{"id":3110,"date":"2014-11-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-11-09T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nllanguagep-bali.savviihq.com\/blog\/uncategorized\/how-to-keep-the-conversation-going-learning-small-talk-in-english\/"},"modified":"2023-10-30T20:12:07","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T19:12:07","slug":"small-talk-in-english-how-to-keep-the-conversation-going","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/languagepartners.nl\/en\/blog\/english\/small-talk-in-english-how-to-keep-the-conversation-going\/","title":{"rendered":"How to keep the conversation going \u2013 learning small talk in English"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not everyone likes making small talk<\/strong>, especially in a foreign language<\/a>. Yet small talk is important for getting conversations started, which is crucial in doing business, winning a job interview, networking or making new friends.<\/p>\n

By its very nature, small talk\u2014those casual, spontaneous conversations that take place, often to fill awkward silences\u2014is a form of friendly interaction. In the English-speaking world, it\u2019s common and used to break the ice, interact with strangers, keep conversations going in order to learn more or to simply enjoy ourselves.<\/p>\n

But doing it doesn\u2019t always mean it\u2019s easy. Small talk can be difficult for native English speakers, too, though we have one distinct advantage over English language learners<\/a>: a wide vocabulary. This allows us to speak spontaneously when most English learners stumble for words\u2014and lose their confidence.<\/p>\n

Some suggestions for learning small talk in English<\/h2>\n
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  1. Read widely<\/a>. Build your vocabulary on numerous subjects. You can relate your new knowledge back to a conversation.<\/li>\n
  2. Improve your cultural awareness of what makes for good small talk. Neutral subjects like: the weather, news, sports, jobs, traffic, or the Internet work. Avoid subjects like politics, religion and personal salary.<\/li>\n
  3. Learn conversation starters like:\n