English Podcast For Learning English How to SMALL TALK | English Leap Podcast | Part 1 — Transcript

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1. 0:00English leap podcast from speak English
2. 0:03with
3. 0:04class hello everyone welcome back to the
4. 0:07English leap podcast I'm Jennifer your
5. 0:10friendly guide to mastering English
6. 0:13conversations and I'm Daniel we're so
7. 0:16glad you're here with us today let's
8. 0:17make learning English easy fun and
9. 0:20something you can use in real life
10. 0:22Daniel quick question how good are you
11. 0:25at small talk you know those short
12. 0:27conversations when you're waiting for
13. 0:28the bus or meeting new oh Jennifer small
14. 0:32talk and I don't get along sometimes the
15. 0:35other day someone asked me how's your
16. 0:37weekend going and I said good but I
17. 0:39accidentally burned my toast this
18. 0:41morning they just looked at me like I
19. 0:43was sharing a tragic story that's funny
20. 0:47I know what you mean I once tried to
21. 0:49start a conversation with someone at the
22. 0:51grocery store by asking do you think
23. 0:54carrots or broccoli are better for soup
24. 0:57they just said I don't cook and walked
25. 1:00away well small talk can feel awkward
26. 1:03sometimes but the good news is it
27. 1:04doesn't have to be and that's exactly
28. 1:07what we're talking about today how to
29. 1:09make small talk simple and fun uhhuh
30. 1:12here's something for our listeners have
31. 1:14you ever been in a situation where you
32. 1:16didn't know what to say maybe it was
33. 1:18meeting someone new at work or sitting
34. 1:20next to someone on a train mhm or maybe
35. 1:23someone asked you how are you and you
36. 1:26just said fine even though you wanted to
37. 1:29say more but didn't know how sound
38. 1:32familiar that happens to so many of us
39. 1:35small talk can feel uncomfortable but
40. 1:38really it's just about starting a
41. 1:40connection I once made a friend because
42. 1:43we both talked about how much we love
43. 1:45rainy days while waiting for a
44. 1:47bus that's a great example Small Talk
45. 1:51isn't about saying something perfect
46. 1:53it's about being friendly and open even
47. 1:56a simple chat can brighten someone's day
48. 1:58mhm oh before we go any further don't
49. 2:01forget we've prepared a free PDF for
50. 2:05this episode it has all the tips
51. 2:07questions and answers we'll share
52. 2:09today yes you can find it in the
53. 2:12description below it's a great way to
54. 2:14follow along and review later plus you
55. 2:16can practice with it
56. 2:18anytime so make sure to download it and
57. 2:21let's get started with today's topic
58. 2:25[Music]
59. 2:34all right let's begin with the
60. 2:36basics what exactly is Small Talk small
61. 2:40talk is light easy
62. 2:42conversation it's the kind of chat you
63. 2:44have with people when you don't know
64. 2:45them well it's not about serious topics
65. 2:49it's about being friendly and making the
66. 2:50other person feel
67. 2:52comfortable yes small talk is like
68. 2:55saying hello in a longer way it helps
69. 2:58you and the other person relax
70. 3:00and it shows you're open to
71. 3:02connecting the main purpose of small
72. 3:04talk is to find something you both can
73. 3:06talk about something you share like a
74. 3:08favorite hobby a place you visited or
75. 3:11even the
76. 3:12weather here's a key rule think of
77. 3:15yourself like a
78. 3:16detective ask simple questions to find
79. 3:19clues about what the other person likes
80. 3:21when you discover something in common
81. 3:23the conversation flows
82. 3:25naturally that's so true and here's a
83. 3:29tip most small talk is about a few easy
84. 3:31topics work travel food life and the
85. 3:35weather uhhuh and here's the good news
86. 3:3990 to 95% of small talk is about these
87. 3:42topics so if you're ready to talk about
88. 3:44them you'll always have something to say
89. 3:47it's like having a conversation cheat
90. 3:49sheet and the best part these topics are
91. 3:52super easy to prepare
92. 3:54for all right listeners now that we've
93. 3:56introduced The Art of small talk let's
94. 3:59focus on the most popular topics people
95. 4:01love to talk about to keep this episode
96. 4:04short and easy to follow we'll focus on
97. 4:06two big topics today work and
98. 4:10travel and don't worry topics like food
99. 4:13life and weather are just as important
100. 4:15and we'll save those for part two of
101. 4:17this series that way we can keep things
102. 4:20simple and avoid making this video too
103. 4:22long here's where we need your help if
104. 4:25you enjoy this video and want to see
105. 4:27part two make sure to hit like share it
106. 4:30and let us know in the
107. 4:32comments your feedback helps us know
108. 4:34what you love and helps us plan future
109. 4:37episodes yes your support really means a
110. 4:40lot to us if you're excited for part two
111. 4:43of small talk let us know and we'll
112. 4:45bring it to you
113. 4:46soon all right listeners let's dive into
114. 4:50the fun part questions and answers for
115. 4:52small
116. 4:53talk yes today we'll share 15 questions
117. 4:57and answers for each category
118. 5:00but don't just listen practice these
