How To Do Small Talk

How to do Small
Talk
Spoken English for Adults

Objective
- Define what is Small Talk
- How to make small talks
- What topics can we use to make
small talks
- What to avoid in Small Talk
What Is Small Talk
Small talk is light, informal

conversation. It’s commonly used
when you’re talking to someone you
don’t know very well and at
networking and social events. Small
talk is an informal type of discourse
that does not cover any functional
topics of conversation or any
transactions that need to be
addressed.
How to Make Small Talk
First, ask open-ended questions. Most people enjoy talking about themselves -- not
only are we are our favorite subjects, but it’s also easier to discuss yourself than
something you know little about.
- Open-ended questions generate an interesting, dynamic conversation and

encourage the person you’re speaking with to open up.
Second, practice active listening. It’s tempting to tune out occasionally, but you’ll
forge much stronger connections if you pay attention. The other person will notice
how engaged you seem. In addition, it’s much easier to ask relevant questions and
remember details to bring up later if you’re not listening with one ear.
How to Make Small Talk
Third, show your enthusiasm. Small talk might not always be the most
stress-free activity. However, if you go into it with the right attitude, you can
actually have fun. View these conversations as opportunities to learn more
about other people. You never know whom you’ll meet or what they’ll
have to share -- so embrace the chance it’ll be an amazing discussion.
Small Talk Topics
1. Your location or venue
2. Shows, movies, plays, etc.
3. Art
4. Food, restaurants, or cooking
5. Their hobbies
6. Their professional interests and responsibilities
7. Sports
8. The climate
9. Travel
10. Their local favorites
3. Art
If the person you’re speaking to enjoys art, ask them which museums they’ve gone to and would like to visit,
their favorite exhibits, which artists they enjoy, if they have any recommendations for galleries, which genre
and medium of art they prefer, how their interest developed, and so on.
You can also discuss changes in the art world. Are there any new trends developing they’re interested in
(like “post-internet art”)? What are their thoughts?
4. Food
Food is one of the best small talk topics, since almost everyone loves to eat. Ask which restaurants they’d
recommend and the dishes you should order. If they don’t eat out often, ask which dishes they like to make
at home. Describe an upcoming scenario and get their opinion on what you should cook or bring. For
example, “I’m responsible for dessert for a housewarming party. There are 10 people coming -- two vegans,
one person with a nut allergy, and another who doesn’t eat gluten. What would you suggest?”
Conversation Starters
“What’s the most exciting thing about your trip?”
“What’s the most exciting thing about your ____________?”
“What’s the most delicious food you have eaten in _____?”
“If you could go back one year in time, what would you do
differently?”
“I’m curious to know your story.”
“Tell me about your ______________ .”
“How are things going?”
“What’s your progress on _________?”
“How has kept you busy since we talked last?”
“What are you worried about?”
“What are you happy about?”
“How’s life in [city]?”
“What can I do to make you even more successful?”
“What’s your industry like right now?”
“As an expert in [field], I’d love to hear your thoughts on [event,
announcement, major change].”
“Tell me about your latest work.”
“We’ve discussed your role before, but it’s probably evolved since
then.”
“Which _______ are you reading to stay informed on [topic]?”
Small Talk Questions
“What’s been the highlight of your [day, week, month] so far?”
“Are you a long way from home?”
“Would you recommend that [food or drink they’re holding]?”
“What’s the most memorable part of this [name of event] so far?”
“What’s the last movie you saw in theatres? What did you think?”
“What was the last concert you went to? How was it?”
How to talk to strangers
Don’t just ask one question and then move on. Once the other
person has finished their answer, ask a follow-up question. This
mitigates the risk you’ll seem like you’re interrogating or
interviewing them.
For instance, if you say, “Where are you from?” and they reply,
“China,” you might ask, “Where in China?”, “What’s the greatest
similarity between __________ and ________?”, “If you could have
brought anyone along with you from _________, who would it be?”,
“Where are your favorite places in ________ ?”, “If I go to
__________, what can I absolutely not miss?”, or another
__________-centric question.
How to end a conversation
“This has been great -- thanks for telling me about _________. Do
you have any questions?”
“Can’t wait to hear how ___________ ! Let’s catch up on the next
___________ .”
“The next session is starting soon, so shall we move to the next
classroom.”
How to Get Better at Small Talk
1. Look for opportunities to make small talk.
The more frequently you do it, the more
comfortable you’ll become. You’ll also
quickly learn which topics generate the
best conversations, how to gauge a
person’s mood and personality by their
body language and tone of voice, when
to pivot to new topics, and the signs a
conversation has wrapped up.
2. Pretend you’re speaking to a
friend.
Would you be on edge if you
were making small talk with
someone you knew really well?
Probably not. If you need a quick
trick to mitigate your anxiety,
pretend the other person is a
good friend. As an added
benefit, this mental shift will make
you seem warmer and friendlier.
3. Set a goal.
Having an objective
can make small talk feel
more meaningful. Once
you’ve gotten a
concrete goal, you’ll
feel purposeful and
focused. This also allows
you to objectively
measure your success.
What to Avoid in Small Talk
First, be curious. The person or
people you're talking to are
interesting. Chances are, they know
a whole lot about something you
know something about -- if not
many things. Take advantage of
that.
Second, pose unique questions and
start non-obvious discussions. If you
say something like, "It's so cold this
week," you're going to have a meh
conversation. Get creative and
maybe a little weird.
What to Avoid in Small Talk
Third, avoid
ultra-controversial or
sensitive topics.
These include:
Politics
Physical appearance
Religion
Age
Anything PG-13 and up
Tips for Doing Small Talk
1. Try to impress (aka seek approval of your students)
2. Think of something clever to say (Where did you have your
hairstyle?)
3. Focus on what they’re going to say next
4. Focus on the details your student shared
5. Observation of a shared experience (Common interest)
6. Compliment plus question
- Examples: 1. I like your hat.What’s that called? 2. Cool
shirt.Where’d you get it?
7. Offer someone help
8. Ask some of their opinion
- Example:“Excuse me, I could really use a female
opinion.Which shirt looks better on me?”
reference:
https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/small-talk-guide
https://www.slideshare.net/softheme/training-making-small-talk?qid=f483c902-9511-4bda-9796-1538e11c725f&v=&b=&f
rom_search=1
https://www.slideshare.net/thefriendformula/meaningful-small-talk-3-steps-to-turning-strangers-to-friends-56856299?qid=
f483c902-9511-4bda-9796-1538e11c725f&v=&b=&from_search=10

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What are some tips for making small talk?

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How to do Small

Spoken English for Adults

Small talk is light, informal

- Open-ended questions generate an interesting, dynamic conversation and

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