ENGLISH FLUENCY SECRETS 🤫 | 💬 GREAT phrases for Small Talk

Summary

Teacher Harry's lesson focuses on English phrases for small talk, essential for initiating and ending conversations. He covers various scenarios like elevator chats, business meetings, and social gatherings, offering phrases to start discussions, inquire about others' well-being, and comment on appearances. The lesson also touches on weather-related small talk, a staple in Western Europe, and provides strategies for closing conversations gracefully. Harry encourages subscribing to his channel and reaching out for more tips on mastering small talk.

Takeaways

• 😀 Small talk is an essential part of English conversations, often used to initiate and conclude discussions.
• 🗣️ Opening conversations can be started with informal questions like 'What brings you here?' or 'Is this your first time here?'
• 👋 Greetings like 'Long time no see' or 'It's great to see you again' are good for rekindling conversations with acquaintances.
• 🌤️ Discussing the weather is a common topic in small talk, especially in regions like the UK and Ireland, using phrases like 'Beautiful day, isn't it?'
• 🔄 Catching up involves inquiring about recent life events or changes, such as job changes or family updates, by saying 'The last time I saw you, you were...'
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Asking about other people in one's life, like family or colleagues, shows interest and helps maintain social connections.
• 💼 When discussing work or studies, questions like 'Are you still working for the IT company?' or 'How are your studies going?' can keep the conversation flowing.
• 👔 Compliments on appearance or style, such as 'I like your new hairstyle' or 'You've really lost weight', can positively contribute to small talk.
• 🏠 Closing conversations should be done gracefully, with phrases like 'It was really great talking to you' or 'Let's catch up again soon'.
• 🔗 Providing contact information or suggesting future meetings helps in maintaining relationships beyond the current interaction.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the lesson provided by Teacher Harry?

The main focus of the lesson is English phrases for small talk, which is an important part of the English language used to initiate and conclude conversations.

Why is small talk considered important in English conversations?

Small talk is important as it serves as an icebreaker and helps in starting and ending conversations in various social and professional settings, such as elevators, business meetings, and social gatherings.

What are some opening small talk phrases suggested by Teacher Harry for meeting someone new?

Teacher Harry suggests phrases like 'Hi, I'm Harry, what brings you here?', 'Is this your first time here?', and 'What are you here for?' as ways to initiate a conversation with someone new.

How can you start a conversation with someone you haven't seen for a while?

To start a conversation with someone you haven't seen for a while, you can use expressions like 'Wow, long time no see', 'It's great to see you again', or 'I haven't seen you for ages'.

What role does the weather play in small talk, especially in Western Europe?

The weather is a significant topic in small talk, particularly in Western Europe, including the UK and Ireland, and Teacher Harry provides phrases like 'Oh, beautiful day, isn't it?' or 'Well, miserable day, isn't it?' to discuss the weather.

What are some conversational expressions for catching up with someone?

Expressions for catching up include asking about past events or plans like 'The last time I saw you, you were changing your job' or 'Did you end up getting that promotion?'

How can you inquire about someone's work or studies during small talk?

You can inquire about someone's work or studies by asking 'Are you still working for the company in the high street?', 'How are your studies going?', or 'How do you like working remotely?'.

What are some ways to ask about other people in someone's life during small talk?

To ask about other people, you can say 'How are the kids getting bigger, I'm sure', 'How is Adam doing?', or 'Please give my regards to your wife'.

How can you compliment someone's appearance during small talk?

You can compliment someone's appearance by saying 'I like your new hairstyle', 'You've really lost weight', or 'I really love those shoes'.

What are some phrases to use when closing a conversation after a meeting or event?

To close a conversation, you can use phrases like 'I better let you go, I've taken up so much of your time', 'It was really great talking to you, we must catch up again soon', or 'Look, I'm really sorry, but I have to leave now. Is that okay?'

How can you express your intention to continue communication after a conversation?

You can express your intention to continue communication by saying 'Give me your number, let's catch up', 'I'll drop you a line', or 'Let's not wait until the next meeting, give me a shout'.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Introduction to English Small Talk

Teacher Harry introduces the lesson on English phrases for small talk, emphasizing its importance in initiating and concluding conversations. He acknowledges that while students may be comfortable with technical language, they often feel insecure about engaging in casual conversations. The lesson aims to provide phrases for various small talk scenarios, such as meeting in elevators or during breaks in formal settings. Harry encourages subscribing to his channel and offers his contact details for further interaction.

05:03

🌤️ Weather-Related Small Talk

This section focuses on using the weather as a conversation starter in small talk, particularly relevant in Western Europe, the UK, and Ireland. Harry provides phrases to discuss pleasant or unpleasant weather conditions, such as commenting on a beautiful day or a miserable, rainy day. He also includes expressions for predicting weather and discussing the impact of long periods without rain. These phrases are designed to help learners naturally engage in conversations about the weather, a common topic in small talk.

10:08

👋 Catching Up and Inquiring About Others

Harry discusses how to catch up with people by asking about their recent life events, such as job changes, family updates, or personal goals. He suggests phrases to inquire about past conversations and to lead into discussions about new developments in their lives. The paragraph also covers how to ask about other people in one's social circle and to pass on regards, fostering a sense of connection and interest in the other person's life. Additionally, Harry touches on the topic of remote work and how to engage in conversations about it.

