Small Talk:
“The most important conversation you can learn!”
All right ESL Learners, I’m about to teach you the most important conversation you can learn. We call it “Small Talk” in English and it refers to the tiny, little conversations we have everyday when we bump into people on the street, on the subway, at work, at play, anywhere. Believe it or not, 90% of the “Small Talk” conversation speech patterns can be memorized. There are some simple rules that can make you look good very easily. Getting them wrong, doesn’t look so good. Basically, “Small Talk” is also the most comfortable and casual conversation that English people like to have. Therefore, mastering “small talk” will really help to make foreign, English friends. When we’re living in Korea, we also really need a chance to relax and just speak our comfortable language.
Why learn small talk?
- You can make instant English friends. (Foreigners need friends for comfortable conversation. These basic questions are almost like a “friendship compatibility test.”)
- These are some very very simple, but important speech patterns.
- It will help your basic conversation skills. (I’ve worked with highly educated Koreans who wanted to learn so many words, but they failed these basic speech habits.)
- It’s the most common English conversation there is! This is the exact stuff native speakers say every day in their regular life routines!
Question: 1. How’s it going?
Variations:So, how’s it going? Hey, how’s it going?Hey John, how’s it going?Hey Lisa, how’s it going?
Korean: 어떻게 지내요?
Answer:It’s going ______.
good, ok, all right, well, great, fantastic, terrific, bad, so so,shitty, crappy
Also common: It’s not going well.
Korean 잘 지내요.
Tips:
Note: Please don’t forget to answer with these exact words: It’s going _____.
Don’t say, “I’m going good.”It will immediately sound incorrect! Not good!
Question:2. What’s new?
Variations:So, what’s new? Hey, what’s new? Hey David, what’s new?
Korean: 새 소식 있어요?
Answer: Nothing new. (usual answer)
Nothing new.
Variations: Oh nothing much. It’s my birthday today! I got a new job, girlfriend, cellphone, etc.
Korean: 소식 없어요.
Question: 3. How was ___?
Variations: So, how was the _____ ?
the movie, the game, the test, your weekend, the meeting, your presentation, your speech, your date
Korean: ~는 어땠어요?
Answer: It was ___?
Variations:
good, ok, so so, not bad, great, awesome
Korean: 좋았어요. (It was good)
Question: 4. Did you have a good weekend?
Variations:Did you go to the movie? Did you go to the movie? Did you go on a date?
Korean: 주말 잘 보냈어요?
Answer:Yes I did. No I didn’t.
Variations: Not much variation here. Simple answer, but you can talk more about what you did.
Example: Yes I did see the movie Avatar. It was awesome.
Korean: 내, 잘보냈어요?
Question: 5. What did you do?
Variations:
What’d you do?
So, what’d you do?.
What joo do? (*fast pronunciation, not actual English words)
Korean: 뭐 했어요?
Answer:
I went to school.
Variations:
I played a game. I studied English. I watched TV.
Korean: 학교에 갔어요.
Question: 6. How is your ____?
Variations:
How’s ______? How’s the ______? How’s your _____?
Examples: How’s school? How’s life? How’s the job? How’s your wife? How’s your family? How’s your work (going)?
Korean: _____ 어때요?
Answer: It is _____.
It’s good, ok, so so, great, awesome, amazing, incredible, horrible, pretty bad, pretty good.
Variation: It’s ___.
Question: 7. What will you do? What are you going to do?
Variations: What’ll you do? What are you going to do? Whadyah gonna do?
Korean: 뭐 할거예요?
Answer: I will ___.
I will go to school. I will play a game. I will read. I will practice tae-kwon-do.
Variation: I’m going to _____
I’m going to see a movie. I’m gonna eat dinner. I’m gonna study. I’m gonna fix my car.
Question:8. What do you have to do? What do you got to do?
Variations:
Whadyah have to do?
What do you got to do?
Whatdyah gotta do?
Korean: 뭘 해야되요?
Answer:
I have to _____. I got to ______.
I have to study. I got to study.
I have to go to work. I got to do my homework.
Question: 9. Do you have any plans this weekend?
Variations:
So, what are you up to this weekend?
Hey, what are you doing this weekend?
Have you got any plans for the weekend?
Korean: 이번 주말에 계획있어요?
Answer:
Yes I do. No I don’t. (“Do you” or “Have you” question)
Yes, I’m going to a movie. I’m going to see “Titanic”. I’m going to a concert. Unfortunately, I gotta work (“got to” spoken fast = gotta)
I’m going hiking at Soraksan Mountain. I’m going to the beach. I’m going to the bar with my friends. I’m going out for dinner.
Oh nothing much, just studying at home.
Question: 10. What’s it like?
Variations and Possible Answers:
What was the movie like? It was funny.
What the teacher like? He’s really cool.
What’s your schedule like? It’s very busy.
What’s your Dad like? He’s very easy going.
Korean: 이건 어떻꼐 섕겼어요?
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