Speaking English is not only about using proper grammar. To use English effectively， you need to understand the culture in which it is spoken. Here are a number of important tips to remember when speaking English in the United States.

说英语不仅仅要语法正确。想要有效地使用英语，你需要了解语言使用国的文化。如果你在美国说英语，那么下面这些注意事项是你应该记住的。

General Points to Remember

需要记住的事项

Most Americans only speak English： While it is true that more and more Americans speak Spanish， most Americans only speak English.

Americans have difficulty understanding foreign accents： Many Americans are not used to foreign accents. This requires patience from both of you！

大部分美国人只说英语：尽管现在越来越多的美国人能说西班牙语是事实，但是大部分的美国人只说英语。

美国人在理解外国口音上有困难：很多美国人不习惯外国口音。这就需要你们交谈双方都有耐心才行。

Conversation Tips

交谈沟通秘籍

Speak about location： Americans love to talk about location. When speaking to a stranger， ask them where they are from and then make a connection with that place. For example， “Oh， I have a friend who studied in Los Angeles. He says its a beautiful place to live.” Most Americans will then willingly talk about their experiences living or visiting that particular city or area.

Talk about work： Americans commonly ask “What do you do？”. Its not considered impolite in some countries but is a popular topic of discussion between strangers in America.

Talk about sports： Americans love sports！ However， they love American sports. When speaking about football， most Americans understand “American Football”， not soccer.

谈论地点：美国人喜欢谈论地点。和陌生人说话的时候，可以问问他们从哪里来，然后找到自己跟那个地方的联系。比如：“啊，我有个朋友在洛杉矶学习，他说那地方很漂亮。”这时大部分美国人就会很乐意谈起他们居住或者到过那个特殊的城市或地区的经历。

谈论工作：美国人通常会问，“你是做什么工作的？”在某些国家这样的问法会被认为是不礼貌的，但在美国不是，这只是陌生人之间聊天的一个流行话题。

谈论运动：美国人超爱运动！然而，他们喜欢美国的运动。如果说到足球，大部分美国人会理解成“美式足球（橄榄球）”而不是足球。

Addressing People

对人的称呼

Use last names with people you do not know： Address people using their title （Mr， Ms， Dr， etc.） and their last names.

Always use “Ms” when addressing women： It is important to use “Ms” when addressing a woman. Only use “Mrs” when the woman has asked you to do so.

Many Americans prefer first names： Americans often prefer using first names， even when dealing with people in very different positions. Americans will generally say “Call me Tom” and then expect you to remain on a first name basis.

Americans prefer informal： In general， Americans prefer informal greetings and using first names or nicknames when speaking with colleagues and acquaintances.

對不认识的人要称呼他们的姓：用他们的头衔（先生、女士、博士等）加上他们的姓来称呼人。

称呼女性的时候通常用“女士”：称呼女性的时候用“女士”是很重要的。如果对方要求你称呼“夫人”，那再照办好了。

很多美国人喜欢被叫名字：美国人通常喜欢用他们的名字，甚至是和身份非常不同的人打交道时。美国人通常会说“叫我汤姆”，然后真的希望你用他们的名字来称呼他们。

美国人不拘小节：通常情况下，美国人喜欢非正式的问候，提到他们的同事和熟人的时候，他们喜欢使用名字或昵称。