- Hi, Cambly learners.

My name's Lizzie and I'm a teacher here on Cambly.

And today, I'm going to talk about

how you can make small talk in English.

So first, what is small talk?

Well, small talk is polite conversation

about unimportant topics.

So, it's not very meaningful or deep conversation.

It's more general, friendly, polite conversation.

So it's common to use small talk

when you're talking to strangers

or people you don't know very well.

And if you want to learn how to start a conversation

with someone in English, knowing how to make small talk

is a great place to start.

So in this video, I'm going to go over some different topics

and phrases that you could use if you want to make

small talk with someone in English.

Let's start with some different topics.

The first topic I want to discuss is the weather.

Now, British people in particular,

talk about the weather a lot,

and it's a great way to start a conversation with someone,

particularly someone you don't really know very well.

So here are some different phrases that you could use.

Lovely day today, isn't it?

It looks like it's going to rain.

I saw in the forecast it's going to be windy next week.

And obviously, you can adapt these to suit you.

So go ahead and type in the comments

some of these phrases and change them,

so that they match how the weather is where you are today.

Let's move on to another topic.

Another topic you could discuss

is the arts or entertainment.

So this covers things like movies, TV programs, books,

restaurants, all of these things.

So here are some useful phrases you could use.

Are you reading any good books at the moment?

Have you seen the new Batman film yet?

I heard it's really good.

I was listening to this really interesting podcast

the other day about gardening.

Have you tried that Italian restaurant yet

that's in the city?

I heard that their pizzas are amazing.

Another topic you could discuss is sports.

Now be careful with this one as it could become

not so much like small talk if you're discussing sports,

as a lot of people feel very passionate

about the sports teams they support and they're fans of.

So it could end up leading to awkward conversations

or arguments, but I'm gonna give you some phrases

you could use anyway.

Did you watch the football game at the weekend?

Who do you think will win the basketball match tonight?

Who will you support

in the Ireland versus England football match?

The final topic I want to discuss is current events.

So this could be things that are happening in the news,

maybe in local news, international news, whatever.

It could also be celebrity news or gossip.

Again, here are some useful phrases you could use.

Did you hear about the fire last night on Rose Street?

What do you think about the rail strikes?

I heard on the news that they're closing down

the shopping center.

Now, let's think about some different situations

that you might find yourself in

when you might want to make small talk.

So these could be at the office,

when you're waiting somewhere, or at a social event.

I'm gonna give you some useful phrases you could use

if you find yourself in these situation.

Firstly, at the office.

You could say, "Have you worked here long?"

Or, "I can't believe how slow or fast today is going."

"I can't believe how busy or quiet it's been today."

"What are your plans for this weekend?"

Or, "What did you do at the weekend?"

Depending what time of the week it is.

Now, let's think of a different situation.

Let's talk about if you're waiting somewhere.

So maybe you're waiting for a bus, or a train,

or maybe you're in doctors waiting in the reception

for your appointment.

These are all times when you might want

to start a conversation with someone and make small talk.

So here are some useful phrases you could use.

If it's really busy and you're waiting a long time,

you might say, "I didn't think it would be so busy today."

Or you might ask someone, "How long have you been waiting?"

It's very common in these situations

to also talk about some of the topics I mentioned

at the beginning of the video.

So maybe you'll talk about the weather,

or maybe you'll talk about some current events,

or something that's happened in your local area.

Let's move on to the final situation,

which is at a social event.

So this could be at a party,

or a gathering, or at a restaurant.

In all of these situations,

you might want to make small talk.

Particularly, if you're in a place

where you don't know people so well

or you haven't seen them for a long time.

You could ask, "So how do you know Claire?"

"Have you tried the cocktails?"

Or, "Have you tried the sandwiches?

They're really good."

"Are you having a good time?"

And another really common thing to do

is to compliment someone and then ask them a question.

For example, you might say, "I love your top.

Where's that from?"

Or, "I love your shoes.

Where did you buy them from?"

Again, at a social event, it's also appropriate

to talk about any of the topics

I mentioned at the beginning.

So the weather, current events,

arts or entertainment, or even sports.

So there you have it.

Lots of different ways that you can make small talk

with someone in English.

Leave a comment below if you can think of any other ways

that you can start a conversation with someone in English.

If you want to practice using some of these phrases,

why don't you try having a conversation

with a native English speaker on Cambly?

It's a great app with native English speakers

from all over the world,

and you can learn from the comfort of your own home.

You'll find a link below this video,

where you can join Cambly and book a lesson with me

or another English teacher and at discounted price.

Just use the link or the code.

Thank you for watching this video.

I hope it was useful.

(gentle music)