ADialogue between a Doctor and a Patient: 2. Sania: Doctor, I am feeling very weak and fever. Doctor: Oh, I see, sit down and how many days are you suffering? Sania: It has been for two days. Doctor: Okay, open your mouth, and let me see your tongue. (After showing her tongue) FALSE In a fluctuating economy, salespeople make invaluable contributions by assisting in recovery cycles and by helping to sustain periods of relative prosperity. T/F. TRUE. Consumers who are likely to be late adopters of an innovation often rely on the salesperson as a primary source of information. T/F. Choosea Scene or Situation. Open up the Storyboard Creator and you will see three empty cells. Look through the different scene options and try out different locations. Choose one that you like. Click on the scene and drag it to the empty cell. The scene may dictate the situation or conversation, so be creative! Dialoguecan be one of the most interesting parts of a book to read, but only if it is done right. Sharpen your writing skills and challenge yourself to craft engaging, yet believable dialogue that will keep your readers interested. When you take this online writing workshop you'll discover how to write dialogue that advances your story's plot. 1 Write a short dialogue based on any of the following communication situations: giving information, giving instructions, making explanations, or narrating events. 2. Use non-verbal behaviors by writing non-verbal cues enclosed in parentheses. Withthe increasing popularity of social apps, sending emojis has become a very common way of expressing one's emotions. However, situations often arise when people send the wrong emoji by mistake, or sometimes even an emoji with an opposite meaning, which can cause embarrassment to the sender. Taking WeChat as an example, which is widely used in Chinese communities, this study summarizes 10 . Telephoning is an important function of doing business in English. Phone conversations, particularly business telephone conversations, follow certain patterns Someone answers the telephone and asks if they can assistance. The caller makes a asking—either to exist continued to someone or for information. The caller is connected, given information or told that they are non in the office at the moment. If the person who is requested is not in the office, the caller is asked to exit a message. The caller leaves a message or asks other questions. The telephone telephone call finishes. Of course, all business telephone conversations exercise non follow this rigid scheme. But this is the basic outline for near business telephone conversations, especially those fabricated to request information or ask for clarification. Example Business Telephone Chat Role-Play The following business organisation telephone chat can be used as a role-play in grade to introduce a number of standard phrases to do telephoning in English. Ms. Anderson sales representative Jewels and Things ring ring…band ring…ring band… Mr. Smith Secretary Hello, Diamonds Galore, this is Peter speaking. How may I be of assist to you today? Ms. Anderson Yep, this is Ms. Janice Anderson calling. May I speak to Mr. Franks, please? Mr. Smith I’m afraid Mr. Franks is out of the office at the moment. Would y’all similar me to take a message? Ms. Anderson Uhm…actually, this telephone call is rather urgent. Nosotros spoke yesterday nearly a delivery problem that Mr. Franks mentioned. Did he leave whatsoever information with you? Mr. Smith As a matter of fact, he did. He said that a representative from your company might be calling. He also asked me to ask y’all a few questions… Ms. Anderson Bully, I’d dear to meet this problem resolved equally quickly as possible. Mr. Smith Well, we still oasis’t received the shipment of earrings that was supposed to arrive concluding Tuesday. Ms. Anderson Yeah, I’one thousand terribly sorry about that. In the concurrently, I’ve spoken with our delivery department and they bodacious me that the earrings volition be delivered by tomorrow morn. Mr. Smith Fantabulous, I’1000 sure Mr. Franks will be pleased to hear that. Ms. Anderson Yes, the shipment was delayed from France. We weren’t able to send it along until this morn. Mr. Smith I see. Mr. Franks too wanted to schedule a meeting with yous later this week. Ms. AndersonCertainly, what is he doing on Thursday afternoon? Mr. Smith I’grand afraid he’s coming together with some clients out of town. How about Thursday morning? Ms. Anderson Unfortunately, I’thou seeing someone else on Thursday morning time. Is he doing anything on Friday morning? Mr. Smith No, it looks like he’s free then. Ms. Anderson Bang-up, should I come by at nine? Mr. Smith Well, he usually holds a staff meeting at 9. Information technology merely lasts a half-60 minutes or so. How about 10? Ms. Anderson Yes, x would be dandy. Mr. Smith OK, I’ll schedule that. Ms. Anderson at ten, Friday Morning…Is there annihilation else I can aid you with? Ms. Anderson No, I think that’s everything. Cheers for your assistance…Goodbye. Mr. Smith Goodbye. Brusk Summary of the Telephone Conversation Review your cognition past filling in the gaps with the words and phrases beneath to complete the summary of the chat. Ms. Anderson telephones Diamonds Galore to _____ with Mr. Franks. Mr. Franks is not in the office, but Henry Smith, the secretary, speaks to Ms. Anderson most a _____ problem with some earrings. The earrings have not yet _____ at Diamonds Galore. Ms. Anderson tells Peter that there was a problem with the _____ from France, just that the earrings should arrive tomorrow forenoon. Adjacent, they _____ a meeting betwixt Ms. Anderson and Mr. Franks. Mr. Franks is not able to _____ with Ms. Anderson on Th considering he is _____. They finally decide on Fri morning at 10 o’clock after a _____ that Mr. Owen normally holds on Friday mornings. Answers speak, delivery/shipment, arrived, shipment/delivery, schedule, meet, busy, staff meeting Key Phrases and Vocabulary How may I exist of help This is a formal phrase used to show politeness. It means “Can I help y’all?” calling telephoning out of the part not in the office take a message