Small talk – это непринужденный разговор на отвлеченные темы, которые не предполагают договоренностей, обязательств и т. д.
КАК НАУЧИТЬСЯ?
Для успешного освоения small talk специалисты дают несколько рекомендаций:
найдите общие точки соприкосновения с собеседником, чтобы беседа не выглядела поддельной;
● не придавайте значения разговору, но вслушивайтесь в слова говорящего и проявляйте интерес;
● не стройте сложных предложений, задавайте простые вопросы;
● собеседнику будет приятно услышать несколько комплиментов в свою сторону, но не переусердствуйте, иначе он подумает, что вы льстите;
● развивайтесь, читайте, найдите хобби. Разносторонние люди всегда были и будут хорошими собеседниками.
Работа – Work
Погода – Weather
Путешествия – Travel
Хобби – Hobbies
Спорт – Sport
Заголовки новостей – News Headlines
Общее состояние членов семьи – General family wellness
Деньги – Money
Еда – Food
Здоровье – Health
Внешность / мода – Appearance / Fashion
Табу
Религия – Religion
Политика – Politics
Секс – Sex
Слухи, сплетни – Gossips
Деньги – Money
Проблемы со здоровьем – Health problems
Проблемы в семье – Family problems
Говорим о погоде
Существительное – Прилагательное
sun – sunny
солнце – солнечный
cloud – cloudy
облако – облачный
fog – foggy
туман – туманный
Heat – hot
жара – жаркий
wind – windy
ветер – ветреный
ice – ic(e)y
лед – ледяной, холодный
shower – showery
ливень – дождливый, ливневой
humidity – humid
влажность – влажный
A spell (= period – период) of very hot weather often with a thunderstorm. First it becomes very humid (= hot and wet – жарко и влажно), then you get thunder (= гром) and lighting (= молния), and finally, very heavy rain (= it pours with rain – ливень). Afterwards, it is usually cooler and it feels fresher.
Thermometer
Boiling (= very hot)
очень жарко
Hot
жарко
Warm
тепло
Not very warm
не очень тепло
Cold (also chilly)
холодно / прохладно
Freezing (= very cold)
очень холодно, морозно
People round the world have different ideas about temperature:
● 5°C (five degrees centigrade) is freezing for many Brazilians.
● –10°C (minus ten degrees or ten degrees below zero) is very cold but quite normal in the mountains in Switzerland during the winter when it usually snows a lot.
● 30–35°C is boiling for England and very unusual, but it is very common in parts of Spain during the summer.
The first word here is very gentle; the last is more than 100 km per hour and can be very dangerous.
A breeze
ветер, бриз
A wind
ветер
A strong wind
сильный ветер
A gale
шторм, буря
A hurricane
ураган
≡ Examples:
It was a hot day but there was a lovely breeze.
The wind blew my hat off.
The hurricane in Florida destroyed trees and buildings.
1. What’s your home town?
2. Do you live there now?
3. What state/province is it in?
4. Is it the largest city in the state/province?
5. What’s the climate like?
6. Is it mild/hot/dry/wet/cold?
7. Is it near the mountains/desert/a river?
8. Is it far from the border with another country?
9. Is it a center of tourism?
10. What industries are there?
11. What’s the most famous building?
12. How old it it?
13. How was your trip?
14. How was the traffic (from the airport)?
15. Do you like (this city)?
16. Did you find our offices easily?
17. How is your family?
18. Is this your first visit to (Chicago)?
▪ Alicia and Simon are making small talk or social conversation, before they discuss work.
Simon: There we go. Two teas.
Alicia: Which one’s mine?
Simon: That one. The one without a spoon. There’s sugar in mine, but there’s no sugar in yours.
Alicia: Thanks.
Simon: Be careful, it’s hot!
Simon: Is this your first visit to Vancouver?
Alicia: Yes, it is.
Simon: What do you think of it?
Alicia: It’s beautiful. Really beautiful.
Simon: I agree, but then it’s my home town!
Simon: Where are you staying?
Alicia: At the Columbia Towers. Do you know it?
Simon: Yes, it’s on Granville Street. What’s it like?
Alicia: It’s excellent.
Simon: Good.
Simon: How do you like the weather here?
Alicia: It’s fine. Not too hot. San Diego’s pretty hot at this time of year. Anyhow, is it going to rain? I want dry weather for my pictures.
Simon: We get a lot of rain in the fall and winter. December and January are the wettest months. But the weather forecast is OK for this week.
Alicia: Great.