3 Things I Prepare to Avoid Silence in Online English Lessons

During online English lessons,
have you ever had the experience of being unable to answer a question and falling into silence?

I had that happen many times when I first started, too.
However, by doing a little bit of preparation,
silence is reduced significantly.

Introduction

In this article, I will introduce
three preparations I actually used when I was a beginner
to avoid silence in online English lessons.

Even if your English skills aren't perfect,
just by "preparing in advance," you can gain confidence.

🔹 That day I froze during my first lesson

In my first online English lesson,
the teacher asked me some very simple questions.

I think they were things like "What is your favorite food?" or "What are your hobbies?"

But at that moment, my mind went blank.

With the words "Um..." on my lips,
I couldn't continue.

I still remember that awkward silence.

Have you ever had a similar experience?

🔹 Silence wasn't just due to a "lack of English ability"

At the time, I thought, "It's because I can't speak English."
But looking back, the real cause was lack of preparation.

You don't need to make perfect sentences.

Even if they are short, just preparing answers in advance will make the conversation go much more smoothly.

🔹 3 preparations to avoid silence

① Create a self-introduction template

Name, where you live, hobbies, recent events, etc.
Short is fine.
Example: I live in Hiroshima. I like cooking and watching movies.

② Prepare to answer frequently asked questions in 3 sentences

For standard questions like hobbies, food, or how you spend your days off,
don't just end with one sentence;
practice answering with three consecutive sentences.

This expands the conversation and makes it easier for the other person to ask follow-up questions.

Example: "What are your hobbies?"

• I like reading books.

• I usually read in the evening after dinner.

• My favorite author is Haruki Murakami.

Example: "What is your favorite food?"

• I like sushi.

• I usually eat it at a restaurant near my house.

• My favorite is salmon.

3. Memorize "clarification phrases"

Even when you can't hear or understand what was said,
you can keep the conversation going without falling into silence.
Example: Could you say that again, please?

Just saying a short "Sorry?" is also fine.
The important thing is to react on the spot.

🟨 Summary

You can reduce silence through preparation.

Write down these three preparations starting today,
and try them out in your lessons.

Starting with just one is perfectly fine.
Let's gradually increase what you can do, little by little.

🟨 Final thoughts

Thank you for reading until the end.

In this note, based on my own experience of starting English conversation in my 40s,
I share tips for beginners to continue learning with peace of mind.

I have also compiled other articles useful for English conversation learning here👇

If you're thinking, "I want to try it, but I don't know where to start,"
I would be happy if I could support your first step.🌸