Small talk là một kĩ năng không thể thiếu đối với người học tiếng Anh, nhất là những người cần học tiếng Anh cấp tốc. Bởi vì Small talks là những câu nói hoặc câu hỏi ngắn gọn, dùng để trò chuyện giữa hai hay một nhóm người với nhau, tạo cảm giác thoải mái gần gũi, hiểu nhau hơn.
● What is the small talk? Let's imagine that You’re at a party or a lunch, and everyone is off talking to someone else You’re left standing next to one person who you don’t know Sure, you want to talk to them, but you have no idea what to say To avoid uncomfortable and embarrassing silences, you need to know how to make small talk in English Small talk is the kind of conversation you make when you want to talk to someone but neither of you wants to get into a very deep or complicated conversation It’s “small” because you talk about unimportant things Easily, it means a polite conversation about things that are not important, often between people who are meeting for the first time: EX: I don't enjoy parties where I have to make small talk with complete strangers I soon learned how to make small talk with people at formal receptions The more you practice small talk, the easier it will become ● Common topics: o Introductions ▪ Before you can get to know someone, it’s a good idea to introduce yourself ▪ When you’re introducing yourself, you can add a little bit of information like where you first met, or what you o Universal Topics ▪ Topics that are universal can be shared by almost anyone, including the weather, current news, sports and entertainment ▪ Although there are people who might not be fans of sports, or might not follow entertainment news, so if you can, try to match people’s interests to the topic you choose For example, if you’ve heard them talking about big news in the past, you could try to talk about a news story from today ▪ Ex: “This weather is crazy! It was cold yesterday and today I came in with an open jacket I hope it stays warm, don’t you?” “That basketball game yesterday had me glued to my seat Wasn’t that a great save at the very end?” o The Day ▪ If you’re not sure what topic to talk about, or don’t have anything interesting to say, you can just ask someone about their day, or you can talk about yours ▪ For example, you could ask them: ✔ How was your day? ✔ How have you been feeling today? ✔ What have you been doing today? o The Workplace ▪ Some conversations are only appropriate in a work environment ▪ Stay even less personal at work than in more casual places, and avoid talking about other people who are not present! Instead, you can talk about the day, an upcoming party or meeting, or ask about the person’s job ✔ EX: What a busy day! Did you see the new policy? o Observations ▪ Some of the best small talk is about where you and your conversation partner are located/who both you can see ▪ It’s something you both shares, so there’s no worry that they won’t know what you’re talking about Look around and find something to comment on or look at your partner and find something nice to compliment them on Nothing makes people feel better than a genuine compliment! ▪ Examples: ✔ “I love your shoes today; they really pull your outfit together.” ✔ “Did you see? They finally fixed the light in the break room It’s been broken for almost a month!” o Common Interests ▪ When you have something similar with your speaking partner, that means you have something to talk about Find a common interest or hobby, and you’ll have something to talk about ▪ Examples: ✔ “I noticed your hat has a Yankees logo Are you a fan of baseball too?” ✔ “I tried baking cookies like yours last night and they came out terrible How you make them so good?” ... party or meeting, or ask about the person’s job ✔ EX: What a busy day! Did you see the new policy? o Observations ▪ Some of the best small talk is about where you and your conversation partner are... located/who both you can see ▪ It’s something you both shares, so there’s no worry that they won’t know what you’re talking about Look around and find something to comment on or look at your partner and