Small Talk; Day: 78
Many people believe small talk is very boring and not personable. Although that is true, there are many places where small talk is very important. In the western culture, strangers talk to other strangers frequently. On the other hand, small talk is not so common in the eastern culture. Because strangers are friendly to one another in the western culture, small talk is very important to master in regards to learning English. One other place small talk is important is in an interview. That is why this session will be important to learn.
āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ āĻ˛ā§āĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸ āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻ¯ā§ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻĨāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻž āĻā§āĻŦ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ°āĻā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻāĻ° āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āĻ°ā§āĻŖ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤ āĻ¯āĻĻāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻāĻž āĻ¸āĻ¤ā§āĻ¯, āĻāĻŽāĻ¨ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ āĻāĻžāĻ¯āĻŧāĻāĻž āĻāĻā§ āĻ¯ā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻā§āĻ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻž āĻā§āĻŦāĻ āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āĻ°ā§āĻŖāĨ¤ āĻĒāĻļā§āĻāĻŋāĻŽāĻž āĻ¸āĻāĻ¸ā§āĻā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ¤ā§, āĻ āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ°āĻž āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻ āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻāĻŋāĻ¤āĻĻā§āĻ° āĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§ āĻāĻ¨ āĻāĻ¨ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛ā§āĨ¤ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¯āĻĻāĻŋāĻā§, āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻžāĻā§āĻ¯ āĻ¸āĻāĻ¸ā§āĻā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ¤ā§ āĻā§āĻ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻĨāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻž āĻ¤ā§āĻŽāĻ¨ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻāĻ˛āĻŋāĻ¤ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤ āĻ¯ā§āĻšā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻļā§āĻāĻŋāĻŽāĻž āĻ¸āĻāĻ¸ā§āĻā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ¤ā§ āĻ āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ°āĻž āĻāĻā§ āĻ āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻ° āĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§ āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āĻ§ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āĻ°ā§āĻŖ, āĻ¤āĻžāĻ āĻāĻāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋ āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻ° āĻā§āĻˇā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ°ā§ āĻā§āĻ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻž āĻā§āĻŦāĻ āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āĻ°ā§āĻŖāĨ¤ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻ¯āĻŧāĻāĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻž āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āĻ°ā§āĻŖ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻžāĻā§āĻˇāĻžā§āĻāĻžāĻ°ā§āĨ¤ āĻ¸ā§āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻ āĻ āĻ§āĻŋāĻŦā§āĻļāĻ¨ āĻļāĻŋāĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āĻ°ā§āĻŖ āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤
The best way to learn small talk is to provide many examples. So this lesson will be taught using an example format.
āĻā§āĻ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻ° āĻ¸āĻ°ā§āĻŦā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻŽ āĻāĻĒāĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻšāĻ˛ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšāĻ°āĻŖ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻāĻ°āĻžāĨ¤ āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĻ°āĻžāĻ āĻāĻ āĻĒāĻžāĻ āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšāĻ°āĻŖ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ¸ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤
Small talk involves many different topics. We will have several sessions on small talk once we have covered other subjects such as sports, jobs, school, etc. But for now, we will go through the basics of small talk conversation. To initiate small talk, we can use what we have learned from our previous several sessions:
āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻ˛āĻžāĻĒ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻ¨ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāĻ¤. āĻāĻŽāĻ°āĻž āĻā§āĻ˛āĻžāĻ§ā§āĻ˛āĻž, āĻāĻžāĻāĻ°āĻŋ, āĻ¸ā§āĻā§āĻ˛ āĻāĻ¤ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻĻāĻŋāĻ° āĻŽāĻ¤ā§ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻ¯āĻŧāĻā§āĻ˛āĻŋ āĻāĻāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻĒāĻ°ā§ āĻā§āĻ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻĒāĻ° āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻŦā§āĻļ āĻāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ¸ā§āĻļāĻ¨ āĻĨāĻžāĻāĻŦā§ā§ˇ āĻ¤āĻŦā§ āĻāĻĒāĻžāĻ¤āĻ¤, āĻāĻŽāĻ°āĻž āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻ˛āĻžāĻĒ āĻāĻĨā§āĻĒāĻāĻĨāĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻŽā§āĻ˛ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻ¯āĻŧāĻā§āĻ˛āĻŋāĻ° āĻŽāĻ§ā§āĻ¯ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻ¯āĻžāĻŦā§ˇ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻāĻ¨āĻž āĻļā§āĻ°ā§ āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯, āĻāĻŽāĻ°āĻž āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻāĻā§āĻ° āĻāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ¸ā§āĻļāĻ¨ āĻĨā§āĻā§ āĻ¯āĻž āĻļāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻŋ āĻ¤āĻž āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ:
One:Â “Hi Bill, how are you doing?”
Two:Â “I’m doing great. How are you doing?”
One:Â “I’m doing well myself.”
āĻāĻ:Â “āĻšāĻžāĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ˛, āĻā§āĻŽāĻ¨ āĻāĻā§?”
āĻĻā§āĻ: “āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻĻāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻŖ āĻāĻ°āĻāĻŋāĨ¤ āĻā§āĻŽāĻ¨ āĻāĻā§?”
āĻāĻ: “āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¨āĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ā§ āĻāĻ°āĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
Wasn’t that simple? If you studied the material in prior sessions, this should be real easy for you. Now that we have initiated the small talk, it’s your responsibility to keep the conversation going. In order to do so, you can talk about anything that is not too personal. Let’s first ask what the other person has been doing lately.
