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    nuno
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    Reading and comprehension

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    small talk

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    Reading and comprehension

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    30 views1 page

    Small Talk

    Uploaded by

    nuno
    Reading and comprehension

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf
    of 1
    er ee FRBSPAE Read the article and discuss the questions which follow. Tn theory, making small talk in English isn't rocket science. All you need to do is say hello ‘and ask a few questions: Where are you from?” “‘Doyou like it there?" How did you get into engineering /marketing/metaltursy?” Ohrcourse, in practice it can be more difficult. Maybe the person you're trying to speak to oops replying with one-word answers. Maybe you alicays seem to meet people in noisy conference hails where you can hardly: hear what they're saying, let alone understand it. Or ‘maybe ~ and this seems to happen to a tot of people —you can talk about your job for hours, ut feel much less secure making. chit-chat. Wat can you do to solve these problems? Well, there are a tot of things you can try Watch the pros... Observe people who are confident speaking English. How do they talk? Contribute, ofcourse, but listen, and note the questions they ask. Also think about their intonation ~ the way they use their voice to convey meaning. Is it something you can try yourself? and the stars Of cours . your collea cues from London will think you're crazy if you start writing down things they say. * “Please, call me Bill,” did you say? Oh that’s quite good mind this at all. So the next video shop, try borrowing an English-language DVD. Wateh it with subtitles, and pay attention to the way people interact. But actors don’t fe you're in the Ame © What tips can you add? Small talk made simple oe this your first time here? ) What a wonderful event! oO Listen and learn While you're at it, do more than watch: repeat what you hear the actors say. Then record yourself and play it back. (Most laptops and MP5 players have built-in microphones.) It might be a bit embarrassing. at first, but this is the best y to become aware of your speech and how itsounds to others. Compare your pronuncia- tion to the one on the CD or DVD, and try again. You'll be impressed at how quickly you improve. Practice makes perfect Easier said than done, but really: don’t be shy. The more you say during the coffee break, the more confident you'll feel about making conver- sation at lunch. . * What ideas have you tried to make socializing in English easier? What has worked for you? * Do you know anyone who is good at socializing in English? What makes them so effective?

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