SMALL TALK
Making small talk is an important cultural practice in the United States.
Small talk is a kind of conversation that fills up empty time. Small talk is
used mostly between strangers and people who don’t know each other very
well. It is also common at work. Small talk is very basic conversation—not
too personal, not too important.
Examples of small talk:
Hello.
Hi. My name is___________ .
What’s your name?
How are you? I am fine.
How are you doing?
How’s it going?
Where are you from?
How long have you lived here?
Are you a student? What are you studying? What is your major?
Some weather we’re having! Do you think it will rain tomorrow?
How about this weather!
Boy, it is cold / hot / wet / windy outside!
What are you eating?
What do you think about our football / baseball / basketball team?
Is small talk empty conversation?
Sometimes foreigners think that Americans are stupid or silly because of
these small, light conversations we call small talk. With family and close
friends, Americans do talk about important things. Small talk is a way to be
nice to someone you don’t know. It is a very casual thing.
Are there some things to avoid talking about with Americans?
Some topics are difficult to talk about with people from the United States. If
you are talking to a stranger or a new friend, it is a good idea not to discuss
religion, politics or race. Also it is not a good idea to ask women about
topics like age, weight and marriage.