write down which closing phrases you heard and create a few examples of your own. This will give you ready-made lines to use when you want to leave a conversation without sounding rude.

Why good endings matter.

Sometimes learners are good at starting a conversation but do not know how to finish it, so they just walk away. This can feel strange or even rude. In English, we usually close a short conversation with a smile and one or two polite sentences.

Here are some very common endings:

• Nice to meet you.
• Nice to meet you too.
• See you later.
• See you tomorrow.
• Have a nice day.
• Have a nice evening.

We often combine them:

> Nice to meet you. See you next week.

> OK, I have to go. Have a nice day.

Mini-dialogues at the end of class.

Read these example endings from your first lesson.

> You: Thanks, Sara. The class was great.

> Sara (teacher): Thank you. See you next week.

> You: See you next week. Bye.

> You: It was nice to meet you, Luca.

> Luca: Nice to meet you too. See you later.

> You: See you.

> You: I have to go now. Have a nice evening.

> Aisha: You too. Bye.

Small language points.

• After Have a nice day / evening / weekend, we often answer with You too.
• We normally say See you later with friends or classmates, not in very formal situations.
• We can use Bye or Goodbye at the very end.

In the activity, listen to some goodbye dialogues and then write your own polite endings.

Practice & Feedback

Listen to the short goodbye conversations. As you listen, focus on the final lines people use when they finish the conversation. You can play the audio more than once.

Then do two things in your written answer:

1. List at least four different closing phrases you heard in the audio (for example: See you later, Have a nice day). Try to write them exactly as you hear them.
2. Write three new example endings of your own, each one or two sentences. Imagine three situations:

• a) Saying goodbye to your teacher after class;
• b) Saying goodbye to a new classmate;
• c) Saying goodbye to someone in a shop.

Use phrases like Nice to meet you, See you tomorrow, Have a nice evening, Thank you very much. Keep your sentences short and polite.

6. Putting it all together in a full first meeting.

You have reached the final step of this lesson. So far, you have practised greetings, self-introductions, introducing other people, polite words like “excuse me” and “sorry”, small talk questions and polite endings. Now it is time to bring everything together in one complete first meeting. For this final task, we will move you to a slightly different but very common situation: a welcome event at a new job. The skills are exactly the same as in your English class story, but the place and people are a little different. You meet a new colleague for the first time and you want to sound friendly, confident and polite. You will read a short checklist and a small model dialogue. Then you will write your own complete conversation between you and a new colleague, from the first “Hi” to the final “See you later”. Try to use as many useful chunks from the lesson as you can, but keep your sentences simple. This is your mini performance for the unit, and it will show you how much you can already do in English.

The new situation: welcome event at work.

Imagine you have just started a new job. There is a small welcome event in the office. You are standing near the snacks when a new colleague, Emma, comes to talk to you.

Your conversation should include:

1. Greeting
2. Exchanging names
3. Where you are from / where you live
4. What you do
5. One or two small talk questions and answers
6. Polite words like please, thank you, excuse me, I'm sorry if possible
7. A polite ending

Short model dialogue.

> Emma: Hi, I'm Emma. I work in the marketing team.

> You: Hi Emma, I'm [your name]. Nice to meet you.

> Emma: Nice to meet you too. Where are you from?

> You: I'm from Poland, but I live in Birmingham now. What about you?

> Emma: I'm from near here. What do you do?

> You: I work as an administrator in the office.

> Emma: Great. How are you finding your first day?

> You: It's good, thanks. Everyone is very friendly.

> Emma: I'm happy to hear that. I have to go now. See you later.

> You: See you later. Have a nice evening.

> Emma: You too.

Useful chunks to reuse.

Try to include several of these in your own dialogue:

• Hi, I'm ... / Hello, my name is ...
• Nice to meet you. / Nice to meet you too.
• Where are you from? / What about you?
• What do you do? / I work as ... / I study ...
• How are you finding your first day? / How are you?
• Excuse me (for small interruptions)
• Thank you / Thank you very much
• I'm sorry (if you need to apologise)
• See you later. / Have a nice day / evening.

In the activity below, you will write the full conversation as a short script.

Practice & Feedback

Write a complete first-meeting conversation between you and your new colleague Emma at the work welcome event.

Follow these steps:

1. Write the dialogue as if it is a script, with each line starting with You: or Emma:.
2. Include at least:

• a greeting and exchange of names;
• where you are from / where you live;
• what you do (your job or studies);
• two or more small talk questions and answers (about the job, the day, English, hobbies, etc.);
• at least one polite word (please, thank you, excuse me or I'm sorry);
• a clear, polite ending (for example: Nice to meet you. See you later. Have a nice day.).

Aim for 8–12 lines in total.

Use simple sentences and the chunks from the lesson. Do not worry if your grammar is not perfect; focus on making the conversation friendly, clear and polite.