Hello, advanced English learners. Welcome back in our community. This week we talked about how to avoid doing a verbal tick. And avoid repeating ourselves with discourse markers such as overusing the word. Yeah. Or right. If you'd like to join our members only community, you can sign up at academy.explearning.co. We would love to have you,

in this week's lesson we're talking about small talk. If you're ready, let's get into.

The Art of Small talk refers to the ability to engage in casual, informal conversations with others about a variety of topics. This type of conversation is often referred to as small talk because it is typically about every day unimportant subjects. Small talk is an important social skill to have for a number of reasons.

First, it can help you to put others at ease and make them feel comfortable in your presence. This is especially important in new or unfamiliar situations, such as meeting someone for the very first time or attending a social event. 

Second, small talk can help to build and maintain relationships by engaging in conversation with others, you can learn more about them, their interests and their experiences, which can help to strengthen your connection and create a sense of shared understanding. 

Third, small talk can also help to break the ice and start more in depth conversations. By engaging in small talk, you can get to know someone better and learn more about their interests, which can then lead to more meaningful and engaging discussions.

Overall small talk is an important social skill to have as it can help to build and maintain relationships, put others at ease, and open up opportunities for more meaningful conversations. 

Let's get into the eight strategies for making memorable small talk.

One. Start with simple open-ended questions. These are questions that require more than a yes or no answer and can help to encourage the other person to talk more. Examples include, "what do you do for work," or "what do you like to do in your free time?" 

Two. Use body language and non-verbal cues. In addition to speaking, using gestures, facial expressions, and other non-verbal cues can help to communicate your meaning and show that you are interested in the conversation.

Three. Practice active listening. This means paying attention to what the other person is saying and responding in a way that shows you understand and are interested. This can involve nodding, making eye contact, and asking follow up questions. 

Four, use fillers and self-correction. Yes, you heard that correctly. It is okay to pause and think before speaking and using fillers like um, or ah, can help to buy yourself some time. Just make sure you're not overusing fillers. And if you make a mistake, don't worry about it. Just self-correct and move. 

Five. Be flexible and open-minded. Small talk can be unpredictable, so be prepared to go at the flow and talk about a variety of topics. This can help to keep the conversation interesting and engaging for both you and the other person. 

Six. Use context clues. If you're not sure what a word means, try to use the surrounding words and sentences to figure out the meaning. This can help you to understand the conversation and respond appropriately.

Seven. Repeat what the other person says. This can show that you are listening and help you to remember the conversation. It can also give you time to think about your response as well. 

Eight. Ask for clarification. If you're not sure what the other person means, don't be afraid to ask for clarification. This shows that you're interested in the conversation and you want to understand. It's better to ask for clarification than to misunderstand and respond incorrectly. 

So what are some situations where you might make small talk? in a social setting, such as at a party or a gathering where you're meeting new people or catching up with friends. During a work break, such as at the water cooler or in the lunchroom. While waiting in line or at a restaurant or in any other situation where you are in close proximity to other people and you have some time to chat. On public transportation such as a bus or a train where you may be seated near other people who are also traveling. While engaging in an everyday activity such as exercising at the gym or shopping at the grocery store where you may encounter other people who are also doing the same activity. 

Are you ready to put this into practice? Well, I have a quest for you as well as some challenges you can do when practicing these concepts. You'll be able to access those resources when you join our private community Explearning Academy. So if you'd like the quest, the challenges, the discussion that goes along with it, and an opportunity to submit questions or ask me live, then you can sign up for our community by going to academy.explearning.co or by using the link down below.

In conclusion, the art of small talk is an important social skill to have. It can help to put others at ease, build and maintain relationships, and open up opportunities for more in-depth conversations. By using effective communication strategies such as starting with simple open-ended questions, practicing active listening, and being flexible and open-minded, second language learners of English L2 language learners can improve their ability to make small talk and connect with others. Overall the ability to engage in small talk is a valuable tool for socializing and building connections with others.

Thank you so much for joining me. I will see you in the next one. Bye for now and happy Advanced English Learning everyone.

About the Author and the Explearning Academy:

Mary Daphne is an expert in communication, executive skills and professional development. She is the founder of the Explearning Academy, a platform dedicated to helping individuals enhance their social fluency, boost their careers, and elevate their social game. Through immersive group coaching programs like the Executive Communication Lab and self-guided journeys, participants gain the social superpowers and career catapults they've been searching for. If you're ready to take your negotiation skills to the next level and connect with like-minded individuals, visit academy.explearning.co and explore the various plans available. Join the Explearning Academy community and unlock your full potential.

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