TEACH-THIS.COM Small Talk Small talk is a social skill. It is used when you meet new people. A good tactic is to ask questions. There are three reasons for this: 1. People like talking about themselves. 2. It is easier for you to listen. 3. You may learn something interesting. Making Small Talk Small talk = Short conversations about general topics Who makes small talk? - People who do not know each other. - People who are just acquaintances. What do people make small talk about? - Safe topics: weather, sports, foods, work, travel, hobbies, movies, and current events or news. Where do people make small talk? - Anywhere: office, elevator, bus stop, airport, cafeteria, and etc. Why do people make small talk? - To break an uncomfortable silence. - To fill time. - To get to know someone. The Weather   Nice/terrible weather, isn’t it? Beautiful day, isn’t it? Sports  Did you see the football (or other sports) game yesterday?  Do you play badminton (or other sports)? Hobbies   What is/are your hobby/hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time/spare time/leisure time? At the Office   Have you worked here long? I can't believe how busy we are today. Written by Paul Adams for Teach-This.com ©2012 TEACH-THIS.COM Small Talk Topic Cards Cut up the topic cards and put them in a pile face down. In small groups, one student picks up the first card and makes a comment about the topic. The other students should respond with a comment or question. Example: S1: The traffic was really bad this morning. S2: Really? Did you drive here? The group should try to keep the keep the conversation going for one minute. When the time is up, the next student picks up the following card and starts the conversation off with the next topic. There are 15 topics in total. The internet My favourite A film I enjoyed restaurant My home Something I like town about my studies A model of car I Learning a like language A recent holiday Why I have / One of my don’t have a pet hobbies or interests A food I like An interesting My journey to A sport I like to House prices in TV program I class today play/watch my country saw recently Written by Paul Adams for Teach-This.com ©2012