A question popped into my mind while driving today.
This(It) is about the way people greet one another in English.
Why do you always ask people " How are you?" , " How are you doing?" or " How is it going?", when you meet them? Why do you reply , " I'm fine" or " I'm good" most of the time?
When I go to an English school, two of the American teachers ask me that ( this). I can reply to them, " I am fine, thank you, and you?", which is just like what I learned in school. I feel bored saying this in the same old pattern, actually.
I wonder how I can continue the conversation after saying "I am fine."
Is it a good idea to talk about what I did over the weekend or maybe how I felt when I did something during the week? Can I say those things abruptly?
I think that lots of Japanese English learners have this (the) same question as me. The ways people greet one another in English and Japanese are different, but I can't explain how they are different right now.
Would you start off with small talk, like about the weather?
I am not a person who comes under the influence of the weather much, so it is kind of boring to talk about it and hear about it...
