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Communication: Small Talk

Global Tourism & Communication

Spring 2022

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Agenda

Warm up

What is small talk?

Small talk norms

Topics for small talk

Tips for small talk

Small talk example

Small talk practice

Objectives: After this lesson you will be able to...

Describe small talk to someone who doesn't know about it
Start a small talk conversation in English
Recognize appropriate times to use small talk

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Warm-Up Questions

Discuss these questions in groups:

What is small talk?
When do we use it?
Is it normal to talk to strangers in your country?

Be prepared to share after with the class

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What is Small Talk?

Casual conversation
Before asking for something
To break the ice
To fill 'awkward' silences
Not speaking is sometimes considered rude

It's not uncommon for strangers to talk in the U.S. Often, we use small talk when we are waiting, or to fill a silence

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Norms Around Small Talk

Who:

Strangers
Acquaintances
Co-workers

Where:

In public
When waiting for something (line, elevator)
Social events
First day of class

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Topics for Small Talk

Common topics:

Weather
Sports
Current events

Topics to avoid:

Politics
Religion
Personal information
Money
Body or appearance
Controversial topics

Light vs. Heavy topics:

Heavy = sad, serious, or intellectual
Light = Trivial, not serious, simple

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Tips for Small Talk

These tips will help you make successful small talk:

Use it the first time you see someone in a day
Use it when things are quiet
Use it only when someone smiles or acknowledges you
Don't use it when someone is busy or unresponsive
It can be difficult to know how to begin. Try these conversation starters

Small talk doesn’t have to be hard. With practice, you can become a small-talk expert!

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What did he do wrong?

Think of these questions as you watch the video:

Was this a successful use of small talk?
What did he do well?
What mistakes did he make?

The character in the yellow shirt is learning ‘small talk’

Suggested Video settings: Select CC and 75% speed

End at 1’ 22” (can watch second part - where the android learns how to make successful small talk by observing a ‘small talk guru’)

What the character did wrong: He continued to speak after the man in the red shirt did not smile, did not make sustained eye contact, and did not show interest.; He went into too much detail about the topic of weather and it was no longer considered ‘light’ conversation

What the character did right: He chose a light topic (weather); Picked an appropriate situation (elevator*)

For part after 1:22 (if time): Point out that small talk is a good ice breaker, but it is best used in limited quantities. It can move to a deeper conversation later. The ‘small talk guru’ is seen as ‘fake’ because he never interacts beyond small-talk.

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Practice

Look at some conversation starters
Take turns asking and answering them with a partner
Switch partners
Share one thing you learned about your classmates

You can use conversation starters to help you make successful small-talk