- Talking about your country and getting information about places you visit
- Talking about your likes and dislikes: favourite food.
WARM UP
THINK and ANSWER
- How do you think what?s the purpose of the small talk?
- Read the extract from Wikipedia and try to fill in the gaps using the words from the grid. Remember to put the verbs.
avoid |
mitigate |
lubricate |
merge |
pass |
signal |
Purpose of small talk.
In spite of seeming to have little useful purpose, small talk is a bonding ritual and a strategy for managing interpersonal distance. It serves many functions in helping to define the relationships between friends, work colleagues, and new acquaintances. In particular, it helps new acquaintances to explore and categorize each other’s social position. Small talk is closely related to the need for people to maintain positive face ? to feel approved-of by those who are listening to them. It social interactions in a very flexible way, although the desired function is often dependent on the point in the conversation at which the small talk occurs:
- Conversation opener; When the talkers do not know each other, it allows them to show that they have friendly intentions and desire some sort of positive interaction. In a business meeting, it enables people to establish each other’s reputation and level of expertise. Where there is already a relationship between the two talkers, their small talk serves as a gentle introduction before engaging in more functional topics of conversation. It allows them to signal their own mood and to sense the mood of the other person.
- At the end of a conversation; Suddenly ending an exchange may risk appearing to reject the other person. Small talk can be used to that rejection, affirm the relationship between the two people, and soften the parting.
- Space filler to silence; in many cultures, silences between two people are usually considered uncomfortable. Tension can be reduced by starting phatic talk until a more substantial subject arises. Generally, humans find prolonged silence uncomfortable, and sometimes unbearable. This can be due to human evolutionary history as a social species, as in many other social animals silence is a communicative sign of potential danger.
In some conversations there is no specific functional or informative element at all. The following example of small talk is between two colleagues who each other in a hallway:
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Purpose of small talk.
In spite of seeming to have little useful purpose, small talk is a bonding ritual and a strategy for managing interpersonal distance. It serves many functions in helping to define the relationships between friends, work colleagues, and new acquaintances. In particular, it helps new acquaintances to explore and categorize each other’s social position. Small talk is closely related to the need for people to maintain positive face ? to feel approved-of by those who are listening to them. It lubricates social interactions in a very flexible way, although the desired function is often dependent on the point in the conversation at which the small talk occurs:
- Conversation opener; When the talkers do not know each other, it allows them to show that they have friendly intentions and desire some sort of positive interaction. In a business meeting, it enables people to establish each other’s reputation and level of expertise. Where there is already a relationship between the two talkers, their small talk serves as a gentle introduction before engaging in more functional topics of conversation. It allows them to signal their own mood and to sense the mood of the other person.
- At the end of a conversation; Suddenly ending an exchange may risk appearing to reject the other person. Small talk can be used to mitigate that rejection, affirm the relationship between the two people, and soften the parting.
- Space filler to avoid silence; in many cultures, silences between two people are usually considered uncomfortable. Tension can be reduced by starting phatic talk until a more substantial subject arises. Generally, humans find prolonged silence uncomfortable, and sometimes unbearable. This can be due to human evolutionary history as a social species, as in many other social animals silence is a communicative sign of potential danger.
In some conversations there is no specific functional or informative element at all. The following example of small talk is between two colleagues who pass each other in a hallway:
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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_talk
- Do you find the text interesting? Why?
- What does the word ?pathic? mean? Have you ever come across this word?
DEFINITION OF PHATIC
relating to, or being speech used to share feelings or to establish a mood of sociability rather than to communicate information or ideas.
For Polish definition of phatic, check the site: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funkcja_fatyczna_j%C4%99zyka
EXTENDING YOUR VOCABULARY
Exercise 1:
Match the definitions with the words or phrases from the text.
lubricate |
? |
1. to make a movement or sound to give somebody a message | |
mitigate |
? |
2. to combine or join together, or to cause things to do this | |
avoid |
? |
3. to make something less harmful, serious | |
signal |
? |
4. to put a lubricant on something such as the parts of a machine, to help them move smoothly | |
merge |
? |
5. to prevent something from happening or to not allow yourself to do something | |
pass |
? |
6. to go past something or someone |
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lubricate 4 / mitigate 3 / avoid 5 / signal 1 / merge 2 / pass 6
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Exercise 2
Complete the sentences with the words from the previous exercise.
avoid |
mitigate |
lubricate |
merge |
pass |
signal |
- I try to supermarkets on Saturdays – they’re always so busy.
- I him on the stairs this morning.
- It is unclear how to effects of tourism on the island.
- A car engine needs to be well with oil.
- The union has that the workers will strike.
- They decided to the two companies into one.
[key]
- I try to avoid supermarkets on Saturdays – they’re always so busy.
