Teaching and Understanding Common English Greetings
January 31, 2025
Episode Notes
Hey, good morning. What kind of face is that?
I don't know. I'm always making faces. What's up?
Oh, I've been uh working with my students recently. And actually, now that you mention it, I'm teaching them what's up.
What's up? What's up? What's up? Yeah. How are you teaching them that? Or why are you teaching them that?
Okay. I'm teaching them that because uh number one, I was I was doing a little bit of research on greetings. I wanted to improve my my lessons and WhatsApp is actually
perhaps the most common greeting in North America.
All right.
Say how are you?
How are you is is first time meeting but no not on a regular basis. People you know friends and workers you say what's up.
Yeah.
And when I was younger I I used to hate what's up because I felt it puts me on the spot. My life is not interesting. I couldn't answer it.
But but most people are in the same boat. They say nothing much.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I mean the most common answer probably is is nothing. What's up? Nothing.
That's right. That's right. It's a very easy answer. But the question also leaves the door open.
You can you're inviting people to tell me something. that's interesting in your life.
Yeah, for sure. That's exactly what it does. It's it's it's casual and it but it's open.
It's friendly.
Yeah, you can say nothing. You can say nothing, be done or you can talk about whatever you want. It can be anything.
However,
when I first started teaching it, a lot of my students would say, "I'm fine."
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm fine doesn't match with what's up. Yeah.
So,
yes.
Okay. Let's go let's go through let's go through those greetings then. You just you just uh answer me. Hey Les, how are you?
I'm okay, thanks. How are you?
I'm fine. So, that's pretty standard. Hey Les, what's up?
Uh, I've been working a lot on some programming. It's not working well these days, so I'm pretty frustrated.
That's a bummer.
Yeah, it's okay. Hey though. It's interesting.
Yeah.
Yeah. Hey Les, what's going on?
Well, I've got a new project and I'm really excited about it. Let me tell you about it. Blah blah blah.
Blah blah.
That's a true story.
That it's a true story. I could talk about it, but I won't tell you more details.
Do you teach your students blah blah blah?
I don't I don't have to. They copy me. When I say blah blah blah,
they say it. Yeah, they've learned it.
Yeah, my my students love it. They think it's
Yeah. Go ahead.
If I say oops. Oops. Especially kids. Kids love Oops.
Oops.
Yeah.
Oops.
When you drop something or make a mistake. Oops.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Those English expressions are really, really easy to teach.
Yeah. Actually, I had a student the other day ask me about nope. Nope.
That's a good one. And I and I I I nobody had ever asked me before, so I struggled a bit with it. But she she asked me if nope was appropriate in a business setting.
Okay. Now, what kind of business setting is it?
Uh online uh u uh teleconference video meetings o with overseas customers and overseas uh companies.
Okay.
And she sheard
Yeah.
I would say a Americans will say nope in a business meeting like that to anyone.
Yeah. So that's where she learned it was in a business meeting with with Americans and they kept saying nope. And she wondered if there was first she wondered if there was a difference between no and nope and if it was too casual for a business setting.
It's not too casual for Americans.
Yeah. So when she asked me I said nope.
What do you mean?
But then also also we talked about the the Uh the equivalent yes, which would be yep.
Bingo. Nope. And yep. And yep is okay. Any
I think they're just uh a little bit cuter sounding than yes or no. To have a yep and a nope is is much friendlier and and I don't know, softer, a little more casual, a little more fun, a little nicer. So I don't know. I
Yeah. Yep.
Uh I was reading about year ago for text messaging. Right now in text messaging, when you message your friends, especially young people, don't end with a period in a te text message. If you end with a period, it's too strong for young people.
Interesting.
They don't they think it's too strong, too formal, too finished, and you're being aggressive. So, leave it open. I would say that's how yes is instead of yep. Yes. aggressive. It's a very strong affirmation.
Whereas likewise with no
Yeah.
No is is strong.
That's right.
No. Is soften with the with the nope is softer
or your tone of voice. No. Yeah.
You know,
but I think it's I think it's quite hard to make a no soft. No. It I don't know because no is a negative. It's a negative. All right. Give me give me uh three quick yeps. Uh are you working today?
Yep.
Are you busy?
Nope. Not right now.
All right. Will I see you next week?
Yep.
Okay. See you next week.
