Small talk and ESL students???

[bambo86]

Hi guys,

I am now making an assignment about small talk, about "how to organize and use SMALL TALK effectively" in Speaking class for ESL students, so if you guys have any ideas then surely i will greatly welcome :up:

You can post into our forum, but it will be so much better if you send me your opinion to my email: loi.anthonyinhue@gmail.com
Millions of thanks to you! ;-)

 

[oregeezer]

Not sure what you mean by "small talk".
Could be conversation, where you would need a list of "safe subjects"(weather, family, home town,etc.) or it could mean "reduced forms" (wanna, shoudla, coulda).

 

[Tdol]

Small talk doesn't strike me as something that can be organised very much; it is by its nature fairly unstructured. Make it effective requires strategies for keeping the conversation going, talking to strangers, asking open questions, framing, etc.

 

[bambo86]

My project is HOW TO ORGANIZE AND APPLY SMALL TALK...

So i mean small talk as a safe topic for ESL students to practice english more frequently...

 

[Tdol]

Will this be in or out of class?

 

[bambo86]

For sure, the research will be carried in the class at collegue or university. Exactly for the 1st and 2nd ESL students...

Please help give me your ideas as much as possible! THANKS :-(

 

[Tdol]

Record or video them; you can analyse how the teachers are keeping the conversation going or not, then devise the strategies for training that could maximise this.

 

[Ouisch]

One rule of small talk is to ask questions - people love to talk about themselves. So if you find yourself at a function where you don't know anyone and you need to make small talk, ask them questions such as "Where are you from?" "What do you do (for a living)"? [NOTE: Asking a stranger what they do/what type of job they have is extremely common in the US, but is considered somewhat rude and "nosy" in other countries. Be aware of the local customs.] Another tactic is to compliment then question: "That's a beautiful bracelet, where did you get it?" "What a great suit, is it Armani?" Or if it's an informal occasion and a person is wearing a T-shirt with the name of a band or recording artist: "Love your shirt! I'm a fan, too! What's your favorite song?"

 

[bambo86]

Thank you all of you guys!

Any other ideas! Please post quickly...

 

[Ouisch]

Suppose the people in question are all students; some "small talk" conversation-openers can be: "Where do you go to school?" "What are you studying?" "I really hate the food in our cafeteria; how is it at your school?" "My worst subject is Math, what is yours?"

 

[Heads Up English]

Don't know if you're familiar with Leonard Lopate and his show, "Please Explain." It's an NPR talk show in the States, and he has guests who explain about procrastination, insomnia, hair... just about everything. There was one on mingling, which might give you some ideas how to teach students to make small talk.

Here's the link: WNYC - Lopate - Please Explain (page 7)

Good luck with the lesson.

Chris Cotter
Heads Up English - Just print and teach!
Heads Up English

 

[bambo86]

How about the others?:roll:

 

[Clark]

How to start a conversation.
I think the general strategy is a 3-step combination:
1. You comment on something that fits the situation (e.g.-Good beer they serve here! - if you are in a pub). Your co-speaker would say something in reply.
2. You share some of your experience. (-I always come here for a glass after a hard working day).
3. You ask your co-speaker a question. (-Are you a regular here? I think I've seen you before).

Then you have a couple of beers more, and part as good friends. :-D

 

[CHOMAT]

and ask her /him : do you play football ?;-)

 

[Clark]

and ask her /him : do you play football ?;-)

But make sure that s/he doesn't misunderstand you. :lol:

 

[CHOMAT]

and then feel you are small beer! :shock:

 

[yousuf saleem]

i thing we should exchange our emai address then make a voice confrence then make soncersation that how to improve english, why we need to improve english why we are not using our native language. etc etc