The Business Pre-int tb indd

1.4 Speaking

Making small talk

This module focuses on socializing and the art of making small 

talk. It looks at ways of starting and finishing a conversation.

An Internet search for 

small talk

 will generate sites containing 

tips to help students in what can be a difficult skill in a second 

language. You could ask students to investigate one or two 

of them. This search task could be done at any point in the 

module.

Discussion

1

  Draw a line on the board and write at each end: 

highly 

sociable

 and 

not very sociable

. Tell students that highly-

sociable people love going out, going to parties and meeting 

people. At the other end of the scale are people who hate 

going out and perhaps feel shy meeting new people. Ask 

students to indicate how ‘sociable’ they are by coming out 

and putting a cross on the line. This activity will start students 

thinking about social ‘skills’. 

Ask students how important they think social skills are 

for doing business. Check students know the meaning of 

icebreaker

 (something which helps people start getting to 

know each other).

Ask students to define ‘small talk’. Now get students to read 

about the two techniques and discuss them. Ask students if 

they think the two techniques are useful or not. Would they 

work? Why? / Why not?