Okay. Take care. Bye. Bye.
All right. Bye.
I don't know. I'm always making faces. What's up?
Oh, I've been uh working with my students recently. And actually, now that you mention it, I'm teaching them what's up.
What's up? What's up? What's up? Yeah. How are you teaching them that? Or why are you teaching them that?
Okay. I'm teaching them that because uh number one, I was I was doing a little bit of research on greetings. I wanted to improve my my lessons and WhatsApp is actually
perhaps the most common greeting in North America.
All right.
Say how are you?
How are you is is first time meeting but no not on a regular basis. People you know friends and workers you say what's up.
Yeah.
And when I was younger I I used to hate what's up because I felt it puts me on the spot. My life is not interesting. I couldn't answer it.
But but most people are in the same boat. They say nothing much.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I mean the most common answer probably is is nothing. What's up? Nothing.
That's right. That's right. It's a very easy answer. But the question also leaves the door open.
You can you're inviting people to tell me something. that's interesting in your life.
Yeah, for sure. That's exactly what it does. It's it's it's casual and it but it's open.
It's friendly.
Yeah, you can say nothing. You can say nothing, be done or you can talk about whatever you want. It can be anything.
However,
when I first started teaching it, a lot of my students would say, "I'm fine."
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm fine doesn't match with what's up. Yeah.
So,
yes.
Okay. Let's go let's go through let's go through those greetings then. You just you just uh answer me. Hey Les, how are you?
I'm okay, thanks. How are you?
I'm fine. So, that's pretty standard. Hey Les, what's up?
Uh, I've been working a lot on some programming. It's not working well these days, so I'm pretty frustrated.
That's a bummer.
Yeah, it's okay. Hey though. It's interesting.
Yeah.
Yeah. Hey Les, what's going on?
Well, I've got a new project and I'm really excited about it. Let me tell you about it. Blah blah blah.
Blah blah.
That's a true story.
That it's a true story. I could talk about it, but I won't tell you more details.
Do you teach your students blah blah blah?
I don't I don't have to. They copy me. When I say blah blah blah,
they say it. Yeah, they've learned it.
Yeah, my my students love it. They think it's
Yeah. Go ahead.
If I say oops. Oops. Especially kids. Kids love Oops.
Oops.
Yeah.
Oops.
When you drop something or make a mistake. Oops.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Those English expressions are really, really easy to teach.
Yeah. Actually, I had a student the other day ask me about nope. Nope.
That's a good one. And I and I I I nobody had ever asked me before, so I struggled a bit with it. But she she asked me if nope was appropriate in a business setting.
Okay. Now, what kind of business setting is it?
Uh online uh u uh teleconference video meetings o with overseas customers and overseas uh companies.
Okay.
And she sheard
Yeah.
I would say a Americans will say nope in a business meeting like that to anyone.
Yeah. So that's where she learned it was in a business meeting with with Americans and they kept saying nope. And she wondered if there was first she wondered if there was a difference between no and nope and if it was too casual for a business setting.
It's not too casual for Americans.
Yeah. So when she asked me I said nope.
What do you mean?
But then also also we talked about the the Uh the equivalent yes, which would be yep.
Bingo. Nope. And yep. And yep is okay. Any
I think they're just uh a little bit cuter sounding than yes or no. To have a yep and a nope is is much friendlier and and I don't know, softer, a little more casual, a little more fun, a little nicer. So I don't know. I
Yeah. Yep.
Uh I was reading about year ago for text messaging. Right now in text messaging, when you message your friends, especially young people, don't end with a period in a te text message. If you end with a period, it's too strong for young people.
Interesting.
They don't they think it's too strong, too formal, too finished, and you're being aggressive. So, leave it open. I would say that's how yes is instead of yep. Yes. aggressive. It's a very strong affirmation.
Whereas likewise with no
Yeah.
No is is strong.
That's right.
No. Is soften with the with the nope is softer
or your tone of voice. No. Yeah.
You know,
but I think it's I think it's quite hard to make a no soft. No. It I don't know because no is a negative. It's a negative. All right. Give me give me uh three quick yeps. Uh are you working today?
Yep.
Are you busy?
Nope. Not right now.
All right. Will I see you next week?
Yep.
Okay. See you next week.
Okay. Take care. Bye. Bye.
All right. Bye.