15:10

👔 Compliments and Closing Conversations

In this part, Harry advises on giving compliments as a way to keep the conversation positive and engaging. He suggests commenting on someone's new look, such as a hairstyle or weight loss, or complimenting their outfit or accessories. The focus is on making the other person feel good and encouraging a pleasant exchange. Towards the end of the lesson, Harry provides phrases for closing conversations gracefully, such as expressing the need to leave, suggesting future meetings, or offering to share contact information. He emphasizes the importance of leaving a positive impression and maintaining the connection for future interactions.

🔚 Wrapping Up the Lesson

Harry concludes the lesson by summarizing the key points covered, including opening conversations, discussing various topics like the weather and sports, commenting on appearances, and closing conversations effectively. He invites learners to reach out for further assistance with small talk and encourages them to subscribe to his channel or listen to his podcast. He provides his website for contact and expresses his eagerness to hear from his audience, promising to continue supporting their learning journey until the next session.

Keywords

💡Small Talk

Small talk refers to informal, casual conversation about trivial or neutral subjects, often used to break the ice or fill silence in social situations. In the video, teacher Harry emphasizes the importance of small talk in English language conversations, particularly at the beginning and end of meetings or encounters in various settings like elevators or Zoom calls. Examples from the script include phrases like 'Hi, I'm Harry, what brings you here?' and 'Is this your first time here?' which are used to initiate small talk.

💡Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a short, persuasive speech that one can deliver in the time it takes to ride an elevator, aiming to spark interest in a product, service, or even oneself. While not explicitly mentioned as 'elevator pitch' in the script, the concept is relevant when Harry discusses initiating small talk in an elevator, suggesting phrases like 'Hi, I'm Harry, what brings you here?'

💡Conversation Starter

A conversation starter is a question or statement designed to initiate or rekindle a conversation. In the context of the video, Harry provides several conversation starters to help students feel more comfortable engaging in small talk. For instance, 'Hi, I'm Harry, is this your first time here?' serves as a conversation starter to learn more about the other person's experience.

💡Rhetorical Question

A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question asked to make a point rather than to elicit an answer. In the script, Harry discusses using rhetorical questions in small talk, such as 'Beautiful day, isn't it?' or 'Miserable day, isn't it?' These are not meant to be answered directly but rather to prompt agreement or further discussion about the weather.

💡Catching Up

Catching up refers to the act of exchanging news and information about one's life since the last meeting. In the video, Harry suggests phrases for catching up, such as 'The last time I saw you, you were changing your job,' which is a way to inquire about significant life events that have occurred since the last interaction.

💡Compliment

A compliment is a polite expression of praise or admiration. Harry advises using compliments as a part of small talk to make the other person feel good and to keep the conversation flowing positively. Examples from the script include 'I really love those shoes. Where did you get them?' and 'You look great.'

💡Closing Conversation

Closing a conversation refers to the process of bringing a discussion to a polite and natural end. The video script provides phrases for closing conversations gracefully, such as 'Oh, look, sorry, I've really got to go but give me a number. Let's catch up,' which allows for a potential continuation of the interaction at a later time.

💡Remote Work

Remote work, also known as telecommuting, involves employees working from locations other than a central office, typically from home. Harry touches on the topic of remote work as a modern subject for small talk, asking 'How do you like working remotely?' which reflects the changes in work dynamics due to technological advancements and global health situations.

💡Inquiry

An inquiry is a request for information or an investigation into a matter. In the context of the video, making inquiries is a way to show interest in the other person's life and experiences. Harry provides examples like 'How are the kids getting bigger, I'm sure,' which is an inquiry about someone's family, demonstrating care and engagement in the conversation.

💡Appearance

Appearance refers to the way a person or thing looks, especially in terms of attractiveness or the impression given. The script mentions commenting on someone's appearance as a way to give compliments and keep the conversation light and positive. For example, 'Oh, I like your new hairstyle' is a comment on appearance that can be used to initiate or continue small talk.

Highlights

Introduction to the importance of small talk in the English language.

Small talk as an essential part of beginning and ending conversations.

The challenge of initiating and concluding conversations with small talk.

Useful phrases for opening conversations in various settings.

How to inquire about someone's reason for attending an event.

Asking if it's someone's first time attending an event to start a conversation.

Using 'long time no see' as an icebreaker with people you haven't met in a while.

Expressing pleasure upon seeing someone again to initiate small talk.

Inquiring about someone's well-being or recent life events to catch up.

The role of the weather in small talk, especially in Western Europe.

Phrases to discuss the weather, such as commenting on a beautiful or miserable day.

Using rhetorical questions about the weather to engage in conversation.

Transitioning small talk to catching up with someone's personal or professional updates.

Asking about specific life events or changes since the last meeting.

Inquiring about other people's lives to continue the conversation.

Complimenting someone's appearance to keep the conversation positive.

Ways to gracefully end a conversation and suggest future catch-ups.

Providing contact information for further communication after a conversation.

Encouragement to subscribe to the channel and listen to the podcast for more lessons.

Transcripts

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.