to write down a message from the caller urgent very important delivery the bringing of appurtenances to a client mentioned said resolved taken intendance of as quickly equally possible in the fastest manner, ASAP shipment delivery, the bringing of goods to a client assured a certainty that something is true or volition happen pleased happy delayed not be able to do something on time looks like seems staff meeting a coming together of employees lasts to take fourth dimension schedule brand a future engagement Practice Cues for Role-Plays Use these cues, roles, and scenarios to create exercise function-plays on your own to farther your telephoning skills to help with workplace advice. Role-Play Cue 1 John You’d like to speak to Kevin at FunStuff Brothers, a toy-making visitor. Yous’re returning his sales telephone call because you’re interested in the company’s products. Kate You’re the receptionist at FunStuff Brothers, effort to transfer the call to Kevin, but take a message when you detect out Kevin tin can’t accept the call. Role-Play Cue 2 Estelle Yous’re calling to schedule a meeting with the head of the personnel section. You’d similar to run into on Tuesday morning merely can come in on Thursday and Friday as well. Bob You’re able to schedule a meeting at the end of next calendar week, but y’all will be out of the role until Thursday morn. Create a dialogue on making an introduction based on the following situations1. You introduce your boyfriend/girlfriend to a long-time friend during a high school You are strolling at the mall with your mother when you suddenly bumped into your teacher in senior You were tasked to introduce the guest speaker of the seminar that your school organization your answer in handwritten format By Last updated August 16, 2022 Hotels. Business meetings. Taxis. You may know how to use English in these places. You may know the right English phrases to book a room for the night, to make a business deal, to use transportation. But other conversations can be more… personal. Conversations between friends are something your textbook or English class may not have prepared you for. The truth is, casual conversations in a language you’re still learning can be even more difficult than formal conversations. After all, in formal situations you know you need to be polite. You can find out what phrases to use, and memorize them. In casual conversations, it isn’t as important to use particular phrases. For example, you don’t have to say, “Hello, how are you?” every time you meet a friend. But there are still certain phrases for informal conversation that are useful to know. Conversations also tend to follow certain patterns, even when the people having them know each other well. Below are some examples of how to make small talk, make plans and have personal conversations, shown through example dialogues between two friends in English. Download This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. Download 6 Typical Conversations Between Two Friends in English Greetings and Small Talk Some people think of small talk unimportant, expected conversation as being shallow not honest or “real”. But it’s something that we do to make each other comfortable. For example, asking about someone’s job or how they’re doing is a way of showing that you care, and these questions can lead to more personal and interesting conversation. It’s true that close friends may not use small talk as much as people who don’t know each other well. But there are still times when using small talk with friends makes sense. For example, if you meet an old friend who you haven’t seen in a long time, or if you’re meeting with a friend who you just don’t see every day. Let’s look at a couple of conversations below to see what those situations might sound like. Conversation 1 Conversations Between Friends Here, we’re actually going to look at a video clip that contains two conversations. This clip can also be found on FluentU with interactive captions and a transcript with playable audio. Let’s read along to the conversations in the above video Sam Oh? Bob! Bob Hey Sam! Good to see you! Sam How’s it going? Bob Yeah, good. Working a lot. And you? Sam I went back to school. Bob Good for you! Mike and Jim Jim Mike? Mike Jim? Jim What have you been up to? Mike Working a lot. Jim That sounds hard. Mike How’s the family? Jim Everyone is good. Thanks! Now, let’s look at some useful phrases from the dialogues above. Useful Phrases “Good to see you!” This is a nice way to greet someone when you haven’t seen them in a while. “How’s it going?” This is a common greeting in English, like “How are you?” Don’t be surprised if you say this to someone and they don’t respond, or say “Yeah, how’s it going?” back. Bob replies to this question with “Yeah, good.” This might seem a little weird because Sam didn’t ask a yes or no question. But in this case, “yeah” doesn’t have any special meaning. It’s just a way to acknowledge Sam’s question and move on. “Good for you!” This is a nice way to congratulate a friend on their successes or accomplishments. Conversation 2 Meeting Up with a Friend at a Restaurant Small talk can happen with close friends who you see regularly and with friends you don’t see as often. Here’s an example of a conversation that could happen between two friends who know each other pretty well. Nathan Hey, Alicia? Alicia Oh hey, I didn’t see you there. Did you already get a table? Nathan Yeah, right over here. Alicia I’m glad we had time to meet up. Nathan Me too. So, what’s going on? Alicia Oh, not much. You? Nathan Not much. Hey, how did your interview go? Wasn’t that today? Alicia Oh, yeah. I think it went well. I don’t know if I got the job yet, but they said they would call in a few days. Nathan Well, I’m sure you did great. Good luck. Alicia Thanks. I’m just happy that it’s over. I was really nervous about it. Nathan I can understand that. I get nervous before interviews, too. Alicia Well, thanks for being supportive. I appreciate it. Nathan Sure, no problem. Useful Phrases “I’m glad we had time to meet up.” If you’re meeting a friend you don’t see every day, this is a nice