Communicating Clearly

List difficulties that people often have understanding and participating in a conversation.
accent; speed of speech; different slang references; mis-matched language abilities; unfamiliar topic; vocabulary; too abstract a topic;

Grammar
What exactly is a...
Is that a kind of...
So, it's like...
So, will I have to do anything special?

Use
It's a way of showing respect to a special person or place.
It's a way of greeting someone, commonly used is Japan.[a bow]
It's the way you feel when you do something wrong and feel bad about it.[guilty]
It's kind of like a river, but it's man-made.
It's kind of like a dog, but it's a little bigger and lives in the wild.[wolf]
It's what you use to check your temperature when you feel sick.
It's what you need if you want to travel to anther country.[a passport]
It's where singers or actors wait before they go on stage.
It's where you can go to play card games and win money,[casino]
It's the way you feel when you hope for something, but you don't get it.

A:Yeah, I'm a kind of nervous about my first day. Do you have any idea what it will be like?
B:Well, because you're an overseas student i'm not sure, but I think you'll probably start off with a powhiri in the morning, and then you can go for a walk around campus after lunch.
A:Oh yeah, my agent told me about that, but what exactly is a powhiri?
B: It's a kind of welcoming ceremony with speeches, dancing, singing, that kind of thing. It can be a little intimidating(frightening in a way which makes a person feel less confident) at first, but just follow the instructions and I'm sure you'll be fine.
A:And where will that be held?
B:Oh they always hold that at the marae.
A:The marae? Is that kind of church?
B:More of a town hall, I guess. It's where people go to perform ceremonies, have meetings, or even do some crafts(an activity involving a special skill at making things with your hands) or community activities.
A:Well, I'm looking forward to checking that out.
B:But, I would just say be careful about how you behave there. In New Zealand we have this idea of mana - it's kind of like a source of authority. And that's really important on the marae,
A:So, it's like a law?
B:Hmm, not really, it's more spiritual. It's a way of showing respect to special person or place.
A: So will I have to do something special?
B:Oh, no, for the powhiri it's just a basic courtesy(polite behaviour that shows respect for other people) stuff really. Turn your phone off, stay quiet while they're giving the speeches, you know, don't wander off，that kind of thing.
A:Well, my agent told me we'd have guides, so I guess I'll just do what they say.
B:Yeah, don't worry. I'm sure you'll have a great time!