Face to Face Communication
Making small talk confidently is a key skill, it could be the start of a new friendship, a new job and an interesting connection.
Small Talk & Conversational Vocabulary
What is small talk?
- Casual conversations before an event
Before an event is an excellent time to make small talk with someone new. - Friendly conversations between strangers
We can make small talk with strangers we meet in a line or at an event to get to know them. - Short conversations about everyday topics
Small talk conversations are usually short and can be about topics like work, family, sports, or common interests.
How do you Small Talk?
- Introduce Yourself
- Make a Connection & Ask some Questions
- Be a Good Listener
- Show Your Interest
Popular Small Talk Topics
- Hobbies
- Family
- News
- Sports
The more detail you add to a conversation, the easier it is to keep it going.
Express Yourself: Pronunciation
Why is word stress so important? Word stress is like a magic key to clear English. It will help you to understand what you hear and it will let others understand you.
Word Stress (Syllable stressed in a word)
-
Stress 1 Syllable in every word
- LOUDLY
- HIGHER
- LONGER
-
Words with 2 or more syllables
Sentence Stess (Words stressed in a sentence)
-
Content Words, they give us the meaning of a sentence, they are key words.
- Action Verbs
- Nouns
- Adjectives
- Adverbs
- WH Questions Words
- Negatives
-
Structure Words (No stress)
- propositions
- pronouns
- articles
- modals
- helping verbs
Content words are the key words, they are the words we stress, they are longer and louder. The structure words softly and shorter.
Intonation (Rising/Falling intonation)
Rising falling intonation tells your listener that you’re finished. It’s their time to say something or to answer your question.
Elevator Speech
- Tell a story about you, gives your listeners facts about who you are and makes you someone they want to know, tell them how you are important to them.
- You pauses or short stops to highlight important information and help your listeners to hear key points.
- Tell your listener, you will contact them soon to continue the conversation.
speed and volume, body language, smile and look friendly