way of saying that you appreciate them making an effort to see you. Other ways of saying this could be, “Thanks for making time to see me” or “We should do this more often.” “What’s going on?” Like with “How’s it going?” the other person might not always reply to this question. If they do, they’ll probably either actually tell you what’s going on, or just say, “Not much.” In the conversation above, Nathan and Alicia both say “not much” is going on with them, but then they end up talking about Alicia’s interview. This is pretty common. A person might sometimes even reply “not much,” and then immediately start talking about all the things that actually are going on. “I can understand that.” This is a good phrase to acknowledge a friend’s feelings or opinions. “Sure, no problem.” This is a casual way of saying “You’re welcome” when someone thanks you. Making Plans with Friends To see your friends in the first place, you have to make plans with them. Here are a couple of conversations that show how that could go. Conversation 1 Inviting a Friend for a Movie John Hello, Bob! Bob Hi, John! John Are you free this weekend? Bob I think so, why? John Want to see a movie? Bob Sure. John Great! Useful Phrases “Are you free this weekend?” This is a friendly, common way to open a conversation when you’re going to ask someone to do something with you. Conversation 2 Making Plans for a Get-together In the conversation above, Bob and John decide to see a movie together. But they don’t decide on what to see, or an exact time. Hopefully they’ll talk about this later—otherwise they won’t know what they’re doing! Below, we’ll look at a more detailed conversation about making plans. Trudy Hey, so I’m having a party at my place next weekend. Do you want to come? Lee Sure! That sounds like fun. Who else is coming? Trudy Let’s see. I think it’s going to be Jerome, Talia, Anna, Juan, Celeste, Michelle and possibly Jamie. It’s not really going to be a party, more like a small get-together. I’m cooking dinner, and we can just hang out. Lee What time should I be there? Trudy Oh, anytime between 6 and 7 would be fine. Lee Can I bring anything? Trudy Oh, don’t worry about it. I have everything covered. Lee Can I at least bring a bottle of wine? Trudy Well, I’m not going to say no to wine. I’m sure that would be appreciated. Lee I’ll do that, then. Thanks for inviting me. Useful Phrases “That sounds like fun.” If someone invites you to an event, or just invites you to do something with them, this is a nice way to say “yes.” “Can I bring anything?” In the and some other English-speaking areas, this is a polite question to ask if someone invites you to a dinner, party or holiday event where there’s going to be food. It’s usually appropriate and sometimes even expected! to ask this question even if the person who invited you is a close friend or family member. Having Personal Conversations with Friends Once you’ve made plans and greeted your friends, all that’s left to do is just… well, be a friend. Friends go to each other for help, for advice and when they want to share their opinions and experiences. Conversations that are more personal are usually less structured and follow fewer rules. But there are still phrases that English speakers tend to use a lot in personal conversations, and there are still certain speech patterns we follow to show support for our friends. Let’s look at some examples. Conversation 1 A Friend’s Advice Makayla Hi, Gemma. You look terrible! Gemma Hey, Makayla. Mmm, I haven’t slept. Makayla Are you OK? What’s the matter? Gemma Well, you know that photo I sent to Clare on Friday night? Makayla Yeah? Gemma Well, she sent it to Justin. Makayla Oh no! How could she do that? It obviously was only for her. Gemma I know! I thought she’d find it funny. Makayla Well, it was quite funny. But you didn’t expect her to send it to anyone. Gemma No, of course not! Especially not Justin! Oh, it’s so embarrassing! Makayla Ah well, don’t worry. I know how you feel, though. Gemma And what if he puts it on Facebook or something? What if my mum sees it? Makayla No no, don’t worry. He won’t. It’s not that interesting for him or anyone else, to be honest. Gemma But what if he does? Makayla He won’t. But maybe ask Clare to speak to Justin… Get him to delete the photo? Gemma Yeah, maybe. But that might just make him even more interested. Makayla Yeah, true. Gemma What do you think I should do? Makayla Mmm… I’d just try to forget about it if I were you. Gemma But I’m so annoyed with Clare! Makayla Maybe speak to Clare, tell her how you feel. She shouldn’t be sharing people’s private photos. Gemma Okay, yeah. Thanks for the advice, Makayla. I’ll talk to her. Makayla Good idea. And don’t worry. Just be careful and don’t send any more embarrassing photos! Gemma Yeah, I know, I know. I won’t. Note The dialogue above is in British English. The only difference in how this conversation might go in American English is that Gemma would probably say “mom” instead of “mum.” Also, Americans tend to use “quite” less than British people. Useful Phrases “Are you okay?” / “What’s the matter?” The above two phrases are good for checking on your friends if it seems like something might be wrong. “What do you think I should do?” It isn’t always obvious when you’re looking for advice, in any language. If you want to know what a friend thinks you should do in a situation, just ask like this! “I know how you feel.” This is a good general phrase for showing sympathy, and it might not always be used literally. For example, we have no idea if Makayla really does know how Gemma feels. But what Makayla seems to be saying is that Gemma’s feelings still matter, even if the situation itself isn’t that bad. However, you may want to be careful of using this phrase if someone is telling you about a situation that you obviously can’t understand personally. In a case like that, it could seem rude and self-centered. Instead, you can say, “That sounds terrible.” Conversation 2 Talking About Opinions on a Book Friends can help you when you’re having problems. They’re also there to listen when you just want to talk about your feelings