Don’t stand so close to me
A few years ago I was at a conference with trainers from all over the world. During a break as I was standing around, sipping my coffee and feeling slightly lost – I knew hardly anyone – I was joined by a woman. We introduced ourselves and started chatting about the sessions we’d been […]
Small talk: Back to basics
What could be easier than introducing yourself in English and engaging in a little, very basic, small talk? It’s a topic covered in the very first unit of many business English books. Yet I notice that these seemingly simple exchanges can cause problems for non-native-speakers. Perhaps because the expressions used here are set phrases which […]
Small talk: Finding a topic to talk about.
The British have got a reputation for talking about the weather. I’m no exception, but I’m very happy to talk about other topics, too. 😉 So if chatting about the weather doesn’t appeal to you, that’s still no reason to avoid small talk. You’re free to bring up other subjects. And in case you’re unsure what […]
