Small Talk
Objectives
to introduce yourself
to carry on a basic conversation about yourself and others
Chanwon is waiting for his connecting flight to Seattle. He’s come to the United States for a year
to study English before he returns to Korea to finish his degree in electronic engineering. He has
been on short holidays abroad with his family, but this is the first time that he will be living in an
English-speaking environment with an English-speaking family. Of course he’s nervous about his
ability to communicate in a lang. he has only studied in school. He’d like to talk to someone
while he’s waiting for his plane, but he’s not sure how to begin or what to say. What if he uses the
wrong word, or no one understands him? And what if someone asks him a question he doesn’t know
how to answer? If only he had more vocabulary! If only he could speak as naturally as everyone
around him!
You could be like Chanwon waiting for your flight at the airport with a long trip ahead of you
You could be having a coffee in a café or a meal in a restaurant, standing somewhere in a
line, socializing at a party, or interacting with people you’ve only just met. Situations in
which people strike up a conversation out of curiosity or mutual interest, or just to be sociable,
present themselves when you are traveling in a foreign country.
Whether you’re meeting someone for the first time or connecting with an old friend or
acquaintance, most conversations start out on a personal note. At first you’re most likely to talk about:
where you live or come from;
what you do for a living;
what brings you to a particular place
If the conversation continues, you’ll usually move on to everyday subjects with which you’re
familiar such as:
personal interests and hobbies;
the weather;
your environment (the airport, restaurant, hotel, park, beach, etc.);
your place (city, country, school, or workplace);
current happenings such as sports and cultural events or the news.
Although English-speaking people tend to engage easily in conversations with strangers, there are
certain topics that may be considered too intimate. Topics that should be avoided are:
marital status,
age,
income,
religion,
politics