1. Teaching Small Talk:
Not a small topic
Bryan Woerner
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
March 25, 2010 – 11:00 AM
Boston Convention Center, Room 157A
2. What is small talk?
“Small talk is the biggest talk we do.”
– Susan RoAne, What do I say next?
• Breaks the ice
• Establishes relationships
• Leads to “big talk” conversations
• Considered polite in American culture
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
3. Small Talk Topics
Appropriate (generally)
• Weather, sports, events, TV, movies,
fashion, work, children
Inappropriate (generally)
• Politics, war, disease, religion, coworkers
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
4. Why is it important to English
Language Learners?
• Language cannot be learned separate
from culture
• Prevents misunderstanding
• Creates a sense of inclusion
• Can lead to “big talk” conversations
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
5. Small Talk Lesson Design
Function Lesson –
function is small talk
• Follows Hourglass
model
• Uses authentic
language samples
• Allows for self-
discovery and
scaffolded practice
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
7. Lesson Focus: Icebreakers
• Sets up the topic of conversation
• Draws people into the conversation
• “Interest is the cornerstone of
interesting.” – Susan RoAne
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
8. Warm-up
• Discussion about experiences of
social discomfort around native
speakers
• How do you start conversations
with people who aren’t your
friends/family in your country?
What do you talk about?
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
9. Language Presentation
• Listen to the conversations
− How many people do you hear?
− What is the situation?
− What is the relationship? (Do the speakers know
each other?)
− Do you think small talk occurred?
• Conversation 1 – 2 people, Riding the Metro, Don’t know
each other, No Small Talk
• Conversation 2 – 2 people, Waiting in line at the store,
Know each other, Small Talk Occurred, Topic – The
weather
• Underline the icebreaker in each small talk
conversation
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
10. Highlighting – Analysis Grid
Ice Breakers
Conversation Ice Breaker Situation & Speakers’ Small talk
Expression/ Speakers Relationship topic
Phrase
1. No Small
No Icebreaker Riding Metro Don’t know
each other Talk
2. It gets like this
every time it
Waiting in line Know The
threatens to at the store each other weather
snow.
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
11. Highlighting – Discover the Pattern
• Have students analyze data to discover the pattern or rule
by answering targeted questions
Q: What is the relationship between the icebreaker and the
topic?
A: The icebreaker initiates the topic
Q: What subjects seem to be appropriate topics for small talk
when people know each other?
A: Topics introduced in dialogues (e.g. movies)
Q: What subjects are appropriate when people do not know
each other?
A: Topics introduced in dialogues (e.g. weather)
Q: You can break the ice by asking a question or making a
statement. What do you think determines which one to
use? Why?
A: Speaker’s preference
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
12. Controlled Practice – Focus on Accuracy
Read through the list of ice breakers and each short dialogue. Select the appropriate
icebreaker for each dialogue. Give a reason why you chose the answers you did. There
are more phrases than exercises.
List of Phrases
It is really really cold out there!
I wish it would stop raining.
1. Two coworkers, Matt and Lynn are getting ready to leave the office to go
home. It is snowing.
Lynn:
It’s really really cold out there!
____________________________________________________
Matt: “I know. I can’t wait for summer.”
Lynn: “Me neither. I don’t like snow at all!”
What is the situation? Going home at the end of the day
What is the topic? The cold weather
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
13. Semi-controlled Practice – Focus on Meaning
Read each scenario and look at the accompanying picture. With a partner come up
with some small talk topics and icebreakers to introduce those topics. Try and to
come up with at least three.
You have just helped some tourists from Boston. Since both of you are walking in
the direction of the Smithsonian, you tell them to follow you.
Next, you and your partner are in this situations.
Assign one person to start to “break the ice” and
start a small talk conversation. Use the
icebreakers you and your partner came up with.
Switch roles for more practice.
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
14. Communicative Practice – Meaning Communicative
Goal
• Think about situations in your life where you
could have made small talk. Where were they?
Who was there? What could you have talked
about?
• Relates lesson to students lives
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
15. Extension – Practice Outside of Class
Keep a Small Talk Journal
• Record the following information in a journal of
small talk conversations you observe or
participate in
− Where did the conversation take place?
− How many people were there?
− What was the relationship (as best you can
tell)?
− What was the topic?
− What was the icebreaker?
− What else could have been discussed? Why do
you think that?
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
16. Application to Lower Level Learners
• Focus on a Grammar Point – Lesson follows same
Hourglass Approach
− Beginning level – Expressing opinions using like
& don’t Like
A: It’s cold outside!
B: I know! I don’t like the snow.
− Intermediate level – Asking for opinions using
do you think
A: Do you think the American History Museum is
interesting?
B: Yes, they have new exhibits this year.
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
17. Resources & Tools
• American University TESOL
− http://www.american.edu/tesol/Lessonplans.htm
• What Do I Say Next? Talking Your Way to Business
and Social Success – Susan RoAne, Warner Books
• Developing Dialogue Frames from Authentic
Conversations
• Olympus Digital Voice Recorders
− http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section
/cpg_vr_digitalrecorders.asp
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
18. Teaching Small Talk:
Not a small topic
E-mail: woernerESOL@gmail.com
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
March 25, 2010
TESOL 2010 - Boston, MA
