When people meet it is common to make small talk by exchanging a few phrases on topics of
common interest. The function of small talk is to express polite interest and good attitude - and
not have any awkward silences.
Avoid controversial topics like: politics, religion, finances, private life since they are considered
inappropriate for small talk.
Usually when you meet someone in a trip, and you hear a different accent you ask or might be
asked:
Where are you from?
Where do you come from?
What part of … do you come from?
And you could answer I'm from Brazil and I live in Bogotá
Or I'm originally from Brazil but now live in Bogotá
I was born in Brazil but grew up in Honduras
And then for further conversation you could follow up with questions such as:
What brings you to …?
I'm on holiday
I'm on business
I work here
I study here
Why did you come to..?
I came here to work
I came here to study
I wanted to live abroad
How long have you lived here?
I've only just arrived
A few months
About a year
Just over two years
How long are you planning to stay here?
Until August
A few months
Another year
I'm not sure
Do you like it here?
Yes, I love it!
I like it a lot
It's OK
What do you like about it?
I like the food
I like the weather
I like the people
Are you on Instagram?
What's your username?
Are you on Twitter?
What's your twitter handle?
If the conversation is going well you might start talking about things you like, for example:
What do you like doing in your spare time?
I like … or I really like, I enjoy, I love
Travelling
cooking
playing chess after watching The Queen's gambit
TALKING ABOUT THINGS YOU DISLIKE
I don't like …I hate …I can't stand …
noisy bars
nightclubs
shopping
OR INTERESTS
I'm interested in …
photography
languages
I read a lot
Have you read any good books lately?
Have you seen any good films recently?
SPORT
Do you play any sports?
Yes, I play …soccer
No, I'm not particularly sporty
I like watching soccer
Which team do you support?
I support …
Manchester United
Chelsea
I'm not interested in soccer
MUSIC
Do you play any instruments?
Yes, I play …
the guitar
Yes, I've played the piano for … years
five
I'm learning to play …
the violin
I'm in a band
I sing in a choir
What sort of music do you like?
What sort of music do you listen to?
Rock
Pop
Anything, really
Lots of different stuff
Julia met someone in their gate when they were going back to Colombia.
The girl asked: Hi, excuse me is this seat taken?
And so Julia smiled, grabbed the bag that was in the seat and said: No, go ahead.
Girl: Thank you, where are you from?
Julia: From Colombia
Girl:Which part of Colombia are you from?
Julia: From Bogotá
The girl said: I’m from New York but I’m going to Bogotá to teach English and learn
Spanish.
Julia said: That’s great, I am still improving my English
Girl: But your English is really good, my spanish is so bad. And had you been to the
states before?
Julia said: No it was my first time and I loved New York, there are a lot of nice things to
see and things to do. I hope I come back soon. Is it your first time going to Bogotá?
The girl: Yes. I have some friends over there and they love it. I’m excited!
Julia. I love my city! If you need anything you can contact me. I’m on instragram as jules-
j-a-r-a.
So the girl followed her on Instagram, Julia followed her back. Then they heard that they started
boarding the plane.
I hope they remained friends!
In the next class I will go over what you learned in the course and the next steps!
