Learn EnglishSpoken English

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…āύ⧇āĻ• āϞ⧋āĻ• āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻŦāĻžāϏ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āϝ⧇ āϛ⧋āϟ āĻ•āĻĨāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻ°ā§āϤāĻž āϖ⧁āĻŦ āĻŦāĻŋāϰāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋāĻ•āϰ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋāĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖ āύāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āϝāĻĻāĻŋāĻ“ āĻāϟāĻž āϏāĻ¤ā§āϝ, āĻāĻŽāύ āĻ…āύ⧇āĻ• āϜāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻ—āĻž āφāϛ⧇ āϝ⧇āĻ–āĻžāύ⧇ āϛ⧋āϟ āϛ⧋āϟ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāĻž āϖ⧁āĻŦāχ āϗ⧁āϰ⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖāĨ¤ āĻĒāĻļā§āϚāĻŋāĻŽāĻž āϏāĻ‚āĻ¸ā§āĻ•ā§ƒāϤāĻŋāϤ⧇, āĻ…āĻĒāϰāĻŋāϚāĻŋāϤ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋāϰāĻž āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āϝāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻ…āĻĒāϰāĻŋāϚāĻŋāϤāĻĻ⧇āϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇ āϘāύ āϘāύ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞ⧇āĨ¤ āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āϝāĻĻāĻŋāϕ⧇, āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāĻšā§āϝ āϏāĻ‚āĻ¸ā§āĻ•ā§ƒāϤāĻŋāϤ⧇ āϛ⧋āϟ āϛ⧋āϟ āĻ•āĻĨāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻ°ā§āϤāĻž āϤ⧇āĻŽāύ āĻĒā§āϰāϚāϞāĻŋāϤ āύāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āϝ⧇āĻšā§‡āϤ⧁ āĻĒāĻļā§āϚāĻŋāĻŽāĻž āϏāĻ‚āĻ¸ā§āĻ•ā§ƒāϤāĻŋāϤ⧇ āĻ…āĻĒāϰāĻŋāϚāĻŋāϤ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋāϰāĻž āĻāϕ⧇ āĻ…āĻĒāϰ⧇āϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇ āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧ⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖ, āϤāĻžāχ āχāĻ‚āϰ⧇āϜāĻŋ āĻļ⧇āĻ–āĻžāϰ āĻ•ā§āώ⧇āĻ¤ā§āϰ⧇ āϛ⧋āϟ āϛ⧋āϟ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāĻž āϖ⧁āĻŦāχ āϗ⧁āϰ⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖāĨ¤ āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϜāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻ—āĻžāϝāĻŧ āϛ⧋āϟ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāĻž āϗ⧁āϰ⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϏāĻžāĻ•ā§āώāĻžā§ŽāĻ•āĻžāϰ⧇āĨ¤ āϏ⧇āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻāχ āĻ…āϧāĻŋāĻŦ⧇āĻļāύ āĻļāĻŋāĻ–āϤ⧇ āϗ⧁āϰ⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖ āĻšāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤

The best way to learn small talk is to provide many examples. So this lesson will be taught using an example format.

āϛ⧋āϟ āϛ⧋āϟ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻļ⧇āĻ–āĻžāϰ āϏāĻ°ā§āĻŦā§‹āĻ¤ā§āϤāĻŽ āωāĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻšāϞ āĻ…āύ⧇āĻ• āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ āĻĒā§āϰāĻĻāĻžāύ āĻ•āϰāĻžāĨ¤ āϏ⧁āϤāϰāĻžāĻ‚ āĻāχ āĻĒāĻžāĻ āϟāĻŋ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āϝāĻžāϏ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āĻļ⧇āĻ–āĻžāύ⧋ āĻšāĻŦ⧇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:

āϛ⧋āϟ āφāϞāĻžāĻĒ āĻ…āύ⧇āĻ• āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧ āϜāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϤ. āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āϖ⧇āϞāĻžāϧ⧁āϞāĻž, āϚāĻžāĻ•āϰāĻŋ, āĻ¸ā§āϕ⧁āϞ āχāĻ¤ā§āϝāĻžāĻĻāĻŋāϰ āĻŽāϤ⧋ āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āϝāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āĻ•āĻ­āĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āĻĒāϰ⧇ āϛ⧋āϟ āϛ⧋āϟ āφāϞ⧋āϚāύāĻžāϰ āωāĻĒāϰ āφāĻŽāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻŦ⧇āĻļ āĻ•āϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϏ⧇āĻļāύ āĻĨāĻžāĻ•āĻŦ⧇⧎ āϤāĻŦ⧇ āφāĻĒāĻžāϤāϤ, āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āϛ⧋āϟ āφāϞāĻžāĻĒ āĻ•āĻĨā§‹āĻĒāĻ•āĻĨāύ⧇āϰ āĻŽā§‚āϞ āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋāϰ āĻŽāĻ§ā§āϝ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻŦ⧎ āϛ⧋āϟ āφāϞ⧋āϚāύāĻž āĻļ⧁āϰ⧁ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ, āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āφāĻŽāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āφāϗ⧇āϰ āĻ•āϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϏ⧇āĻļāύ āĻĨ⧇āϕ⧇ āϝāĻž āĻļāĻŋāϖ⧇āĻ›āĻŋ āϤāĻž āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ:

One: “Hi Bill, how are you doing?”
Two: “I’m doing great. How are you doing?”
One: “I’m doing well myself.”

āĻāĻ•: “āĻšāĻžāχ āĻŦāĻŋāϞ, āϕ⧇āĻŽāύ āφāϛ⧋?”

āĻĻ⧁āχ: “āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻĻāĻžāϰ⧁āĻŖ āĻ•āϰāĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤ āϕ⧇āĻŽāύ āφāϛ⧋?”

āĻāĻ•: “āφāĻŽāĻŋ āύāĻŋāĻœā§‡ āĻ­āĻžāϞ⧋ āĻ•āϰāĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤”

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.

āϝ⧇ āϏāĻšāϜ āĻ›āĻŋāϞ āύāĻž? āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϝāĻĻāĻŋ āĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŦāĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤ⧀ āϏ⧇āĻļāύ⧇ āωāĻĒāĻžāĻĻāĻžāύāϟāĻŋ āĻ…āĻ§ā§āϝāϝāĻŧāύ āĻ•āϰ⧇āύ āϤāĻŦ⧇ āĻāϟāĻŋ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸ā§āϤāĻŦāĻŋāĻ• āϏāĻšāϜ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž āωāϚāĻŋāϤāĨ¤ āĻāĻ–āύ āϝ⧇āĻšā§‡āϤ⧁ āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āϛ⧋āϟ āφāϞ⧋āϚāύāĻž āĻļ⧁āϰ⧁ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋ, āĻ•āĻĨā§‹āĻĒāĻ•āĻĨāύ āϚāĻžāϞāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āĻĻāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻŋāĻ¤ā§āĻŦ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰāĨ¤ āĻāϟāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ, āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāύ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āύ āϝāĻž āϖ⧁āĻŦ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋāĻ—āϤ āύāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āφāϏ⧁āύ āĻĒā§āϰāĻĨāĻŽā§‡ āϜāĻŋāĻœā§āĻžāĻžāϏāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻŋ āϝ⧇ āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋ āχāĻĻāĻžāύ⧀āĻ‚ āĻ•āĻŋ āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇āĨ¤

One: “What have you been up to lately?”
Two: “Well, I just started to work at the bank so I’m pretty busy learning everything.”

āĻāĻ•: “āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āχāĻĻāĻžāύ⧀āĻ‚ āĻ•āĻŋ āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇āύ?”

āĻĻ⧁āχ: “āφāĻšā§āĻ›āĻž, āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϏāĻŦ⧇āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āϰ āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ™ā§āϕ⧇ āĻ•āĻžāϜ āĻļ⧁āϰ⧁ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋ āϤāĻžāχ āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϏāĻŦāĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āĻļāĻŋāĻ–āϤ⧇ āĻŦ⧇āĻļ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤāĨ¤”

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.