and opinions. Nina So I don’t know what you thought about the book, but I had a lot of mixed feelings about it. Sean Oh, really? Like what? Nina Well, I thought the main character’s situation was interesting, but his attitude toward women bothered me. Sean I can see that. It definitely seemed like he had some problems with women. Nina I would have liked to understand how that started. I mean, the book didn’t go into too much detail about why he felt that way. Sean I agree with that. I think the author could have handled that part better. I did enjoy the descriptions, though. Nina Oh yes, the writing was beautiful! That just made me more disappointed in the character. Sean Well, this is just my opinion, but maybe the character would have been easier to understand if the writing had been simpler. It seemed like the author spent a lot of time on the descriptions, when he could have spent more time on the character’s thoughts. Nina I’m not sure if I agree with that. I just think that the writing could have been more thoughtful while still being beautiful, if that makes sense. Sean That does make sense. I think maybe the problem for me is just that not much actually happened. Nina You’re right about that. There wasn’t much of a story. Sean I still enjoyed parts of the book, though. Nina Oh, I did, too. And I appreciate hearing your point of view. Useful Phrases “I don’t know what you thought about…” This is a nice way to let someone know that you would be open to hearing their thoughts. “I can see that.” This is a good way to acknowledge someone’s thoughts, whether or not you agree with them. “I agree with that.” / “I’m not sure if I agree with that.” “I’m not sure if I agree with that” is nicer than “I don’t agree with you.” “…if that makes sense.” This is a common way that people end sentences when giving their opinions or explaining something. Often, this has the meaning of “Does that make sense?” or “Do you understand what I mean?” Apart from all these phrases, there are thousands more that native speakers use on a daily basis. You don’t have to learn all of them at once, but you can start with the ones included in this awesome video from FluentU’s English YouTube channel FluentU English will only teach you things native speakers use, so you can be sure your conversations will be natural. Subscribe to the channel today and enjoy all the goodies it has to offer. Your friends will be amazed at your conversation skills! Good friendships are rewarding and worthwhile, no matter what language you speak with your friends. Hopefully, the above conversations between two friends have given you a better idea of how to be a good friend in English. Download This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. Download Perintah dari soal tersebut adalah membuat dialog antara kamu dan temanmu. Dalam dialog tersebut, kalian mendiskusikan tentang membuat surat pada orang tua dengan membahas mengenai karya wisata yang telah kalian laksanakan. Contoh dialognya adalah You I want to send a letter for my parents. Artinya "Aku ingin menulis surat untuk orang tuaku". Friend That's would be nice! What do you want to tell them? Artinya "Wah itu bagus! Apa yang ingin kamu sampaikan pada mereka?" You I want to tell about our recent field trip. How should I start to write? Artinya "Aku ingin menceritakan tentang karya wisata yang telah kita laksanakan. Bagaimana aku mulai menulisnya?" Friend Firstly, you need to write the address, date and your parents' name. After that, you can write some greetings and continue to write about the story of our field trip and don't forget to write closing statement and your signature. Artinya "Pertama, kamu perlu menuliskan alamat, tanggal dan nama orang tua mu. Kemudian, kamu dapat menulis salam pembuka dan mulai bercerita tentang karya wisata kita dan jangan lupa untuk menuliskan kalimat penutup dan tanda tanganmu". You I see. Thank you. Artinya "Oh begitu, terimakasih". Jadi, contoh jawaban yang benar dapat dilihat pada dialog diatas. Conversational English can be very difficult. While knowing proper sentence structure and correct grammar is extremely important, conversational English is how you will interact with other English speakers on a daily basis. If you don’t feel ready to hold a conversation in English, or if you want more practice, write a dialogue! Imagining a situation where two friends would be talking about something can be challenging. Conversational English is very different from English you would use for a written assignment, or from English you would read in a book or on a news website. However, you normally go through the same motions when completing a written assignment that involves answering an essay question, and a written assignment that asks you to create a dialogue between two people. Creating a Dialogue Storyboard That gives you the opportunity to create visual scenarios in order to create more natural conversations. Instead of writing out the dialogue as lines of text, try to understand the context of the dialogue. There are a lot of nuances that come up in conversation that do not always appear in written communication, such as slang, colloquial expressions, interjections, immediate responses, interruptions, and more. How to Create a Dialogue on Storyboard That Choose a Scene or Situation. Open up the Storyboard Creator and you will see three empty cells. Look through the different scene options and try out different locations. Choose one that you like. Click on the scene and drag it to the empty cell. The scene may dictate the situation or conversation, so be creative! Choose Characters. You need at least two people to talk to each other in a dialogue. Storyboard That has many fun characters to choose from. Characters can be modern people, historical figures, animals, monsters, silhouettes, and more! Give your characters names. If you are going to have a detailed dialogue, you can think about personality traits or opinions, too! Choose a Dialogue Topic. People talk about everything, so you can make a storyboard dialogue about anything! Here are some common things people talk about. Decisions Social Plans Current Events