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 āύā§āĻ āϞā§āĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻŦāĻžāϏ āĻāϰ⧠āϝ⧠āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻĨāĻžāĻŦāĻžāϰā§āϤāĻž āĻā§āĻŦ āĻŦāĻŋāϰāĻā§āϤāĻŋāĻāϰ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻŦā§āϝāĻā§āϤāĻŋāϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ āύāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āϝāĻĻāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻāĻž āϏāϤā§āϝ, āĻāĻŽāύ āĻ āύā§āĻ āĻāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻāĻž āĻāĻā§ āϝā§āĻāĻžāύ⧠āĻā§āĻ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāĻž āĻā§āĻŦāĻ āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖāĨ¤ āĻĒāĻļā§āĻāĻŋāĻŽāĻž āϏāĻāϏā§āĻā§āϤāĻŋāϤā§, āĻ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻāĻŋāϤ āĻŦā§āϝāĻā§āϤāĻŋāϰāĻž āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžāύā§āϝ āĻ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻāĻŋāϤāĻĻā§āϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨā§ āĻāύ āĻāύ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞā§āĨ¤ āĻ āύā§āϝāĻĻāĻŋāĻā§, āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāĻā§āϝ āϏāĻāϏā§āĻā§āϤāĻŋāϤ⧠āĻā§āĻ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻĨāĻžāĻŦāĻžāϰā§āϤāĻž āϤā§āĻŽāύ āĻĒā§āϰāĻāϞāĻŋāϤ āύāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āϝā§āĻšā§āϤ⧠āĻĒāĻļā§āĻāĻŋāĻŽāĻž āϏāĻāϏā§āĻā§āϤāĻŋāϤ⧠āĻ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻāĻŋāϤ āĻŦā§āϝāĻā§āϤāĻŋāϰāĻž āĻāĻā§ āĻ āĻĒāϰā§āϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨā§ āĻŦāύā§āϧā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ, āϤāĻžāĻ āĻāĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋ āĻļā§āĻāĻžāϰ āĻā§āώā§āϤā§āϰ⧠āĻā§āĻ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāĻž āĻā§āĻŦāĻ āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖāĨ¤ āĻ āύā§āϝ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāĻž āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āϏāĻžāĻā§āώāĻžā§āĻāĻžāϰā§āĨ¤ āϏā§āĻāύā§āϝ āĻāĻ āĻ āϧāĻŋāĻŦā§āĻļāύ āĻļāĻŋāĻāϤ⧠āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§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§āĻāĻžāϰ āϏāϰā§āĻŦā§āϤā§āϤāĻŽ āĻāĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻšāϞ āĻ āύā§āĻ āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ āĻĒā§āϰāĻĻāĻžāύ āĻāϰāĻžāĨ¤ āϏā§āϤāϰāĻžāĻ āĻāĻ āĻĒāĻžāĻ āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āϝāĻžāϏ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻāϰ⧠āĻļā§āĻāĻžāύ⧠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 āĻāϞāĻžāĻĒ āĻ āύā§āĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϤ. āĻāĻŽāϰāĻž āĻā§āϞāĻžāϧā§āϞāĻž, āĻāĻžāĻāϰāĻŋ, āϏā§āĻā§āϞ āĻāϤā§āϝāĻžāĻĻāĻŋāϰ āĻŽāϤ⧠āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžāύā§āϝ āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧāĻā§āϞāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻžāϰ āĻāϰāĻžāϰ āĻĒāϰ⧠āĻā§āĻ āĻā§āĻ āĻāϞā§āĻāύāĻžāϰ āĻāĻĒāϰ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ āĻŦā§āĻļ āĻāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āϏā§āĻļāύ āĻĨāĻžāĻāĻŦā§ā§ˇ āϤāĻŦā§ āĻāĻĒāĻžāϤāϤ, āĻāĻŽāϰāĻž āĻā§āĻ āĻāϞāĻžāĻĒ āĻāĻĨā§āĻĒāĻāĻĨāύā§āϰ āĻŽā§āϞ āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧāĻā§āϞāĻŋāϰ āĻŽāϧā§āϝ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§ āϝāĻžāĻŦ⧎ āĻā§āĻ āĻāϞā§āĻāύāĻž āĻļā§āϰ⧠āĻāϰāĻžāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ, āĻāĻŽāϰāĻž āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ āĻāĻā§āϰ āĻāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āϏā§āĻļāύ āĻĨā§āĻā§ āϝāĻž āĻļāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻŋ āϤāĻž āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻāϰāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ:
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: “āĻšāĻžāĻ āĻŦāĻŋāϞ, āĻā§āĻŽāύ āĻāĻā§?”
āĻĻā§āĻ: “āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻĻāĻžāϰā§āĻŖ āĻāϰāĻāĻŋāĨ¤ āĻā§āĻŽāύ āĻāĻā§?”
