Small talk — speaking questions
35 everyday questions about small talk, each with a natural answer and the key phrases to use.
A24
Are you good at remembering people's names when you first meet them?
When a cashier or a taxi driver starts chatting, what do you usually do?
Where do you find it easiest to strike up a conversation with someone you don't know?
When you're waiting somewhere with strangers, do you reach for your phone or strike up a chat?
B110
Imagine you're abroad and barely speak the local language. How would you handle a chatty stranger?
When you're not sure what to say, what's the topic you instinctively fall back on?
Talking about the weather gets mocked a lot. Is it genuinely pointless, or is something else going on?
Tell me about a time you complimented a complete stranger out of the blue.
Is it easier to chat with someone when you're both doing an activity rather than just sitting face to face?
Tell me about a time a stranger said something small that made your whole day better.
What's your go-to thing to say when you need to break the ice with someone new?
Imagine you're stuck in a lift with a total stranger for ten minutes. What would you talk about?
A shy friend asks how to handle small talk at a party. What would you tell them?
If you could ban one overused small-talk question forever, which would it be?
B210
Tell me about a casual chat with a stranger that unexpectedly grew into something more — a friendship, a job, anything.
If you could read the other person's mind during small talk, would you actually want to?
What are your top two or three favourite questions to ask a new person, and why do they work so well?
When a conversation goes quiet, do you sit happily in the silence or rush to fill it?
Do you find small talk easier one-on-one or in a group of several people?
Rank the small-talk topics you'd reach for at a party from safest to riskiest, and tell me why.
Imagine small talk was banned for a whole day and everyone had to skip straight to deep questions. How would that go?
Some people think small talk is a waste of time. Where do you stand on that?
How is the way you chat with old friends different from chatting with people you've just met?
Looking back, is there an awkward small-talk moment you still cringe about?
C17
Think of someone you know who's brilliant at small talk. What exactly do they do that makes it work?
Do you think 'So, what do you do?' is a good way to get to know someone, or does it tell you almost nothing?
Someone asks how to politely escape a small-talk conversation that's dragging on. What's your best advice?
How does small talk in person compare with the kind you have in chats and comment threads online?
When someone casually asks 'How are you?', how honestly do you actually answer?
Describe the best listener you've ever talked to. What did being on the receiving end feel like?
Are people where you're from chatty with strangers, or is small talk with someone you don't know a bit unusual?