How to Start Small Talk in English

How many times have you had small talk in English? Whether it’s having a conversation with a stranger in the shop, talking to colleagues before the conference call starts, or to the recruiter prior to the interview, today, small talk is difficult to avoid and challenging for many people.

If it’s your case, don’t be shy! We’ll share with you some of the techniques that will make you feel more confident in small talk.

Practice in advance

Learning and practicing expressions and dialogues in advance will help you along the way. If you don’t know where to start just yet, these are some topics to help you begin your small talk in a nice way.

Weather

Weather is the most neutral conversation starter one can imagine: “Nice/horrible day, isn’t it?”, “They say it’s going to snow tomorrow.”

The place you’re in

If you’re at the conference in some hotel, and you bump into your colleagues, you could comment about it: “Beautiful hotel, isn’t it?

Life

If you run into someone you haven’t been in touch for a while, you could say: “Hi there! I haven’t seen you in ages! How have you been?” The answer could be: “I’ve been great! What’s new with you?”

Give a compliment

It’s great and flattering to see people smiling when they get complimented. Say: “That’s a nice dress! Where did you get it?” or “I love your skirt.”

Simple remarks and questions like these ones will make you sound friendly and hopefully get the conversation started.