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Speaker 1: Have you ever been asked a question in English and

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suddenly your mind just goes blank? Has that ever happened

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to you? Maybe someone says, what do you think about

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remote work? Or where do you see yourself in five years?

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And inside your head you're thinking, wait, give me a second. Well,

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native speakers don't always answer immediately either. In fact, we

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use small phrases to buy a little time while we think.

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And that's what today's podcast English Lesson is all about.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to another Happy English podcast coming to you from

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New York City. And here's your English teacher, Michael al Ray.

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Speaker 1: Thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael here from

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Happy English and I help people speak in English better.

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And this is Happy English Podcast Episode nine to ninety eight,

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How to stall for time when you're thinking in English?

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Have you ever noticed that native English speakers rarely just

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sit silently when they're thinking. We usually speak while we think.

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We use phrases like let me think, that's a good question,

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I never really thought about that, or small words like well,

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and actually, these little phrases help you sound fluent even

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when you're still organizing your thoughts. Let's start with let

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me think, we use let me think when we need

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a moment before answering, let me think signals that you're

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processing the question. And here's a pronunciation tip. We often

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stretch this phrase just a little, like hmm, let me think.

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That slight stretch buys you a second. For example, imagine

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someone asks what's the best city you've ever visited? Instead

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of freezing or staying silent, you can say hmm, let

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me think and then continue. Or in a meeting, if

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someone asks what's our biggest challenge right now, you might say, hmm,

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let me think for a second. That small phrase gives

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you a little breathing room. Next, let's talk about that's

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a good question. That's a good question is especially useful

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in interviews, meetings, and speaking exams. It makes you sound

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thoughtful and calm, and notice where the stress goes. That's

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a good question. For example, if someone asks why did

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you choose your career, you could begin with hmm, that's

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a good question and then continue with your answer. Or

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if a friend asks do you think people are happier

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now than in the past, you might say, hmmm, that's

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a good question. I think it depends blah blah blah

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blah blah. So this phrase, that's a good question acknowledges

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the question and buys you a little time at the

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same time. Next, let's look at oh, I've never really

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thought about that. This is great when a question surprises you.

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I've never really thought about that sounds honest and reflective.

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Imagine someone asks if you could live anywhere in the world,

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where would you go. You might say, wow, I've never

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really thought about that. Then you start thinking out loud.

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Or if someone asks what's your biggest weakness, you could say, hmm,

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I've never really thought about that before. The pacing here

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is important. Say it a bit slowly. It shows you're

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considering the question carefully. Next, let's talk about a tiny

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word that does a lot of heavy lifting in English. Well.

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Native speakers use well all the time to organize thoughts.

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It often has a slight falling tone and a short

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pause like well, pause then answer. For example, if someone asks, hey,

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did you like that movie, you might say, well, it

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was interesting, Or if someone asks you are you going

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to accept the job offer, you might begin with well,

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I'm still deciding. That small word gives you a moment

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to shape your answer. And finally, let's look at actually

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actually is often used to gently correct something or shift direction,

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but it also works as a thinking phrase. In natural speech,

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Actually often sounds like actually actually. It's quick and relaxed.

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For example, if someone asks do you prefer working from home,

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you might say, actually, think I'm more productive in the office.

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Or if someone assumes something like oh, you must love

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public speaking, you might respond, actually, I get a little

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nervous before I start. That actually gives you a half

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a second to organize your answer. So let's step back

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for a second. Native speakers stall for time in three

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simple ways. First, we signal we're thinking with phrases like

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let me think. Second, we acknowledge the question with ah,

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that's a good question or I've never really thought about that. Third,

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we organize a answer with small words like well or actually.

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These phrases don't make you sound slow, They make you

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sound natural. Speaking why you think is a big part

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of sounding fluent. So here's your challenge. The next time

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someone asks you a question in English, don't rush. Use

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one of these phrases. First, by yourself some time, and

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then answer calmly. That's how you build confident, conversational English.

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And keep in mind the best way to remember English

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like this at any other word or phrase in English

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is to take that word or phrase, write it in

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a sentence that's true for you or true in your world,

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and then memorize your sentence is Hey, thanks for listening,

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and remember learning another language is not easy, but it's

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not impossible, and I'm here to help you on your journey.

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Speaker 2: This podcast is brought to you by Happy English. Please

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visit Myhappy english dot com. Show your support for Happy

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English by leaving us a review. Get English, Get Happy,

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