119. 5:03examples and adapt the answers to fit
120. 5:04your
121. 5:06situation
122. 5:07exactly use these as templates to feel
123. 5:10confident starting or joining any
124. 5:12conversation let's start with work it's
125. 5:15one of the easiest ways to start a
126. 5:17conversation whether about your job your
127. 5:20day or even your dream role and if
128. 5:23you're a student you can talk about your
129. 5:25studies or favorite subjects keep it
130. 5:27light and positive
131. 5:30now let's go through 15 work rated small
132. 5:32talk questions and answers practice and
133. 5:35make them your
134. 5:38own what do you do for a
135. 5:41living I'm a graphic designer I create
136. 5:44logos and design websites for
137. 5:46businesses do you enjoy your
138. 5:48job yes I do it's creative and allows me
139. 5:52to work with amazing people what's the
140. 5:56best part of your job I love seeing my
141. 5:59designs come to life and how happy they
142. 6:01make my
143. 6:02clients what's the most challenging part
144. 6:04of your work sometimes meeting deadlines
145. 6:07can be stressful but I've learned how to
146. 6:09manage my time well how long have you
147. 6:12been in this role I've been working as a
148. 6:15graphic designer for 5 years now did you
149. 6:18always want to do this job not at first
150. 6:22I wanted to be a teacher but I fell in
151. 6:24love with Art and
152. 6:25Design what's a typical day at work like
153. 6:27for you I used usually start by checking
154. 6:30emails then work on design projects and
155. 6:33end the day with Team meetings are you
156. 6:36working on any exciting projects right
157. 6:38now yes I'm designing a website for a
158. 6:41nonprofit organization it's really
159. 6:44meaningful work do you prefer working
160. 6:46alone or in a
161. 6:48team I enjoy both I love brainstorming
162. 6:52with my team but also need quiet time to
163. 6:54focus what skills do you need for your
164. 6:57job creativity attention to detail and
165. 7:01good communication skills are essential
166. 7:04what's your dream job I'd love to be a
167. 7:07Travel Photographer and combine my love
168. 7:09for art and exploring new
169. 7:11places do you work from home or the
170. 7:14office mostly from home but I visit the
171. 7:17office for team meetings a few times a
172. 7:19month how do you relax after work I
173. 7:23usually go for a walk or do some
174. 7:25painting it helps me
175. 7:27unwind what advice would you give
176. 7:29someone starting in your
177. 7:31field keep learning and don't be afraid
178. 7:33to make mistakes it's the best way to
179. 7:36grow what's your favorite memory from
180. 7:38work one time a client loved my designs
181. 7:41so much that they sent me a thank you
182. 7:43letter and flowers it felt
183. 7:46amazing all right let's move to our next
184. 7:49category travel it's such an exciting
185. 7:52topic because everyone loves to talk
186. 7:54about places they've been or dream of
187. 7:57visiting yes even if if you haven't
188. 8:00traveled much you can share places you'd
189. 8:02like to go your favorite types of
190. 8:04Vacations or even a fun memory from a
191. 8:07short trip travel connects people it's a
192. 8:11great way to
193. 8:12bond exactly so let's go through some
194. 8:15travel related Small Talk questions and
195. 8:20answers have you traveled anywhere
196. 8:22recently yes I went to the mountains
197. 8:25last weekend it was so peaceful and
198. 8:27refreshing what's your favorite place
199. 8:29you
200. 8:30visited I loved visiting Italy the food
201. 8:34the history and the art were
202. 8:36incredible do you prefer the beach or
203. 8:38the
204. 8:39mountains I prefer the beach I love the
205. 8:42sound of the waves and relaxing Under
206. 8:43the
207. 8:44Sun what's your dream travel
208. 8:47destination I'd love to visit Japan
209. 8:49during cherry blossom season it looks
210. 8:52magical do you enjoy traveling alone or
211. 8:55with
212. 8:55others I enjoy traveling with friends
213. 8:58it's more fun to share share the
214. 9:00experience have you ever had a funny or
215. 9:03unusual travel
216. 9:05experience yes I once got lost in a
217. 9:07small town in Spain and a kind stranger
218. 9:09helped me find my way we ended up having
219. 9:12coffee together what do you usually pack
220. 9:15when you
221. 9:16travel I always pack a camera a good
222. 9:19book and snacks for the
223. 9:21journey do you enjoy trying local food
224. 9:24when you travel absolutely it's one of
225. 9:27the best parts of traveling I still
226. 9:29think about the street food I had in
227. 9:31Thailand what's the longest trip you've
228. 9:34ever taken I spent 2 weeks traveling
229. 9:36through Europe it was an unforgettable
230. 9:40experience what do you usually do during
231. 9:42long flights or train rides I like to
232. 9:44watch movies or listen to podcasts it
233. 9:46makes the time go by
234. 9:48quickly have you ever planned a trip
235. 9:50that didn't go as
236. 9:52expected yes I once forgot to check the
237. 9:54weather and ended up in a rainy City
238. 9:56with no
239. 9:57umbrella what's the best super you've
240. 9:59ever brought back I brought back a hand
241. 10:02painted plate from Morocco it's
242. 10:05beautiful and reminds me of the trip do
