Hi there, this is teacher Harry here and welcome back to my lessons. And the lesson today is
all about English phrases for small talk. English phrases for small talk. So what does
that mean? Well, as you probably know, small talk is a very important part of the English
language. It's the beginning of many conversations. It's the ending of many conversations when
people are in elevators, or lifts before and at the end of business meetings. Small Talk
is really important. And many, many of the, the students who come to me want to understand
small talk, how to begin a conversation, how to end the conversation, because they usually
know and I'm sure you're the same, you usually know the technical language you want to use
if you have in a conference call. But you might feel a little bit insecure or a little
bit embarrassed or shy about entering the conversation at the beginning of the end when
they using small talk. So this lesson is going to help you hopefully with that, so I'm going
to give you small talk on different topics. So as I said, this is English phrases for
small talk.
And as always a really appreciated if you could subscribe to my channel, and you can
also listen to me on my podcast, and at the end of the lesson, I want to give you my contact
details, should you wish to contact me. Okay, so let's get started. So the first small talk
is about the opening conversation. So when you're meeting somebody in the elevator, or
sad, or the beginning of a presentation, and nowadays at the beginning of zoom, perhaps
while you're waiting for the boss or whoever, whoever has organised the meeting, while you're
waiting for them to join, there may be a little bit of small talk. So what sort of opening
conversations can you have? Let me give you a few.
Hi, I'm Harry, what brings you here? So if you're meeting in a bar, or you're meeting
in a conference room? No, Hi, I'm Harry, what brings you here?
So it's a very informal way of asking the person, why are they coming to this particular
conference? Or why are they attending this particular meeting?
Hi, I'm Harry, is this your first time here? is another way of getting the conversation
started. Because then you're asking the person this is the first time they've been to this
college event is is the first time they've been to these lectures Is this the first time
they've been to this sports hall or gym or yoga session, whatever it might be, this is
a way for you to start the conversation. So hi, I'm Harry, is this your first time here?
It's my first time this is your first time here, okay? Or you can even ask the person.
Hi, I'm Harry, what are you here for? Meaning and so what's your reason for being here?
Okay, so we can ask them that in the same way.
Or if we're meeting somebody that we haven't seen for a period of time, then the best way
to start the small talk with them is Hi, Peter. Hi, Michael. Wow, long time no see. Yeah,
long time no see meaning. It's been a long, long time since we met now. It could be weeks.
It could be months. Even could be years. There's no definition of what that time should be.
But Oh, hi, Pete. Long time no see.
Or Hi, Pete. It's great to see you again. Yeah. Hi, Pete. It's great to see you again.
And that will get you started.
Or I haven't seen you for ages or I haven't seen you in ages. You can use either of those
prepositions. I haven't seen you for ages. I haven't seen you in ages. Yeah. How are
things? Yeah. Meaning? How was your life? How are things been? How's your business?
How's your family just generally, how are things? So really, really informal? Okay,
so they're the opening conversations.
Now, as always, particularly if you're talking to people in Western Europe with particularly
the UK and here in Ireland, the weather is a really important part of small talk. So
you need to have conversational expressions that you can use if the weather comes up.
So here's a few.
Oh, beautiful day, isn't it? Yeah. So if you're just talking about the weather, you're looking
at the window or beautiful day, isn't it?
Or if it's not such a beautiful day, you might say. Well, miserable day, isn't it? It's really
so wet. I hadn't seen rain like this in a long time.
Or Oh, miserable day. Typical. Typical of Ireland. Typical of the UK. Typical of London.
So good day, or beautiful day, isn't it? So you might raise the intonation in your voice.
Beautiful day, isn't it? Yeah. So you give that intonation.
Oh miserable day, isn't it? So you speak down a little bit because you might be a little
bit sad. As everybody else would be because the weather is so bad. So beautiful or miserable,
change the intonation and then you use Isn't it.Yeah, it's sort of, sort of rhetorical
question.
It looks like it's going to snow. It looks like it's going to rain. So again, you're
putting forward a suggestion of what you think, based on your experience off. Yeah, it looks
like it's going to snow.
Or it wouldn't surprise me if it snows. It wouldn't surprise me if it rains.
Well, it'd be great if it rains, we haven't had a drop of rain in weeks. Yeah, we have
another drop of rain in weeks, we haven't had a drop of rain for weeks. So again, talking
about the weather. Hot summer, if you're lucky enough to have a hot, dry summer, or be great
to have some rain. We haven't had rain in weeks, we haven't had rain for weeks. Okay,
so very typical sentences, expressions that you can use that will get you into those conversations,
particularly when they're talking about the weather.
Okay, so when we're talking small talk, a lot of the conversation is about catching
up with people. So what sort of expressions or phrases can you use when you're literally
catching up with them. Trying to find out what has happened in their life since the
last time that you met.
So something like, or the last time I saw you, you were changing your job, or the last
time I saw you, you were expecting the baby, or the last time I saw you, you were going
to write a book, you know, so whatever it might be, it leads it into the conversation.
So the last time I saw you, you were and then you're leaving the opening for them? Yeah.
Okay.
Did you end up getting that promotion? No. So it could be to do with the job? Did you
end up getting that promotion?
Did you end up getting that new job that you'd applied for?
Did you end up doing that travelling that you had promised yourself?
I remember you were planning to go on a world cruise or you are planning to start a new
business or you are planning to take up jogging or tennis or whatever the sport might be.
So again, leading you into certain questions about the activities they may or may have
been about to do the last time that you met them.
Did you hear about the business?
Did you hear about the guys we went to college with?
Did you hear about Mrs. Murphy who used to live around the corner from us? Okay, so just,
again, introducing the topic that will get your colleague or the person you're talking
to, to continue the conversation.
But you won't believe it when I tell you what has happened to me.
You won't believe it when you hear the story about our ex boss. Do you remember that guy?
Yeah, well, yeah. And then you go on to tell the story.
Wait till I tell you. Wait till I tell you the last time we met there on a Friday, well,
the very next day, my car got stolen or something happened. Okay, so these are good ways to
catch up, introduce you to them as to what's happened to you. And then you asking them,
what has happened to them.
Okay, so just let me give them to you one more time. The last time I saw you, you were
whatever. Yeah. Did you end up getting that promotion? Did you end up doing whatever you're
going to do? I'm I remember you were planning to Okay. Did you hear about your warm believe
it when I tell you? Wait till I tell you. Okay, so good ways to get into conversations
about catching up with somebody.
Okay, so the next few little sentences about where you want to ask somebody specifically
about their business. Or about the work or about the studies. What they've been focusing
on? Okay.
Are you still working for the company in the high street?
Are you still working for the IT company? Are you still working in the local hospital?
So how are your studies going? We nearly finished you must be almost finished your studies by
now. What year are you in? Or just generally?
So how's work going? Yeah. What's the work like these days?
How do you like working remotely?
So if you want to bring it right up to modern times, and that's a very popular topic and
will be a popular topic for some time now about the difference between working in the
offices or working remotely.
What do you think about working remotely? How's it going for you? Do you like it? Do
you not like it? Okay.
Okay, so now if you meet somebody, and you want to ask them about other people in their
lives, okay, so it could be their family, it could be business colleagues, it could
be people they used to hang around with together if you were in university together, or in
the same Football Club, whatever it might be. So there are ways in which you can make
an inquiry about other people connected to them.
So how are the kids getting bigger, I'm sure. Yeah.
How is Adam doing? Yeah. How's Mary? Did she actually get married?
Oh, please say 'hi' to your wife for me when you when you get home.
or Please say 'hi' to the guys on the football team, I haven't seen them for ages since I
stopped playing.
Or please give my regards to all the gang.
Please give my regards to your wife.
Please give my regards to your sister, I remember that holiday we had, it was really great fun.
Okay, so you're inquiring or asking about other people, and you want to pass on your
regards.
You want to just find out what they're doing and how they're getting on with life. Of course,
when we're meeting people, what we really like to do is talk about other people, because
usually they're not there. And it's a great way of having some small talk.
Have you seen Mary recently that?
Did you see what David was doing? Yeah, so those type of conversations so so here are
some expressions and phrases you might like to use?
Oh, have you seen Michael recently? He's got a really interesting hairstyle. Now, I'm not
so sure it's suitable to the office. Yeah.
Have you heard from David, I believe he's stopped working and he's travelling around
the world.