- I passed him on the stairs this morning.
- It is unclear how to mitigate the effects of tourism on the island.
- A car engine needs to be well lubricated with oil.
- The union has signalled that the workers will strike.
- They decided to merge the two companies into one.
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SPEAKING
Exercise 1
Try to give your own definition of small talk.
Exercise 2: practice new vocabulary
Answer the questions using the suggested words in brackets.
1. What is the primary function of small talk in interpersonal communication?
(it functions)
2. In a what way small talk ?lubricates? social interactions?
(lubricates)
3. What can small talk be used for?
(mitigate)
4. What does small talk help to avoid?
(avoid)
PART TWO
TALKING ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY AND GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT PLACES YOU VISIT.
Exercise 1
Look at the questions below and order them to a proper category. Put ?+? in a proper column.
QUESTIONS | about your country | about places you visit |
---|---|---|
How long does it take to get to the airport? | ||
Which areas should I avoid / can be dangerous? | ||
What attractions are there in your capital city? | ||
Can you tell me a bit about history of your country? | ||
How do I get to the main tourist attraction? | ||
What are your famous customs / traditions? | ||
What?s the most convenient way to get to ?? | ||
What famous people come from your country? | ||
What is the best place to stay at? | ||
Are there any famous festivals in your country? | ||
What is your famous national dish? | ||
What are people from your country like? | ||
Where is the tourist information? | ||
What souvenirs should one bring from your country? | ||
What is your country famous for? | ||
Which town / city would you recommend to see in your country? |
[key]
QUESTIONS | about your country | about places you visit |
---|---|---|
How long does it take to get to the airport? | ||
Which areas should I avoid / can be dangerous? | ||
What attractions are there in your capital city? | ||
Can you tell me a bit about history of your country? | ||
How do I get to the main tourist attraction? | ||
What are your famous customs / traditions? | ||
What?s the most convenient way to get to ?? | ||
What famous people come from your country? | ||
What is the best place to stay at? | ||
Are there any famous festivals in your country? | ||
What is your famous national dish? | ||
What are people from your country like? | ||
Where is the tourist information? | ||
What souvenirs should one bring from your country? | ||
What is your country famous for? | ||
Which town / city would you recommend to see in your country? |
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Exercise 2: speaking
Answer all the questions from the chart.
TALKING ABOUT YOUR PREFERENCES
Exercise 1:
What expressions do you know to talk about your likes and dislikes?
Order the phrases to the proper column.
LIKE | DISLIKE | |
---|---|---|
I like | ||
I don?t like ? | ||
I really like ? / I like ?. very much. | ||
I dislike ? | ||
I love ? | ||
I hate ? | ||
I?m crazy about ? | ||
I detest ? |
[key]
LIKE | DISLIKE | |
---|---|---|
I like | ||
I don?t like ? | ||
I really like ? / I like ?. very much. | ||
I dislike ? | ||
I love ? | ||
I hate ? | ||
I?m crazy about ? | ||
I detest ? |
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SPEAKING EXERCISES ? TALKING ABOUT YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD
Exercise 1:
Answer the general questions about food.
QUESTION | ANSWER |
---|---|
What are your eating habits? | |
Is food important for you? | |
Do you try to eat health-consciously? | |
Are you fussy about some types of food? | |
Do you like cooking? | |
Do you often eat out? | |
Do you nibble between meals? |
Exercise 2: THINK AND SAY
Imagine you are in an informal meeting with some of your business partners. You are about to order some food and the conversation about eating habits, favourite food and cooking starts.
- What questions would you ask your business partners?
- What questions can they ask?
THINK
HOW WOULD YOU COMPLETE THE QUESTIONS BELOW?
1. What?s your favourite of food / drink?
2. What?s your favourite ?
3. What?s your favourite ?
4. What?s your favourite ?
5. Do you prefer home-made or food?
6. Are you ?
7. Do you like mild food?
8. What?s the for your national / favourite dish?
[key]
1. What?s your favourite type of food?
2. What?s your favourite cuisine?
3. What?s your favourite dish?
4. What?s your favourite dessert?
5. Do you prefer home-made or ready-made food?
6. Are you a vegetarian?
7. Do you like spicy or mild food?
8. What?s the recipe for your national / favourite dish?
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Answer the questions using both the words and phrases from the box and your own ones.
all types of |
I don?t mind any ? |
Chinese |
Japanese |
Mexican |
not too hot |
not too spicy |
only mild |
only home-made |
exclude |
ready-made things |
fusion cuisine |
beef |
fish |
Asian food |
favourite recipe |
old recipes |
no dairy products |
greasy food poultry |
find cooking entertaining |
never eat out |
Italian meat |
don?t have a sweet tooth |
not very picky |