Weather Environment Shopping Hobbies Relationships Books, Movies, and Other Media School, Jobs, and Future Plans Opinions/Concerns on an Issue When choosing a topic, think about relevant vocabulary that you want to include. If you find yourself struggling with the vocabulary, don't worry! Select a different topic or ask for help from a teacher or native speaker. This exercise can be completed more than one time, so there's plenty of opportunity to practice new dialogues and vocabulary. Start a Conversation! Once you have your topic, characters, and setting, you can start writing that dialogue! Use the speech bubbles located in the Textables section. For conversations, speech bubbles are really important. Like the characters and many of the scenes, you can change the appearance of the speech bubbles. Write the dialogue in order. Use a separate speech bubble each time a character speaks. Don’t try to make each sentence perfect yet, instead, focus on what the characters would say and how they might respond to each other. When using storyboards to show dialogue, do not put too much text into a single cell because you do not want the cell to be crowded. Try to include some of the following in your dialogue. Greetings and pleasantries Expressions, idioms, slang terms Incomplete sentences or short responses Interjections, sounds of thinking, filler words Farewells Remember that conversations are more than just words! There are reactions, emotional changes, actions, and more to think about in actual speech. You can pose and edit the characters too, so make sure to use facial expressions and arm motions, if needed. After you have the basic conversation, go back and check your grammar, expressions, and vocabulary. Did you get most of it right the first time? It’s OK if you didn’t, that just means you need more practice. As you practice, the right conjugations and vocabulary will come to you more easily! Here is an example of a finished dialogue between two friends. Storyboard Dialogue Text Maia What's wrong, Jin? You look worried! Jin Well, my sister is coming to visit me this weekend. Maia Oh! That's great! Jin No! No it isn't! I have spent most of my time studying and working. I don't know what to do in this city! MaiaI have done lots of stuff in the city! You don't need to be so anxious. Jin Really? You can help? Wow, thank you, Maia! Maia No problem, Jin! I'd be happy to give you some ideas. Jin OK, let's go! Maia So, what does your sister like? Clubs? Bars? Concerts? Jin Um, museums and architecture. Maybe I should do this on my own after all. Dialogues for Local Customs Another great way for students to practice writing dialogues is to combine it with an activity that allows them to master local customs. When doing things like dining out, shopping, visiting a friend, or more, there may be expectations that they are unused to. These activities will let students practice various scenarios, and can be customized and adjusted for difficulty as desired! Related Activities How to Write Dialogue that Uses Slang and Idioms Commonly Used by Friends 1 Determine the Setting and Characters of Your Story Think about the location and background of your story, as well as the characteristics of your characters. Are they from a certain region or cultural background? Are they teenagers or adults? This information will help you determine the appropriate slang and idioms to use. 2 Research Commonly Used Slang and Idioms Do some research to find out what slang and idioms are commonly used by people in your characters' age group, region, or cultural background. You can consult online dictionaries or language references, or ask people who fit the demographic you are writing for. 3 Incorporate Slang and Idioms Naturally Into the Dialogue When writing dialogue, it is important to use slang and idioms in a way that feels natural and not forced. To do this, try to imagine how your characters would really speak in conversation, and use the slang and idioms that would naturally come up. Avoid overusing slang or idioms, as this can make the conversation sound contrived or exaggerated. 4 Use Context to Clarify the Meaning of Slang and Idioms Sometimes slang and idioms can be confusing or difficult to understand, especially for readers who are not familiar with them. To avoid confusion, try to use context clues to clarify the meaning of slang and idioms. For example, you can use the dialogue itself or the surrounding narrative to provide hints about the meaning of a phrase. 5 Edit and Refine Your Dialogue After writing your dialogue, read it aloud to see how it sounds. Pay attention to the use of slang and idioms, and make sure they flow naturally and are easy to understand. If necessary, make adjustments to the dialogue to improve the use of slang and idioms. 6 Get Feedback from Others Finally, share your dialogue with others and get feedback on the use of slang and idioms. Ask your beta readers if they were able to understand the slang and idioms, and if they felt the conversation was realistic. Use this feedback to further refine your dialogue and make it as natural and engaging as possible. Frequently Asked Questions about Dialogue Between Two Friends ESL Practice What is dialogue? Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people. In literature, dialogue refers to the written or spoken exchange between characters in a story, play, or other literary work. It is a tool used to convey information, reveal character, and advance the plot. In everyday life, dialogue is an essential part of communication, allowing people to share ideas, express opinions, and build relationships. How do I create a dialogue on Storyboard That? To create a dialogue on Storyboard That, you should start by choosing a scene or situation from the available options and dragging it to an empty cell. Next, select at least two characters to participate in the dialogue and give them names and possibly personality traits. Choose a topic for the dialogue, such as decisions, social plans, or opinions on an issue, and think about relevant vocabulary to include. Finally, use the speech bubbles located in the Textables section