How to make a small talk? English Lesson ( ESL)

Finished watching the video , now take a test to see what you’ve learned.

Choose the correct option.

Making ‘small talk’ helps to :

 Break the ice and get friendly

 Extract a person’s secrets

 Make new enemies

When someone says ‘It’s humid’, they are talking about :

 Family

 Weather

 Recent events

When you say ‘What’s new?’, you are asking about :

 recent events

 family

 common friends

‘How many siblings do you have?’ is a question regarding :

 Common friends

 Weather

 Family

‘How are you doing’ is ________  that is a part of making small talk.

 Asking about recent events

 Asking about family

 A greeting

Small talk is _____ in nature.

 Impersonal

 Very personal

 Rude

To continue the conversation, you :

 Reply and ask another question in return

 Reply with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and walk away

 Just don’t reply to any of the questions

To be effective while indulging in small talk, you should :

 Never listen to what the other person is saying

 Look away from the speaker

 Always answer questions

What is small talk?

 Miniature conversation

 Polite conversation with people we are not well acquainted with

 Talking to small people

What is a part of small talk?

 Inquiring about someone’s salary

 Asking about a recent event

 Telling someone to shut up

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Question 1 of 10

In most English-speaking countries, it is normal and necessary to make “small talk” in certain situations. Small talk is a casual form of conversation that “breaks the ice” or fills an awkward silence between people. Even though you may feel shy using your second language, it is sometimes considered rude to say nothing. Just as there are certain times when small talk is appropriate, there are also certain topics that people often discuss during these moments.

Watch the lesson for better understanding of small talk. The hardest part about making small talk is knowing how to start a conversation. Review the conversation starters in the video and practise them with a friend. Finally, take the time to see how much you have learned about small talk by taking the test at the end of the video. And remember, in an English-speaking environment it is often better to make a few mistakes than to say nothing at all!