Have you ever had one of those moments when you are introduced to someone, you say hello and then the conversation dies? Not a good feeling. Here are some tips to remember when we are greeting someone:

If they say:                                                                                    You Respond With:

-How do you do? (Formal)                                                                  – How do you do?

-How are you?                                                                                    -Fine thanks. And you**?  

-How are things going?                                                                     -Great, busy, but great. How ‘bout you?

-Hi/Hello!                                                                                           – Hi! Good to see you

-Hey! How you doing? (Informal)                                                      -Hey, great! See you!

**this is very important! Always respond with a final “and you?”…it keeps the conversation going.                                                           

And for more formal, business greetings:
If they say:                                                                                           You Respond With:
Hello, my name is………..                                                                        Hello my name is …………….
It’s a pleasure/Nice to meet you ………….                                               It’s a pleasure/Nice to meet you too

And remember to pay attention to the difference between:    How do you do?               What do you do?

It is now common to reply to “How do you do?” with “I’m fine, thank you.” But in the past, businessmen in the UK would have just repeated the same phrase, “How do you do?” with “How do you do?” and whilst tipping their hat, they would go on repeating! Although, in very formal settings, you can still reply with “How do you do”.

Did you know?
We use to meet someone when it is the first time. After, you need to use to know.
• When did you two meet?                                                            Last summer, at a business conference.
• How long have you two known each other?                                For ages, at least 15 years!

A short video on how to greet someone: Greetings Video  (A2 and above)

And don’t forget to double check how they greet in each culture:  Wall Street  Journal 

Photo Source http://life.time.com/history/jfk-in-texas-photos-from-before-and-after-the-killing-of-a-president/?iid=lf|mostpop#4 

We know most of you don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day and you probably call it a “Hallmark” holiday (aka Corte Ingles Holiday) but we can’t help showing you a little history on this very romantic day…

The History of Valentine’s Day  (Level B2 and above–advanced vocabulary)

An Easy Step by Step Story (Level B1 and above)

See if you can answer these questions (in reference to the first video):
1. What did the Roman Pagans sacrifice and why?

2. In what century was St. Valentine’s declared?

3. What did Emperor Claudius II Ban? And why

4. Who would visit Father Valentine and why?

5. How much money does the holiday bring in annually to the USA, thanks to Cupid?

Photo Source: http://addictedtoconsumerism.tumblr.com/post/74047975663

So, how big do you think your vocabulary is? Take this http://testyourvocab.com/ to find out

And if you scored low, try keeping track of new words on this great app: http://quizlet.com/

Finally, to make sure you know your vocabulary, try this emotions test. How good are you at reading people?

New studies prove that the more you read, the better you will understand emotions. Do you agree?

photo source: http://theorphanbutterfly.tumblr.com/post/19210072457

Will Digital Technology Disappear?  (Video–Level B2 and above)

And how about mono-tasking? Would this device work for you?  (Video–Level B1 and above)

Another fun test: What Career Should you Actually Have? 

What is the difference between a career and a degree?

Photo Source: http://designspiration.net/image/1033194365751/