to write the dialogue. How do I write realistic and engaging dialogue for my storyboard? To write realistic and engaging dialogue, think about the characters' personalities and motivations, and consider how they might speak to each other in the given situation. Use natural-sounding language and include pauses, interruptions, and nonverbal communication, such as body language and facial expressions. You can also use dialogue tags to add context and emotion to the conversation. Consider any complex, potentially volatile issue — Arab-Israeli relations; the problems between the Serbs, Croats, and Bosnians; the deficit, healthcare costs, or labor/management relations. At the root of such issues, you are likely to find communication failures and cultural misunderstandings that prevent the parties involved from framing the problem in a common way and dealing with it constructively. We clearly need ways of improving our thought processes, especially in groups where finding a solution depends on people first reaching a common formulation of the problem. Dialogue, a discipline for collective learning and inquiry, can provide a means for developing such shared understanding. Proponents of dialogue claim it can help groups reach higher levels of consciousness, and thus to become more creative and effective. The uninitiated, however, may view dialogue as just one more oversold communication technology. I believe that in addition to enhancing communication, dialogue holds considerable promise as a problem-formulation and problem-solving philosophy and technology. It is a necessary vehicle for understanding the cultures and subcultures in which we live and work, and organizational learning will ultimately depend upon such cultural understanding. Dialogue thus becomes a central element of any model of organizational transformation. If dialogue is to become helpful to organizational processes, it must be seen as accessible to everyone. In order to demystify dialogue, therefore, I’d like to focus on the process — how to get started, and how and why dialogue often breaks down — while exploring some of the issues that groups must address if they are to create an effective dialogue process. We clearly need ways of improving our thought processes, especially in groups where the solution depends on people reaching a common formulation of the problem. Dialogue vs. Discussion To understand the different phases of the dialogue process, I have found it helpful to draw a road map based on Bill Isaacs’ basic model see “Ways of Talking Together,” p. 2. The diagram maps different forms of conversation in terms of two basic paths — dialogue and discussion. One basic question that all groups must face before entering into dialogue is, “How do we know whether discussion and/or debate is more or less desirable then dialogue? Should we always go down the dialogue path?” I would argue that discussion/debate is a valid problem solving and decision-making process only if one can assume that the group members understand each other well enough to “talk the same language.” Such a state of shared understanding, however, probably cannot be achieved unless some form of dialogue has previously taken place. The danger in premature discussion is that the group may reach “false consensus” members assume they mean the same thing in using certain terms, but only later discover subtle differences in meaning that have major consequences for action. Dialogue, on the other hand, is a basic process for building common understanding. By letting go of disagreement, a group gradually builds a shared set of meanings that make much higher levels of mutual understanding and creative thinking possible. As we listen to ourselves and others, we begin to see the subtleties of how each member thinks and expresses meanings. In this process, we do not strive to convince each other, but instead try to build a common experience base that allows us to learn collectively. The more the group achieves such collective understanding, the easier it becomes to reach a decision, and the more likely it is that the decision will be implemented in the way the group meant it to be. Getting Started In the groups that I have observed, the facilitator started by arranging the setting and then describing the concept of dialogue. The goal is to give the group enough information to understand dialogue sufficiently to begin the conversation. Next, small group discussion and reflection is used to link dialogue to past experiences of “real communication” see “Role of the Facilitator Setting the Context,” p. 3. This introductory session has several objectives which frame the session and allow a more effective dialogue to occur Make the members feel as equal as possible. Having the group sit in a circle neutralizes rank or status differences in the group, and conveys the sense that each person’s unique contribution is of equal value. Give everyone a sense of guaranteed “air time” to establish their identity in the group. Asking everyone to comment ensures that all participants will have a turn. In larger groups, not everyone may choose to speak, but each person has the opportunity to do so, and the expectation is that the group will take whatever time is necessary for that to happen. Set the task for the group. The group should understand that they have come together to explore the dialogue process and gain some understanding of it, not to make a decision or solve an external problem. Legitimize personal experiences. Early in the group’s life, members will primarily be concerned about themselves and their own feelings; hence, legitimizing personal experiences and drawing on these experiences is a good way to begin. The length and frequency with which the group meets will depend upon the size of the group, the reason for getting together, and the constraints on members. The meetings that I participated in at MIT were generally one-and-a-half to two hours long and occurred at roughly two-to-three-week intervals. After watching various groups go through a first meeting, I often wondered how the second meeting of each group would get going. I found that