Intermediate · B1 / B2 · Socializing

Keeping the Chat Going

Your goal: use reactions, follow-ups, and bridges to keep a conversation alive at B1/B2 level.

Survival Phrases

Reactions

No way — and then what?
That's wild — what did you do?
Oh, I know exactly what you mean.

Follow-ups

So how did that turn out?
What was the best bit?
And did you end up going?

Bridges

That reminds me — …
Speaking of which, …
Funny you should say that, …

Recovering

Sorry, I lost my thread — you were saying?
Anyway, where were we?
Let me pick that up — you said…

Model Dialogue

Read the dialogue aloud twice — once for each speaker. Notice how B picks up A's words and adds something.

Lia: …so the train broke down and we ended up in the middle of nowhere.

Marina: No way — and then what?

Lia: We had to hitch a lift with a farmer. He only spoke Welsh.

Marina: That's wild — what did you do?

Lia: Gestured a lot! He dropped us at the next town. Best detour ever.

Marina: Oh, I know that feeling — got lost in Portugal once, ended up at a wedding.

Lia: Ha! Were they welcoming?

Marina: They made us stay for the cake. Anyway, where were we? Oh — your trip.

Lia: Right. So we finally made it at 2am…

Register: formal vs informal

Situation	More formal	More informal / natural
Reacting	No way — and then what?	No way — then?
Following up	So how did that turn out, in the end?	So what happened?
Bridging	That reminds me — something similar happened to me.	That reminds me…
Recovering	Sorry, I lost my thread — you were saying?	Sorry, lost you — go on?

At B1/B2 the line between formal and informal is often tone and softeners (just, a bit, possibly), not different words. Soften requests when the stakes are higher.

Typical Mistakes (B1/B2 & Portuguese interference)

And then? what? → And then what? ((ordem))
That reminds me of… → That reminds me — I had the same once. ((dash bridge))
Speaking of, I… → Speaking of which, … ((speaking of which))
I lost the line. → I lost my thread — you were saying? ((lost my thread))
It was the best detour ever. → It was the best detour ever — we loved it. ((add reaction))
Where we were? → Where were we? ((ordem))

Culture Note

Reactions ('No way', 'That's wild') are the fuel of English conversation — without them, chats stall.
Follow-up questions beat your own stories; let the other person stay centre-stage.
Bridges ('Speaking of which', 'Funny you should say that') link topics smoothly — they're a B2 skill.
Losing your thread is fine — 'you were saying?' recovers it gracefully.

Practical Task

Rebuild the dialogue with your own travel disaster.
Record both roles, with big reactions and a bridge.
Write three reactions and three follow-ups.
Real-life mission: listen to a podcast chat and note three bridges ('Speaking of which', 'By the way', 'That reminds me').

Before you finish, can you…

☐react with energy ('No way', 'That's wild')?
☐ask a follow-up that keeps them talking?
☐use a bridge to change topic smoothly?
☐recover gracefully when you lose the thread?

Bring your dialogue — the teacher tells a long story and pauses; you must keep it going.