What's the Secret to a Good Conversation?

host
Noun
• the presenter of a TV or radio show
He's the host of a popular TV show.
The host seemed to be happy at the party.
I'm the host of tonight's show.

balance
Noun
• a situation in which different things exist in good or correct amounts
Sometimes it's hard to find a balance between family and work.
Buildings designed by that architect are known for their visual balance and interesting
use of color.

Distracted
Adjective
• unable to concentrate on something because you are thinking about or doing
something else
Kate seemed very distracted during the meeting.
rephrase
Verb
• to say or write something again using different words
I don't quite understand your question. Could you rephrase that?
Condescending
Adjective
behaving as though you think you are more intelligent or important than someone else
He is very condescending to his employees.

obvious
Adjective
• very clear and easy to notice
It's obvious that she loves shopping.
It's obvious that she doesn't like her job.
The right thing to do is not always obvious.
What's the Secret to a Good Conversation?
According to radio host Celeste Headlee, "a conversation requires a balance between
talking and listening." Here are four tips to help you have better conversations.
1. Don't multitask
It can be very easy to get distracted when having a conversation, so put your phone
down and listen to what is being said.
You shouldn't be half in a conversation and half out of it, Headlee says.
2. Prepare to be amazed
Headlee says that everyone is an expert in something. That's why you should enter
every conversation believing that you are going to learn something.
Scientist Bill Nye put it this way: "Everyone you will ever meet knows something that
you don't."
3. Try not to repeat yourself
When we've got a point to make, it can be easy to keep rephrasing it over and
over. This often happens if we're talking to kids or discussing something important at
work. "It's condescending, and it's really boring," says Headlee.
4. Stop talking and actually listen
This might sound obvious, but listening is the most important conversational skill you
can learn. According to Headlee, people are often bad listeners because they want to
be in control and would rather talk themselves.
If people don't actually listen to one another, they're "just two people shouting out ...
sentences in the same place," Headlee says.
• How should you enter every conversation?
• What's the most important conversational skill you can learn?
• Why are people often bad listeners, according to Headlee?
• Which of the tips from the article did you find interesting? Why?
• Do you agree that a good conversation requires a balance between talking and
listening? Why? Why not?
• Would you say that you're a good listener? Why? Why not?
• What do you make of the idea that "everyone is an expert in something"?
• If you could have a conversation with anyone in the world, who would you choose?
Why?
• Which of your friends and family do you have the best conversations with? Why?
• What topics do you find easiest to talk about? Why?
• Do you find it easy to talk to people you just met? Why? Why not?
• Do you think you'd make a good radio host? Why? Why not?
• It only takes one good conversation to change your understanding of [the] world. -
Celeste Headlee. Do you agree? Why? Why not?