the best method was to start by asking everyone to comment on “where they were at” and to go around the circle with the expectation that everyone would speak. Again, what seems to be important is to legitimize “air time” for everyone and to imply tacitly that everyone should make a contribution to starting the meeting, even though the content of that contribution can be virtually anything see “Check-In, Check-Out A Tool for Real’ Conversations,” May 1994. WAYS OF TALKING TOGETHER The facilitator has a choice about how much theoretical input to provide during a dialogue session. To determine what concepts to introduce when, I have drawn a road map of the dialogue process based on Bill Isaacs’ model, which describes conversation in terms of two basic paths — dialogue and discussion. Deeper Listening As a conversation develops in the group, there inevitably comes a point where we sense some form of disconfirmation. Our point is not understood, or we face disagreement, challenge, or attack. At that moment, we usually respond with anxiety and/or anger, though we may be barely aware of it. Our first choice, then, is whether to allow that feeling to surface and trust that it is legitimate. As we become more aware of these choices, we also become aware of the possibility that the feeling might have been triggered by our perception of what the others in the group did, and that these perceptions could be incorrect. Before we give in to anxiety and/or anger, therefore, we must determine whether we accurately interpreted the data. Were we, in fact, being challenged or attacked? This moment is critical. As we become more reflective, we begin to realize how much our initial perceptions can be colored by expectations based on our cultural learning and past experiences. We do not always accurately perceive what is “out there.” What we perceive is often based on our needs, expectations, projections, and, most of all, our culturally learned assumptions and categories of thought. Thus the first challenge of really listening to others is to identify the distortions and bias that filter our own cognitive processes. We have to learn to listen to ourselves before we can really understand others. Such internal listening is, of course, especially difficult if one is in the midst of an active, task-oriented discussion. Dialogue, however, opens up the space for such reflection to occur. Once we realize that our perception itself may not be accurate, we face a second, more fundamental choice — whether actively to explore our perception by asking what the person really meant, explaining ourselves further, or in some other way focusing specifically on the person who produced the disconfirming event. As we have all experienced, choosing to confront the situation immediately can quickly polarize the conversation around a few people and a few issues. An alternative choice is to “suspend” our feelings to see what more will come up from ourselves and from others. What this means in the group is that when I am upset by what someone else says, I have a genuine choice between 1 voicing my reaction and 2 letting the matter go by suspending my own reaction. Suspending assumptions is particularly difficult if we perceive that our point has been misunderstood or misinterpreted. Nevertheless, I have found repeatedly that if I suspend my assumption, I find that further conversation clarifies the issue and that my own interpretation of what was going on is validated or changed without my having actively to intervene. When a number of members of the group begin to suspend their own reactions, the group begins to go down the left-hand path toward dialogue. In contrast, when a number of members choose to react by immediately disagreeing, elaborating, questioning, or otherwise focusing on a particular trigger that set them off, the group goes down the path of discussion and eventually gets mired in unproductive debate. Suspending assumptions allows for reflection, which is very similar to the emphasis in group dynamics training on observing the “here and now.” Bill Isaacs suggests that what we need is proprioception — attention to and living in the moment. Ultimately, dialogue helps us achieve a state in which we know our thoughts at the moment we have them. Whether proprioception is psychologically possible is debatable, but the basic idea is to shorten the internal feedback loop as much as possible. As a result, we can become conscious of how much our thoughts and perceptions are a function of both our past learning and the immediate events that trigger it. This learning is difficult at best, yet it lies at the heart of the ability to enter dialogue. ROLE OF THE FACILITATOR SETTING THE CONTEXT The role of the facilitator can include the following activities Organize the physical space to be as close to a circle as possible. Whether or not people are seated at a table or tables is not as important as the sense of equality that comes from sitting in a circle. Introduce the general concept of dialogue, then ask everyone to think about a past experience of dialogue in the sense of “good communication”. Ask people to share with their neighbor what the experience was and to think about the characteristics of that experience. Ask group members to share what aspects of such past experiences made for good communication and write these characteristics on a flip chart. Ask the group to reflect on these characteristics by having each person in turn talk about his/her reactions. Let the conversation flow naturally once everyone has commented this requires one-and-a-half to two hours or more. Intervene as necessary to clarify, using concepts and data that illustrate the problems of communication. Close the session by asking everyone to comment in whatever way they choose. Group Dynamics The dynamics of “building the group” occur parallel to the process of conducting the dialogue. Issues of identity, role, influence, group goals, norms of openness and intimacy, and questions of authority all have to be addressed, though much of this occurs implicitly rather than explicitly. The group usually displays all of the classical