 Asking for and giving advice in English. This video is brought to you by ESLGold.com. This video will teach you how to set up an advice giving situation, phrases to use in asking for advice, phrases to use in giving advice, how to respond to advice in English, common mistakes to watch out for. The video is designed for teachers and students of English as a second language. Asking for and giving advice in English. There are many ways to ask for and give advice in English. This video will provide several tips and phrases to help you get started. We'll use a six-step strategy. 1. Establish a connection. 2. Wait for a response. 3. Describe the problem. 4. Ask for advice. 5. Give or listen to advice. 6. Respond appropriately. 1. Make a connection. Opening lines. It would be quite unusual to just walk up to someone and ask them for advice. First, you need to establish a connection and make sure the other person has time and is willing to share it with you. There are several phrases for doing this. Leave the examples below. Can I talk to you for a minute? Can I ask you something? Can I talk to you about something? I need to talk to you. This is somewhat strong. Do you have a minute? Got a minute? This is a little bit informal. 2. Wait for a response. If you've let the other person know you're going to ask them for advice and need their time, let them respond to your inquiry. They might say, for example, sure, what's on your mind? Yeah, what's up? That's a little bit more informal. Of course, what can I do for you? That's a little more formal. Now the other person to decline or postpone the interaction for later. For example, they might say, sorry, I'm kind of busy right now. How about getting together after work? Introduce the problem or describe the situation. Don't waste too much time on small talk. Get to the point as quickly as possible. Some examples for doing this. Well, it's about my English class. Bring up the topic generally. I'm having trouble with my computer. Tell what the problem is. Give details. I need help finding good child care. My son is having problems with math. My cat doesn't like anything I feed her. 4. Ask the advice question. If you've described the situation clearly, ask the question. For example, what do you think I should do? This is the most common way to ask for advice. What do you suggest? What do you recommend? What would you do in this situation? Do you have any advice or do you have any ideas on this? What's your advice? What's your opinion? 5. Give or listen to advice. When someone asks for advice, it's best to give your response as a suggestion. For example, you should do this. That's very strong. Try to avoid that. You had better do this. That's way too strong for an advice situation. A better way would be to say something like this. Maybe you should. This is much softer and more polite. I think you should. Why don't you? I suggest. What about focus on an idea? How about focus on an activity? It would be a good idea, too. If I were you, I'd or I would, 6, respond appropriately. The best way to respond to advice is to show that you understand and express appreciation. Sounds good. Sounds like a good idea. Good idea. That's a great idea. I think that will work. I'll try it out. Thanks a lot. Thanks for your help or thanks for your suggestions. I really appreciate it or I appreciate it. Here's a sample conversation. Can I talk to you for a minute? Sure. What's on your mind? Well, it's about my new job. I never have enough time to do everything. Maybe you should make a daily schedule and prioritize the important tasks. Sounds like a good idea. Any other suggestions? Why don't you talk to your boss? Maybe he can adjust your workload. That's a great idea. I'll try that. Let me know how it goes. Great. Thanks a lot for your help. Your turn. Practice with a partner. Practice asking for and giving advice. Remember the six steps. Establish a connection. Wait for a response. Describe the problem. Ask for advice. Give or listen to advice. Respond appropriately. Want to try some advice-giving situations? Here are some topics for role play. For example, ask for or give advice about taking care of a pet. Ask for or give advice about redecorating your room, office, or house. Ask for or give advice about getting in shape. Ask for or give advice about an upcoming trip or vacation. Ask for or give advice about finding a new job. Think of your own advice-giving situations. OK, it's your turn now. Go ahead and talk. You might want to go back to the previous slide and find out some different kinds of things you can ask advice about. Practice those situations or other situations with your partner or partners. Remember the steps and practice. Your turn. Go ahead and talk. Feel free to pause the video if you need more time to practice these situations. Hope that was helpful. 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