A purposeful exchange
Thao: Could you tell me what skills an engineer needs?
Long: Mathematics matters, but teamwork and communication matter too.
Thao: You still study new methods? That is interesting.
A useful exchange has a clear purpose: ask, respond, check and close. Use a polite question rather than an order when you need help. If you are unsure, ask “Could you explain that?” instead of pretending to understand.