issues that occur around authority vis-à-vis the facilitator Will the facilitator tell us what to do? Will we do what we are told? Does the facilitator have the answers and is withholding them, or is he or she exploring along with the rest of us? At what point can we function without the facilitator? Issues of group growth and development have to be dealt with if they interfere with or confuse the dialogue process. The facilitator should therefore be skilled in group facilitation, so that the issues can be properly sorted into two categories those that have to do with the development of the dialogue, and those that have to do with the development of the group. In my own experience, the dialogue process speeds up the development of the group and should therefore be the primary driving process in each meeting. A major reason for this acceleration is that dialogue creates psychological safety and thus allows individual and group change to occur, assuming that some motivation to change is already present see “Containment”. The group may initially experience dialogue as a detour from or a slowing down of problem solving. But real change does not happen until people feel psychologically safe, and the implicit or explicit norms that are articulated in a dialogue session provide that safety by giving people both a sense of direction and a sense that the dangerous aspects of interaction will be contained. If the group can work on the task or problem using the dialogue format, it should be able to reach a valid level of communication much faster. Task vs. Process Once a group experiences dialogue, the process tends to feed on itself. In several cases, I have been in groups that chose to stay in a circle and continue in a dialogue mode even as they tackled concrete tasks with time limits. I would hypothesize, however, that unless a dialogue group is formed specifically for the purpose of learning about itself, it eventually needs some other larger purpose to sustain itself. Continuing to meet in a dialogue format probably does not work once members have mastered the basic core task or ultimate problem, then, is likely to be the reason the group met in the first place. Dialogue is, by definition, a process that has meaning only in a group. The best way to think about dialogue is as a group process that arises initially out of the individual participants’ personal skills or attitudes. Dialogue is, by definition, a process that has meaning only in a group. Several people have to collaborate with each other for dialogue to occur. But this collaboration rests on individual choice, based on a certain attitude toward how to get the most out of a conversation and on certain skills of reflection and suspension. Once the group has gained those attitudes and skills collectively, it is possible to have even highly time-sensitive problem solving meetings in a dialogue format. Most people have a general sense of what dialogue is about and have experienced versions of it in their past relationships. Therefore, even in a problem-solving meeting, a facilitator may suggest that the group experiment with dialogue. In my own experience, I have found it best to introduce early on in a meeting the idea that there are always assumptions behind our comments and perceptions, and that our problem-solving process will be improved if we get in touch with these assumptions. Consequently, if the conversation turns into too much of a discussion or debate, I can legitimately raise the question of whether or not the disagreement is based on different assumptions, and then explore those assumptions explicitly. Continually focusing the group on the cognitive categories and underlying assumptions of conversation is, from this point of view, the central role of the facilitator. One of the ultimate tests of the importance of dialogue will be whether or not difficult, conflict-ridden problems can be handled better in groups that have learned to function in a dialogue mode. Because severe conflicts are almost always the result of cultural or subcultural differences, I would assume that initial dialogue in some form will always be necessary. Dialogue cannot force the conflicting groups into the room together, but once they are there, it holds promise for finding the common ground needed to resolve the conflicts. Edgar H. Schein is Sloan Fellows professor of management emeritus and a senior lecturer at the Sloan School of Management. He chairs the board of the MIT Organizational Learning Center and is the author of numerous books on organization development, such as Process Consultation, Vol. 1 and 2 Addison-Wesley, 1987, 1988. This article is edited from “On Dialogue, Culture, and Organizational Learning” by Edgar H. Schein, which appeared in the Autumn 1993 issue of Organizational Dynamics. Reprinted with permission of the publisher, American Management Association, New York, NY. © rights reserved. CONTAINMENT Bill Isaacs describes the need to build a container for dialogue—to create a climate and a set of explicit or implicit norms that permit people to handle “hot issues” without getting burned see “Dialogue The Power of Collective Thinking,” April 1993. For example, steelworkers participating in a recent labor/management dialogue likened the dialogue process to a steel mill in which molten metal was poured from a container into various molds safely, while human operators were close by. Similarly, the dialogue container is jointly created, and then permits high levels of emotionality and tension without anyone getting “burned.” The facilitator contributes to this by modeling behavior—by being non-judgmental and displaying the ability to suspend his or her own categories and judgments. This skill becomes especially relevant in group situations where conflict heats up to the point where it threatens to spill out of the container. At that point, the facilitator can simply legitimize the situation by acknowledging the conflict as real and as something to be viewed by all the members, without judgment or recrimination or even a need to do anything about it.

create a dialogue based on one of the following situations