āĻ¯ā§ āĻ¸āĻšāĻ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛ āĻ¨āĻž? āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻ¯āĻĻāĻŋ āĻĒā§āĻ°ā§āĻŦāĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻ¸ā§āĻļāĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻĒāĻžāĻĻāĻžāĻ¨āĻāĻŋ āĻ āĻ§ā§āĻ¯āĻ¯āĻŧāĻ¨ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻ¨ āĻ¤āĻŦā§ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĻŦāĻŋāĻ āĻ¸āĻšāĻ āĻšāĻāĻ¯āĻŧāĻž āĻāĻāĻŋāĻ¤āĨ¤ āĻāĻāĻ¨ āĻ¯ā§āĻšā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻŽāĻ°āĻž āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻāĻ¨āĻž āĻļā§āĻ°ā§ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋ, āĻāĻĨā§āĻĒāĻāĻĨāĻ¨ āĻāĻžāĻ˛āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻ¯āĻžāĻāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ° āĻĻāĻžāĻ¯āĻŧāĻŋāĻ¤ā§āĻŦ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ°āĨ¤ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯, āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻ¨ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻ¸āĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻā§ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ¨ āĻ¯āĻž āĻā§āĻŦ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻāĻ¤ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤ āĻāĻ¸ā§āĻ¨ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻĨāĻŽā§ āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻžāĻ¸āĻž āĻāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¯ā§ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻā§āĻ¤āĻŋ āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻ°āĻā§āĨ¤
One:Â “What have you been up to lately?”
Two:Â “Well, I just started to work at the bank so I’m pretty busy learning everything.”
āĻāĻ: “āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻ°āĻā§āĻ¨?”
āĻĻā§āĻ: “āĻāĻā§āĻāĻž, āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻŦā§āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ° āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻā§ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻļā§āĻ°ā§ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋ āĻ¤āĻžāĻ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻŦāĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻļāĻŋāĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻŦā§āĻļ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĨ¤”
You can elaborate on what you have learned to keep the conversation alive. In this example, you are going to ask more questions about school and work.
āĻāĻĨā§āĻĒāĻāĻĨāĻ¨āĻā§ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻ°āĻžāĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻ¯āĻž āĻļāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻ¤āĻž āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĻžāĻ°āĻŋāĻ¤āĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻŦāĻ˛āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ¨āĨ¤ āĻāĻ āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšāĻ°āĻŖā§, āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻ¸ā§āĻā§āĻ˛ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻ¸āĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻā§ āĻāĻ°āĻ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻļā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻžāĻ¸āĻž āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻā§āĻ¨āĨ¤
One:Â “Does that mean you already finished school? I thought you had 1 more semester left.”
Two:Â “I took summer courses, so I finished one semester early.”
One:Â “It’s great that you got a job. I’m really happy for you.”
Two:Â “Thanks.”
āĻāĻ: “āĻ¤āĻžāĻ° āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻ¤āĻŋāĻŽāĻ§ā§āĻ¯ā§āĻ āĻ¸ā§āĻā§āĻ˛ āĻļā§āĻˇ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻā§āĻ¨? āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻā§āĻŦā§āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ°āĻ 1 āĻ¸ā§āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻāĻžāĻ° āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤”
āĻĻā§āĻ: “āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻˇā§āĻŽāĻāĻžāĻ˛ā§āĻ¨ āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¸ āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽ, āĻ¤āĻžāĻ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ¸ā§āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻāĻžāĻ° āĻ¤āĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻ¤āĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋ āĻļā§āĻˇ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”
āĻāĻ: “āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻāĻ°āĻŋ āĻĒā§āĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻāĻž āĻĻāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻŖāĨ¤ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻ¸āĻ¤ā§āĻ¯āĻŋāĻ āĻā§āĻļāĻŋāĨ¤”
āĻĻā§āĻ: “āĻ§āĻ¨ā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻžāĻĻāĨ¤”
As you can now tell, the conversation is getting old. You have a choice of ending the conversation, or changing the topic. Let’s practice ending the conversation.
āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻāĻ¨ āĻŦāĻ˛āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ¨, āĻāĻĨā§āĻĒāĻāĻĨāĻ¨ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻšāĻā§āĻā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻžāĻā§ āĻāĻĨā§āĻĒāĻāĻĨāĻ¨ āĻļā§āĻˇ āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻŦāĻž āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻ¨ āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻĒāĻāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻĨā§āĻĒāĻāĻĨāĻ¨ āĻļā§āĻˇ āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻļā§āĻ˛āĻ¨ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻ¯āĻžāĻāĨ¤
One:Â “We should get together for lunch sometime.”
Two:Â “Yeah, that would be great.”
One:Â “I’ll call you sometime.”
Two:Â “Ok. I’ll see you later.”
One:Â “Alright. See ya.”
āĻāĻ: “āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻŽāĻžāĻā§ āĻŽāĻžāĻā§ āĻĻā§āĻĒā§āĻ°ā§āĻ° āĻāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻāĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§ āĻšāĻāĻ¯āĻŧāĻž āĻāĻāĻŋāĻ¤āĨ¤”
āĻĻā§āĻ: “āĻšā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ, āĻāĻāĻž āĻā§āĻŦ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ā§ āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤”
āĻāĻ: “āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¤ā§āĻŽāĻžāĻā§ āĻāĻāĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻ˛ āĻāĻ°āĻŦāĨ¤”
āĻĻā§āĻ: “āĻ āĻŋāĻ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤ āĻĒāĻ°ā§ āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤”
āĻāĻāĻāĻ¨: “āĻ āĻŋāĻ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤ āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤”