
- •1. Introduce yourself and ask students to introduce themselves in a circle:
- •2. Explain the main topic: Small talk
- •3. Small talk Article and Discussion (Handouts)
- •Small Talk: Who, What, Where, When, Why?
- •4. Conversation Starters
- •5. Small Talk Practice 1: At a Bus Stop (Make it Together)
- •6. Small talk game (pairs)
- •7. Grammar Part
6. Small talk game (pairs)
First, discuss one more time appropriate topics. Task: Which topics are appropriate for small talk discussions? For those topics which are appropriate, think of one interesting comment to make when the teacher calls on you. For those topics which are not appropriate, be able to explain why you believe they are not appropriate for small talk.
Game. Each student has thirty seconds to begin making a comment about the suggested subject. If he can not, he loses his turn!
Subjects (Read one for each student in a circle)
Your best friend
The last film you saw
Pets
Rock and roll
A magazine
Learning a language
Playing tennis
Your current job
An interesting excursion nearby
The Internet
Marilyn Monroe
Keeping healthy
Human cloning
Your favorite food
Finding a job in your country
The last book you read
Your worst holiday
Something you've never done, but would like to do
Teachers - what you like
Teachers - what you don't like
7. Grammar Part
This is an introductory grammar part of our course.
Discuss with students what grammar (or other learning) problems do they have, what learning methods and technics they used, what they liked and didn’t like from this methods.
Write out these problems on a piece of paper, it will be helpful for the next lessons.
Then explain some tenses from this table and make examples. The have this table in the Handouts, so try to make some additional comments from your own teaching experience.
tense |
Affirmative/Negative/Question |
Use |
Signal Words |
Simple Present |
A: He speaks. N: He does not speak. Q: Does he speak? |
|
always, every …, never, normally, often, seldom, sometimes, usually if sentences type I (If Italk, …) |
Present Progressive |
A: He is speaking. N: He is not speaking. Q: Is he speaking? |
|
at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, Look!, now, right now |
Simple Past |
A: He spoke. N: He did not speak. Q: Did he speak? |
|
yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday if sentence type II (If Italked, …) |
Past Progressive |
A: He was speaking. N: He was not speaking. Q: Was he speaking? |
|
when, while, as long as |
Present Perfect Simple |
A: He has spoken. N: He has not spoken. Q: Has he spoken? |
|
already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now |
Present Perfect Progressive |
A: He has been speaking. N: He has not been speaking. Q: Has he been speaking? |
|
all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week |
Past Perfect Simple |
A: He had spoken. N: He had not spoken. Q: Had he spoken? |
|
already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day if sentence type III (If Ihad talked, …) |
Past Perfect Progressive |
A: He had been speaking. N: He had not been speaking. Q: Had he been speaking? |
|
for, since, the whole day, all day |
Future I Simple |
A: He will speak. N: He will not speak. Q: Will he speak? |
|
in a year, next …, tomorrow If-Satz Typ I (If you ask her, she will help you.) assumption: I think, probably, perhaps |
Future I Simple (going to) |
A: He is going to speak. N: He is not going to speak. Q: Is he going to speak? |
|
in one year, next week, tomorrow |
Future I Progressive |
A: He will be speaking. N: He will not be speaking. Q: Will he be speaking? |
|
in one year, next week, tomorrow |
Future II Simple |
A: He will have spoken. N: He will not have spoken. Q: Will he have spoken? |
|
by Monday, in a week |
Future II Progressive |
A: He will have been speaking. N: He will not have been speaking. Q: Will he have been speaking? |
|
for …, the last couple of hours, all day long |
Conditional I Simple |
A: He would speak. N: He would not speak. Q: Would he speak? |
|
if sentences type II (If I were you, I would go home.) |
Conditional I Progressive |
A: He would be speaking. N: He would not be speaking. Q: Would he be speaking? |
|
|
Conditional II Simple |
A: He would have spoken. N: He would not have spoken. Q: Would he have spoken? |
|
if sentences type III (If I had seen that, Iwould have helped.) |
Conditional II Progressive |
A: He would have been speaking. N: He would not have been speaking. Q: Would he have been speaking? |
|
|
Exercises:
Do these exercises together, or left it for a Hometask
1)
We |
2) I to visit you yesterday, but you not at home.(to want) (to be) |
3) Look! It , so we can't to the beach. (to rain) (to go) |
4) There are a lot of clouds! It soon. (to rain) |
5) The sun in the East. (to rise) |
6) Since 2011 they their son every year. (to visit) |
7) While the doctor Mr Jones, his son outside this morning. (to examine) (to wait) |
8) I for my girlfriend for two hours. (to wait) |
9) After Larry the film on TV, he decided to buy the book. (to see) |
10) Wait a minute, I this box for you. (to carry) |
Put in the verbs in brackets in the correct tenses.
1. |
|
Although the police ______ every precaution, the robber managed to escape. |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(A) |
Take |
|
||||
|
|
(B) |
Takes |
|
||||
|
|
(C) |
has taken |
|
||||
|
|
(D) |
had taken |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2. |
|
The boys ______ television every night unless they have homework. |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(A) |
Watch |
|
||||
|
|
(B) |
Watches |
|
||||
|
|
(C) |
Watched |
|
||||
|
|
(D) |
Watching |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3. |
|
Maria ______ an appointment to see the doctor. It is at 10.00 am. tomorrow. |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(A) |
Make |
|
||||
|
|
(B) |
Makes |
|
||||
|
|
(C) |
Made |
|
||||
|
|
(D) |
has made |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4. |
|
They ______ when they are ready. |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(A) |
Come |
|
||||
|
|
(B) |
Came |
|
||||
|
|
(C) |
will come |
|
||||
|
|
(D) |
have come |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5. |
|
Judy ______ watching horror films although she has nightmares afterwards. |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(A) |
Like |
|
||||
|
|
(B) |
Likes |
|
||||
|
|
(C) |
Liked |
|
||||
|
|
(D) |
will like |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6. |
|
It ______ every afternoon for the past week. The weather forecast predicts rain for next week too. |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(A) |
is raining |
|
||||
|
|
(B) |
was raining |
|
||||
|
|
(C) |
has been raining |
|
||||
|
|
(D) |
had been raining |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7. |
|
I ______ the door before I realized that the keys were inside the house. |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(A) |
lock |
|
||||
|
|
(B) |
locked |
|
||||
|
|
(C) |
has locked |
|
||||
|
|
(D) |
had locked |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
8. |
|
When Sally ______ her first pay, she bought presents for her parents. |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
(A) |
receive |
|
||||
|
|
(B) |
received |
|
||||
|
|
(C) |
has received |
|
||||
|
|
(D) |
had received |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
9. |
|
It's lovely to wake up in the morning and ______ birds singing. |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
(A) |
hear |
|
||||
|
|
(B) |
hears |
|
||||
|
|
(C) |
heard |
|
||||
|
|
(D) |
hearing |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
10. |
|
Aaron ______ $80.00 for that bag. |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
(A) |
pay |
|
||||
|
|
(B) |
paid |
|
||||
|
|
(C) |
pays |
|
||||
|
|
(D) |
paying |
|
Small Talk Practice 3: At a Party (Hometask)
Read the small talk below and find the 10 mistakes. Then check your answers.
Woman 1: (Standing in a corner drinking a glass of wine by herself) Man: Hi there. Why aren't you dancing? Woman 1: (Smiles. No response.) Man: Hello. Have you tried Felicia's punch yet? Woman 2: No, but I was just about to. Man: Don't. It's terrible. Woman 2: Oh. Okay. Man: So, how are you knowing Rick? Woman 2: Oh, Rick and I go way back. We studied nursing together. Man: Nursing. Hmm. I heard on the radio today that all of you nurses are on strike. Are they not paying you enough? Woman 2: Actually it's about working conditions. Man: I see. So, have you had a chance to take a dip in the pool yet? Woman 2: No, not yet. How about you? Man: No, I need to lose some weight before I put on a bathing suit. But you have a great figure. Woman 2: Uh, thanks. Well, I better go and jingle. There are a few people I haven't said hello to yet. Man: Wait! Did you hear that the Pope is coming to town? Woman 2: Ya. I heard that on the news today. I bet it'll be really tough to get to see him. Man: I know. But I'm not Catholic anyway. Are you? Woman 2: Yes, I am actually. Well, it looks the sun is finally coming out. I think I'll go take that swim. Man: You better hurry. I hear they are asking for thunderstorms this afternoon.
Now check your answers. Did you find all 10 mistakes?
1. Woman 1: (Smiles. No response.) Correction: It is rude not to say anything or answer someone, even if you are shy or don't know the person.
2. Man: Don't. It's terrible. Correction: Keep negative comments out of your small talk. You don't know if the person you are talking about is a close friend of the person you are talking to.
3. Man: So, how are you knowing Rick? Correction: So, how do you know Rick?
4. Man: Nursing. Hmm. I heard on the radio today that all of you nurses are on strike. Are they not paying you enough? Correction: During small talk it is not appropriate to discuss salaries.
5. Man: No, I need to lose some weight before I put on a bathing suit. But you have a great figure. Correction: Even though this is a compliment, it may make someone feel uncomfortable. Complimenting clothing is acceptable for small talk, but bodies are not a "safe" topic.
6. Woman 2: Uh, thanks. Well, I better go and jingle. There are a few people I haven't said hello to yet. Correction: Uh, thanks. Well, I better go and mingle. There are a few people I haven't said hello to yet.
7. Man: Wait! Did you hear that the Pope is coming to town? Correction: The man did not take the cue that the woman wants to end the conversation. "Wait" is a very direct word that should never be used in small talk. You could say, "Oh, before you go..." or "I don't want to keep you, but..." if you have something very important to add or ask.
8. Man: I know. But I'm not Catholic anyway. Are you? Correction: Religion is not a "safe" subject to discuss during small talk.
9. Woman 2: Yes, I am actually. Well, it looks the sun is finally coming out. I think I'll go take that swim. Correction:Yes, I am actually. Well, it looks like the sun is finally coming out. I think I'll go take that swim.
10. Man: You'd better hurry. I hear they are asking for thunderstorms this afternoon. Correction: You'd better hurry. I hear they are calling for thunderstorms this afternoon.
Hometask:
Write an essay about you
watch 1 movie in English
create your small talk! Comment: ask each student to try to find a situation with a native English speaker during the next week where they have a short small talk conversation and then report back to the class the following week on what happened (It could be a Native speaker from the speaking club, or just stranger from facebook or skype. But each student HAS TO try real-life small talk during the next week
exercises
study grammar.
Bottom of Form