āĻāĻ: “āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āύāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻžāϞ⧠āĻāϰāĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
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⧠āϏāĻšāĻ āĻāĻŋāϞ āύāĻž? āĻāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϝāĻĻāĻŋ āĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŦāĻŦāϰā§āϤ⧠āϏā§āĻļāύ⧠āĻāĻĒāĻžāĻĻāĻžāύāĻāĻŋ āĻ āϧā§āϝāϝāĻŧāύ āĻāϰā§āύ āϤāĻŦā§ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻŦāĻžāϏā§āϤāĻŦāĻŋāĻ āϏāĻšāĻ āĻšāĻāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻāĻāĻŋāϤāĨ¤ āĻāĻāύ āϝā§āĻšā§āϤ⧠āĻāĻŽāϰāĻž āĻā§āĻ āĻāϞā§āĻāύāĻž āĻļā§āϰ⧠āĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋ, āĻāĻĨā§āĻĒāĻāĻĨāύ āĻāĻžāϞāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§ āϝāĻžāĻāϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āĻĻāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻŋāϤā§āĻŦ āĻāĻĒāύāĻžāϰāĨ¤ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāϰāĻžāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ, āĻāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāύ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāϰā§āĻā§ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§āύ āϝāĻž āĻā§āĻŦ āĻŦā§āϝāĻā§āϤāĻŋāĻāϤ āύāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āĻāϏā§āύ āĻĒā§āϰāĻĨāĻŽā§ āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻžāϏāĻž āĻāϰāĻŋ āϝ⧠āĻ āύā§āϝ āĻŦā§āϝāĻā§āϤāĻŋ āĻāĻĻāĻžāύā§āĻ āĻāĻŋ āĻāϰāĻā§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: “āĻāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻāĻĻāĻžāύā§āĻ āĻāĻŋ āĻāϰāĻā§āύ?”
āĻĻā§āĻ: “āĻāĻā§āĻāĻž, āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āϏāĻŦā§āĻŽāĻžāϤā§āϰ āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āĻā§ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻļā§āϰ⧠āĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋ āϤāĻžāĻ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āϏāĻŦāĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻļāĻŋāĻāϤ⧠āĻŦā§āĻļ āĻŦā§āϝāϏā§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.
āĻāĻĨā§āĻĒāĻāĻĨāύāĻā§ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§ āϰāĻžāĻāϤ⧠āĻāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϝāĻž āĻļāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§āύ āϤāĻž āĻŦāĻŋāϏā§āϤāĻžāϰāĻŋāϤāĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻŦāϞāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§āύāĨ¤ āĻāĻ āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖā§, āĻāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϏā§āĻā§āϞ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻžāĻ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāϰā§āĻā§ āĻāϰāĻ āĻĒā§āϰāĻļā§āύ āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻžāϏāĻž āĻāϰāϤ⧠āϝāĻžāĻā§āĻā§āύāĨ¤
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: “āϤāĻžāϰ āĻŽāĻžāύ⧠āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻāϤāĻŋāĻŽāϧā§āϝā§āĻ āϏā§āĻā§āϞ āĻļā§āώ āĻāϰā§āĻā§āύ? āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻā§āĻŦā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽ āĻāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āĻāϰāĻ 1 āϏā§āĻŽāĻŋāϏā§āĻāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤”
āĻĻā§āĻ: “āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻā§āϰā§āώā§āĻŽāĻāĻžāϞā§āύ āĻā§āϰā§āϏ āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽ, āϤāĻžāĻ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āϏā§āĻŽāĻŋāϏā§āĻāĻžāϰ āϤāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāϤāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋ āĻļā§āώ āĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”
āĻāĻ: “āĻāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻāϰāĻŋ āĻĒā§āϝāĻŧā§āĻā§āύ āĻāĻāĻž āĻĻāĻžāϰā§āĻŖāĨ¤ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āϏāϤā§āϝāĻŋāĻ āĻā§āĻļāĻŋāĨ¤”
āĻĻā§āĻ: “āϧāύā§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.
āĻāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻāĻāύ āĻŦāϞāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§āύ, āĻāĻĨā§āĻĒāĻāĻĨāύ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāύ⧠āĻšāĻā§āĻā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āĻāĻžāĻā§ āĻāĻĨā§āĻĒāĻāĻĨāύ āĻļā§āώ āĻāϰāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻž āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāϰā§āϤāύ āĻāϰāĻžāϰ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻĒāĻāύā§āĻĻ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻĨā§āĻĒāĻāĻĨāύ āĻļā§āώ āĻāϰāĻžāϰ āĻ āύā§āĻļā§āϞāύ āĻāϰāĻž āϝāĻžāĻāĨ¤
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§āϰ āĻŽāĻžāĻā§ āĻŽāĻžāĻā§ āĻĻā§āĻĒā§āϰā§āϰ āĻāĻžāĻŦāĻžāϰā§āϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻāĻāϏāĻžāĻĨā§ āĻšāĻāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻāĻāĻŋāϤāĨ¤”
āĻĻā§āĻ: “āĻšā§āϝāĻžāĻ, āĻāĻāĻž āĻā§āĻŦ āĻāĻžāϞ⧠āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤”
āĻāĻ: “āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āϤā§āĻŽāĻžāĻā§ āĻāĻāϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻāϞ āĻāϰāĻŦāĨ¤”
āĻĻā§āĻ: “āĻ āĻŋāĻ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤ āĻĒāϰ⧠āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤”
āĻāĻāĻāύ: “āĻ āĻŋāĻ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤ āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤”