While “small talk” can be challenging, it serves an important cultural and professional function in U.S. culture. The “art of small talk” is therefore an important skill to have if you plan to live, study, or work in the U.S.
Your assignment is to engage in a small talk conversation with a native speaker (preferably an American). It could be a roommate, a classmate, someone at the bus stop, a cashier at a store—anyone. It should not be an in-depth conversation (although if you end up talking for a long time, great!).
Use the backchanneling and small talk strategies we discussed in class, the idea of conversation styles, and this 2-minute Business Insider video about “How to Make Small Talk.”
Bring the following, typed and printed, to class and be prepared to share it with the class:
- Who did you talk to?
- How did you start the conversation?
- What “backchanneling” strategies did you use, and how did the other person “backchannel”? What “conversation style” do you think you followed, and why?
- What topics did you discuss?
- How did you end the conversation?
- Did you find it easy or difficult to keep the conversation going? Why?
- Did you find it easy or difficult to understand the other person? Why?
- Was this assignment more or less challenging than you expected?