2. Making small talk

Learn useful informal language and practice informal conversations.

1. Small talk.

Watch the video. Answer the questions.

2. Missing words.

Watch part of the video again and choose the actual words that were said.

3. Tails.

In small talk (informal conversation), tails are common. A tail is an expression that is added to an utterance, and which qualifies the utterance in some way.

Can you put the tails back into the dialogue?

4. Small talk (continued).

Watch the second part of the video and answer the questions.

5. Evaluative language.

Small talk uses a lot of evaluative language. Listen to the conversation again. Do you hear these expressions? Tick the words you hear.

6. Evaluative language.

Now classify the evaluative expressions according to the following categories.

7. Evaluative language: Pronunciation.

Listen to and record the words.

8. Small talk (continued).

Watch the final part of the video. Are the statements true or false?

9. Small talk language.

Categorise these expressions.

Watch the videos again and read the subtitles.

10. Speaking practice.

Listen to and record the sentences.