Native English Speakers Never Say These 6 Things | Go Natural English

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Let's talk about six things that native English speakers never say

This is a guide to help English language learners like you to sound more natural more

Native-like and I chose these six things based on real-life

conversations and things that

Non-native English speakers or English learners. Say to me all the time. So I know that

some people might disagree with me on these things that

native English speakers, never say so

let me just abridge the title just a little bit and say these are six things that

native English speakers will rarely

ever say and it's just not common or

Natural it's not

Normal to hear native English speakers say this that said I am an American English speaker and I teach American English

So these are quite

cultural things as well

They're actually

Grammatically, correct every single one of them. So the problem is not

Grammar the problem with these phrases is that they're just not

Drill normal or culturally, correct. So let's begin

Number one. May I practice my English with you? Obviously?

if you're a native speaker, you don't need to practice your English because it's a skill that you already have and

most importantly you realize that English is a tool that you use every day to

communicate not to practice English for English's sake but to use English in order to

communicate to connect to convey information

and to make friends so I highly suggest

That instead of asking. Can I practice my English with you that you approach?

Connecting with other English speakers in a more natural friendly way

do not view other English speakers as

Potential practice partners or people that should teach you English

Unless you're actually

working with a tutor or a teacher other English speakers are not

Necessarily interested in just practicing to help you improve your English. They are interested however in

Connecting with you if you have a common interest

Or perhaps a common career or a hobby

so look for those common threads between you and people who happen to speak English and

you'll be able to practice your English in an

indirect way when you simply connect with people who are interested in the things as you

Okay, number two. I am fine. Thank you. And you?

I

Know some people say this in English

But it sounds to me very stilted and unnatural because it's not very common

It's quite rare to hear this it does get used but I used to hear this

99% of the time in

99% of the conversations that I had when I was teaching English in Japan. I don't know. I don't know if there's a

Certain textbook series that teaches this to everyone in Japan but everyone and not to pick on my Japanese students

But I spent three years teaching in Japan. So I have a lot of experience there and people would always

Japanese English learners would always use this. I am fine. Thank you and you

And it's just not used as much in the United States. In fact, it almost sounds too

Formal to me because with my colleagues and friends we use a variety of greetings. Like, how are you? How are you doing?

How are you today? How's it going? But I don't remember the last time that I've said I am fine

Thank you and you to respond, you know normal responses would be great. How are you or

Fine what's going on or I'm good what's going on with you?

awesome

how about you so even how about you or how about you is a little bit more common than and you

so, what do you think tell me in the comments if you

Hear native English speakers saying these phrases number three. How do you do?

How do you do? This is definitely not American English

I don't think I've ever heard an American English speaker use this unless they were

Imitating a British English speaker or trying to be funny. It's just not common

I don't know is this more common in England or in other countries? I can tell you for sure

American English speakers do not ask. How do you do? The only time that you'll hear an American English speaker asking?

How do you do is if there's more words in the sentence, like how do you do that or?

How do you do your hair? It looks great, or

How do you do your homework?

We never ask simply. How do you do to ask someone? How are you? Okay number four in general

Negative observations are just not really socially savvy so so many times I've had

students and even international friends

just directly tell me negative observations about my appearance and

It's not normal for me. So it was really shocking they would just say wow. You look really tired or

You look hungover, or you're looking a little fat and for me as an American

this is

So shocking because people don't normally comment on your appearance

Unless they're your friend. So I'm talking about

Acquaintances or people you just met or people that you don't know very well so family members close friends

We might say like she look a little tired

Are you okay? But I don't think I would even tell my best friend if

She looked fat to be honest because it's like it's like a big insult. I

just it's you know, it was really shocking for me when I

in

Other countries and people would just tell me straight up

Directly, oh, you're looking a little fat or like in Spanish. There's this word gordita. Like wow, did that gordita?

Oh great good for you that we'll need that

Banker deed, that would be like, excuse me

I'm a little fat but apparently in Spanish and

In other cultures, this could be a good thing in American culture unless you want to offend someone I would not

Behind you to tell them they're looking a little fat

Number five. Are you married? I get asked this question a lot and

If you've just met someone it's really direct. So any kind of personal question

Are you married? Are you single?

Are you rich? I don't know like weird. What street do you live on?

It's a little too personal if you don't know the person like if you haven't met with them several times

I guess it's more common in other cultures to ask

Directly straight away if someone is married, maybe it's like getting it out of the way to know how to interact with each other

I've had so many Buber drivers ask me if I'm married and it makes me really uncomfortable

Because I'm like, I'm just here for a ride to the airport. Didn't want to date you

So why are you asking if I'm married so for me?

It's really strange and in American culture in general

If I could be a representative of American culture here since I am American

It's just not normal to ask someone if they're married if you don't know them already

So like if you just met someone like if they're your uber passenger or your uber driver

not just a passenger if they're your uber passenger or your driver, or maybe

someone you just met it's

Cafe or something

Don't ask if they're married there's some indirect ways that you could kind of figure out if they're married

You could maybe ask like, oh are you?

here with your

Husband or boyfriend. I mean even that sounds pretty direct

so in American culture

We don't really ask if someone's married or a single until we know them a little bit so that might feel strange to you

But that's just how it is

Also in this category of personal questions would be age. It's

totally

Not normal to ask someone how old their unless your filling out

Some special paperwork like for your doctor and they need to know your age

We don't ask people how old they are if we just met them similarly

We don't tell people how old we are if we just met then I remember I had an English class

I mean, I was teaching an English class where there were people from all over the world and we had to introduce ourselves and

all the students there adult students, they all started saying their pages and it just felt so weird to me because

In the United States American students would not

share their age in a self-introduction

in fact in job interviews

It's illegal to ask someone how old they are or if they're married or personal details

Like that because it's discrimination and finally number six

How much rent do you pay?

So this could be lumped in with the personal questions that I just talked about

But this is more of a money question

So any question that's directly related to money

Like how much do you make or how much rent do you pay or how much did you pay for your car?

questions like this are

not

Appropriate culturally in the u.s. So native speakers

don't ask

Unless you already know the person so the key here is how close are you to the person?

Are they really your friend and you had several conversations with them have they asked to use some personal details?

You could ask is it? Okay if I ask you something personal?

Before you ask a money question or a personal question

if you really really want to know otherwise

We're just nice to wait because it just feels like an invasion of privacy to an American if you ask how much they paid for

something

Yes, there's exceptions

If you're in a situation when people are openly talking about money

Like if you're at a business conference or something, I don't know

Yeah, there's exceptions

But in general when you just meet someone for the first time stay away from questions about money

Personal information and that guy you are married and

Appearance or especially negative points about their appearance

Don't say how do you do don't say I am fine? Thank you and you and

if you want to practice your English don't ask to practice your English just talk to people and

Preferably not with any of these questions that I just shared with you because these are things that native English speakers

Just don't generally say so. Thank you so much for watching

Let me know your thoughts in the comments

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