Starting a conversation
You see someone you know. Show one appropriate way you could greet them.
Example: “Hi! How are you?” or “Hey, good to see you.”
Someone says, “I went to the movies yesterday.” Ask a follow-up question
Examples: “What movie did you see?” “Did you like it?”
Your friend is talking about football. What should your next comment or question be related to?
Football or something directly connected to what the person just said.
Someone is looking at you and asking questions while you talk. What might that tell you?
They may be interested and engaged in the conversation
Someone does not answer your email right away. What should you do?
Wait and give the person time to respond instead of repeatedly messaging.
You are sitting next to someone at an activity. What could you say to start a conversation?
Example: Ask about the activity, introduce yourself, or make a friendly comment such as, “Have you done this activity before?”
Someone tells you, “I had pizza for dinner.” Ask a question that keeps the conversation going
Examples: “What kind of pizza?” “Where did you get it?”
Someone is talking about their vacation. You suddenly remember something you want to say about a movie. What could you do?
Hold the thought and continue the current topic. Change topics later at a natural pause.
Someone keeps looking at their phone and giving very short answers. What might that mean?
They may be distracted, busy, or not interested in continuing the conversation right now.
You ask someone a question and they say, “I don’t want to talk about that.” What should you do?
Respect the boundary and change the subject
Someone is wearing a shirt from a movie you like. How could you use that to start a conversation?
Example: “I like that movie too. Who is your favorite character?”
Your friend says, “I’m going on vacation next week.” Ask 2 appropriate follow-up questions
Examples: “Where are you going?” “What are you looking forward to doing there?”
Your friend says, “I went bowling Saturday.” Give a response that stays on topic.
Example: “That sounds fun. Who did you go bowling with?”
Someone begins walking away while you are still talking. What should you do?
Stop or wrap up the conversation and respect that the person is leaving.
You are excited about an activity happening months from now and have already talked about it several times today. What could you do instead of bringing it up again?
Write it on a calendar or note, then focus on a current activity or a different topic.
You want to talk to someone, but they are already talking to another person. What should you do?
Wait for an appropriate pause or until the conversation ends before joining or speaking
Someone says, “I got a new job!” Respond and then ask a follow-up question.
Example: “Congratulations! What will you be doing there?”
You already told someone the same story twice and want to tell it again. What could you do instead?
Pause and ask the other person a question, choose a new topic, or save the story for another time.
You have been talking for several minutes and the other person has not had a chance to speak. What could you do?
Pause and invite them into the conversation by asking a question or giving them time to respond.
You notice you are repeating the same question or topic. What strategy could you use?
Pause, check whether you already said it, ask the other person a question, or use a visual/calendar reminder.
ROLE-PLAY: Start a conversation with another person and keep it going for at least 3 exchanges.
Someone says, “I went to the movies yesterday.” Ask a follow-up question.
CHALLENGE: Listen to someone describe their weekend. Ask 3 different follow-up questions without changing the subject.
Successful response: 3 relevant questions connected to what the other person shared.
ROLE-PLAY: Have a conversation about one topic for 1 minute without switching topics.
Successful response: comments and questions remain related to the agreed topic.
ACT IT OUT: Identify whether the social cue shown by another person means “keep talking” or “wrap it up,” and explain why.
Successful response: identifies the observable cue and chooses a reasonable response.
You are at a social event and begin feeling overwhelmed. Name 2 appropriate coping strategies you could use.
Examples: slow breathing, ask for a short break, move to a quieter area, grounding, or appropriately tell someone you need space.