āĻ•āĻĨā§‹āĻĒāĻ•āĻĨāύāϕ⧇ āĻŦāĻžāρāϚāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āϰāĻžāĻ–āϤ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϝāĻž āĻļāĻŋāϖ⧇āϛ⧇āύ āϤāĻž āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āϤāĻžāϰāĻŋāϤāĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻŦāϞāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āύāĨ¤ āĻāχ āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāϪ⧇, āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻ¸ā§āϕ⧁āϞ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻ•āĻžāϜ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇ āφāϰāĻ“ āĻĒā§āϰāĻļā§āύ āϜāĻŋāĻœā§āĻžāĻžāϏāĻž āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻšā§āϛ⧇āύāĨ¤

One: “Does that mean you already finished school? I thought you had 1 more semester left.”
Two: “I took summer courses, so I finished one semester early.”
One: “It’s great that you got a job. I’m really happy for you.”
Two: “Thanks.”

āĻāĻ•: “āϤāĻžāϰ āĻŽāĻžāύ⧇ āĻ•āĻŋ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āχāϤāĻŋāĻŽāĻ§ā§āϝ⧇āχ āĻ¸ā§āϕ⧁āϞ āĻļ⧇āώ āĻ•āϰ⧇āϛ⧇āύ? āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϭ⧇āĻŦ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āφāϰāĻ“ 1 āϏ⧇āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āϟāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻžāĻ•āĻŋ āφāϛ⧇āĨ¤”

āĻĻ⧁āχ: “āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ—ā§āϰ⧀āĻˇā§āĻŽāĻ•āĻžāϞ⧀āύ āϕ⧋āĻ°ā§āϏ āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽ, āϤāĻžāχ āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϏ⧇āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āϟāĻžāϰ āϤāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāϤāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋ āĻļ⧇āώ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

āĻāĻ•: “āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϚāĻžāĻ•āϰāĻŋ āĻĒ⧇āϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇āύ āĻāϟāĻž āĻĻāĻžāϰ⧁āĻŖāĨ¤ āφāĻŽāĻŋ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āϏāĻ¤ā§āϝāĻŋāχ āϖ⧁āĻļāĻŋāĨ¤”

āĻĻ⧁āχ: “āϧāĻ¨ā§āϝāĻŦāĻžāĻĻāĨ¤”

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.

āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻāĻ–āύ āĻŦāϞāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āύ, āĻ•āĻĨā§‹āĻĒāĻ•āĻĨāύ āĻĒ⧁āϰāĻžāύ⧋ āĻšāĻšā§āϛ⧇āĨ¤ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āĻ•āĻžāϛ⧇ āĻ•āĻĨā§‹āĻĒāĻ•āĻĨāύ āĻļ⧇āώ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻž āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤāύ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻĒāĻ›āĻ¨ā§āĻĻ āφāϛ⧇āĨ¤ āĻ•āĻĨā§‹āĻĒāĻ•āĻĨāύ āĻļ⧇āώ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āĻ…āύ⧁āĻļā§€āϞāύ āĻ•āϰāĻž āϝāĻžāĻ•āĨ¤

One: “We should get together for lunch sometime.”
Two: “Yeah, that would be great.”
One: “I’ll call you sometime.”
Two: “Ok. I’ll see you later.”
One: “Alright. See ya.”

āĻāĻ•: “āφāĻŽāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻŽāĻžāĻā§‡ āĻŽāĻžāĻā§‡ āĻĻ⧁āĻĒ⧁āϰ⧇āϰ āĻ–āĻžāĻŦāĻžāϰ⧇āϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻāĻ•āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž āωāϚāĻŋāϤāĨ¤”

āĻĻ⧁āχ: “āĻšā§āϝāĻžāρ, āĻāϟāĻž āϖ⧁āĻŦ āĻ­āĻžāϞ⧋ āĻšāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤”

āĻāĻ•: “āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϤ⧋āĻŽāĻžāϕ⧇ āĻāĻ•āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻ•āϞ āĻ•āϰāĻŦāĨ¤”

āĻĻ⧁āχ: “āĻ āĻŋāĻ• āφāϛ⧇āĨ¤ āĻĒāϰ⧇ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āĻšāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤”

āĻāĻ•āϜāύ: “āĻ āĻŋāĻ• āφāϛ⧇āĨ¤ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āĻšāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤”