UP Speaking
Types of Small Talk:
✓ With people whom you already know (but not your best friends), you may greet them when walking by them
o You may only greet each other without saying anything else,
▪ e.g. “Hi, how are you doing?” “Fine, thanks; how about you?”
o You may greet each other and make a comment, such as about the weather
o Sometimes you may stop to chat, if you know them better or if you have not seen them in a long time or if you have some time to talk
✓ With people whom you don’t know very well but have met once or twice only perhaps (=acquaintances)
✓ With strangers, when you are waiting for something, e.g. the elevator
Opening conversations:
With acquaintances and/or strangers, starting or opening the conversation is usually done by commenting on the situation you both are in. Comments about the weather (negative or positive) or how long you have been waiting are the most common.
For example:
“Have you been waiting here long?”
“No, not long. Maybe 2 minutes.”
“Have you been waiting here long?”
“About 5 minutes. I hope the bus comes soon.”
“It looks like rain, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, I wish I had brought my umbrella”
“It’s such a beautiful day!”
“Yes, it is. I just love sunny weather.”
Keep in mind, the examples above are only for beginning the conversation after you have made eye contact with the other person. If the other person is NOT a stranger but instead an acquaintance, you will probably talk a little longer before the conversation ends naturally, with a sentence such as “Oh, here is the elevator!”
Exercise 1:
Work with a partner, either in class or for homework (as assigned by your teacher). Imagine you are acquaintances, i.e. you know each other a little (slightly), not good friends. You might be classmates or coworkers. For each of the following situations, write a brief conversation with a greeting, a comment or question to open the conversation and an appropriate response. You will probably go back and forth between the 2 speakers at least 3 times before you should close the conversation. Make a comment about the situation, especially if you are waiting for something, to close the conversation. Hand in your assigned conversations to your teacher at the beginning of the next class.
Situation 1: you are waiting for a bus at a bus stop. You see one of your coworkers or classmates arrive to wait for the bus also. Make small talk with him/her.
Situation 2: you are working in an office. You have to make some copies, so you go to the photocopier. You get in line behind a colleague (coworker) of yours. A few people are ahead of you in line. Turn to your coworker and make small talk with him/her.
Situation 3: you are in line to get your lunch in the Union, behind several people. A classmate of yours gets in line behind you. Make small talk with him/her.
Situation 4: you are waiting in a large classroom for your university class to begin. You see a classmate you have talked to outside the class once or twice. He/she has sat down just two seats away from you. Smile and make small talk with him/her.
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