So just a way of finding out or introducing certain topics or people what they're doing,
or what they might have changed in their lives? Or did you see he got married again? Or have
he finally got married? So yeah, again, you're introducing conversational pieces about other
people.
And if you want to be very nice to people, or speak nicely about people, then you might
make comments about their new look how they look. And if that happens to be the person
you're talking to, then you might be very complimentary, of course, about how they've
changed. So
Oh, I like your new hairstyle. Wow. Yeah.
Oh, you've really lost weight. That workout in the gym has really worked wonders. Yeah.
So you introduce nice topics that make that person feel good. They smile, and therefore
the conversation will continue in a happy mood.
I really love those shoes. Where did you get them? Wow, I'd love a pair like that myself.
They really suit that dress, or they really suit those trousers. Oh, wow, that really
looks smart.
You look great. So just a simple You look great. You don't have to make any comment
about anything else. About the weight or the hair, or whatever it might be. Wow, you look
great. It's, it's great to see you again.
Oh, you've got glasses. They really suit you. Yeah, they're really stylish. Wow. Yeah. Where
did you get that. So again, comments on their appearance, comments on the look what they
are wearing, what they've done to themselves, or complementary, of course, so nothing, that's
the negative, and the conversation will will continue because the danger with small talk
is you say something that somebody wasn't expecting, and might be a little bit of a
shock. And the conversation will stop there. And people will be looking each other a little
bit embarrassed. So you want to be complimentary and open to allow the conversation to continue.
Okay, so then when all of the business is done for the day, the meetings are over whatever
has happened, the conference has ended, then we've got small talk to do with closing conversations
and you know, people, some people get up and they just disappear or some people are hanging
around having a coffee or whatever it might be. So this is the ideal opportunity for conversation
to strike up again. And again, you don't want to be left in the in the dark. You don't want
to be left on the the end of the conversation just looking at people, you want to be able
to join in and contribute. So here are some conversational pieces for closing conversations.
Oh, look, sorry, I've really got to go but give me a number. Let's catch up.
Or give me your email and I'll drop your a line. Okay.
I better let you go. I've taken up so much of your time. I'm sure you want to get to
your boss. I'm sure you want to get home to the wife and kids. Okay.
Well, it was really great talking to you. We've got... We must catch up again soon.
Yeah, it's really it's really been wonderful. It's been amazing. I've haven't seen you for
such a long time.
So it's great to get all of the news. Let's catch up again soon. Let's do it again soon.
Let's not wait until the next meeting.
So give me a shout. We'll get together for coffee or we'll get the family together.
Look, I'm really sorry, but I have to leave now. Is that okay? I'll talk to you later.
Or I'll drop your a line. Or send you on that document that I promised.
Okay, it's time for me to head out. I am going to catch a train. Can I give you a lift?
Or do you want to share a taxi or if you're walking my way perhaps we could walk that
together. Okay, so again, nice, soft, easy, comfortable ways of ending conversation so
that you can leave or you can just say your goodbyes or you can just make sure that the
contact or the communication is going to continue either by email or by WhatsApp, whatever it
might be, when you contact these people. So the next time you meet them, there are no
embarrassing gaps.
Okay, so we've looked at the beginning of the conversation, how to open the conversation,
we've looked at different topics that might come up, and particularly the weather and
also things like sport will always come up how people look is another topic that will
always come up because people, if they haven't met you for a long time, will relate to let
you know that it's good to see you and that you're looking well. And then finally, how
to close those conversations how to get out of an awkward situation, perhaps this look
I really have to go now or, or is that the time so you'd find a way to just say, look
back out, I need to go, I need to get my train, or I need to get that boss or indeed, if the
conversation is a little bit boring, and you're a little bit bored. It's an ideal way for
you to just to back out. And that sounds a little bit too good.
Okay, well, hopefully, those small talk and those phrases about small talk will help you
if there's anything else that you want any small talk conversations that come your way
and you'd like to have some help for drop me a line and I'll give you some heads up
on that and we'll be able to work through them.
As I said at the beginning, please subscribe to the channel. And you can listen to me quite
easily on the podcast and if you want to contact me
well then you can do so on www.englishlessonviaskype.com. Very happy to hear from you. Very happy to
see what you are doing and what you want me to do for you and until the next time. Thanks
for listening. Cheers.