243. 10:08you prefer short weekend trips or long
244. 10:10vacations I prefer short weekend trips
245. 10:13they're easier to plan and feel like
246. 10:14Little Adventures what's one travel tip
247. 10:17you'd share with others always Pack
248. 10:20Light you'll thank yourself when you
249. 10:21don't have to carry heavy
250. 10:23bags have you ever visited a place you
251. 10:26didn't expect to like but ended up
252. 10:28loving yes I wasn't sure about visiting
253. 10:31a small village in Scotland but it
254. 10:33turned out to be charming and full of
255. 10:35friendly
256. 10:36people all right listeners let's talk
257. 10:39about how you can connect small talk
258. 10:41topics
259. 10:42naturally think of small talk as a
260. 10:45flowing conversation where one topic
261. 10:48leads to another for example if you're
262. 10:51talking about work and someone mentions
263. 10:53a business trip you can smoothly
264. 10:55transition into travel from there
265. 10:59you could easily bring up food by asking
266. 11:01about the best meals they've had while
267. 11:04traveling exactly linking topics makes
268. 11:07conversations feel effortless and
269. 11:09prevents those awkward silences you're
270. 11:12not just jumping from one topic to
271. 11:13another you're finding natural
272. 11:15connections between them now let's show
273. 11:19you an example conversation where we
274. 11:21move through the two categories work and
275. 11:25travel to keep the discussion going
276. 11:27without running out of things to say
277. 11:32so Jennifer what's keeping you busy at
278. 11:34work these days I've been working on a
279. 11:37project for an international logistics
280. 11:39company it's been interesting especially
281. 11:42learning about how they manage Global
282. 11:44shipments that's fascinating do they
283. 11:46send you to different locations for your
284. 11:49work not yet but there's talk about a
285. 11:52visit to their Hub in Germany next
286. 11:54quarter I've never been there so I'm
287. 11:57excited about the possibility oh Germany
288. 12:00is amazing I went there for a business
289. 12:03meeting last year and it was such a
290. 12:04great experience where in Germany would
291. 12:07you be
292. 12:08visiting their main Hub is in Frankfurt
293. 12:11I've heard it's a big business City but
294. 12:13there are also some nice places to
295. 12:15explore
296. 12:16nearby did you get a chance to see much
297. 12:18when you were there a little bit after
298. 12:22the meetings I visited the RoR the
299. 12:24Oldtown Square it's so charming and the
300. 12:27transportation system makes it easy to
301. 12:29explore other cities
302. 12:30too that sounds great did you find it
303. 12:34easy to balance work and sightseeing
304. 12:36during your trip it wasn't too bad I
305. 12:39made sure to plan my evenings carefully
306. 12:42I even managed a quick trip to
307. 12:43heidleberg which was absolutely
308. 12:46stunning do you think you'll have time
309. 12:48to explore during your
310. 12:50trip I hope so I'd love to visit some
311. 12:53historic spots and maybe even take a day
312. 12:55trip if I can manage the time traveling
313. 12:58for work sounds tiring but also
314. 13:00rewarding it is and sometimes work
315. 13:04travel opens doors to experiences you
316. 13:06wouldn't otherwise
317. 13:08have is there any particular country
318. 13:10you'd love to visit for work in the
319. 13:13future Japan it's been a dream of mine
320. 13:17their work culture is fascinating and
321. 13:19I'd love to experience it firsthand how
322. 13:22about you Japan is on my list too but
323. 13:26I'd also love to work on a project in
324. 13:27Australia I've heard that their work
325. 13:29life balance is
326. 13:31amazing see how we linked work and
327. 13:33travel
328. 13:34seamlessly the conversation flowed
329. 13:36naturally because each topic led into
330. 13:38the
331. 13:39next
332. 13:42exactly this keeps the discussion
333. 13:44engaging and helps you avoid running out
334. 13:46of things to
335. 13:48say just listen closely find connections
336. 13:52and let the conversation
337. 13:54evolve now it's your turn listeners
338. 13:57practice linking topics like we did and
339. 13:59you'll never miss a chance to have a
340. 14:01great small talk session let's move on
341. 14:04to wrap things up well that's all for
342. 14:07today listeners we hope you enjoyed
343. 14:09learning how to master small talk and
344. 14:11Link topics like a pro remember small
345. 14:14talk is a skill you can practice and
346. 14:17improve use these questions and examples
347. 14:19adapt them to your own experiences and
348. 14:22you'll be ready for any
349. 14:24conversation don't forget to download
350. 14:26the free pdf in the description today's
351. 14:29tips and questions it's a great way to
352. 14:32review and
353. 14:34practice and if you found this episode
354. 14:36helpful make sure to like share and
355. 14:39subscribe so you don't miss part two
356. 14:42where we'll cover more exciting topics
357. 14:43like food life and weather we'd love to
358. 14:47hear from you leave a comment below and
359. 14:49tell us about your favorite Small Talk
360. 14:51topic or any fun conversations you've
361. 14:54had thank you for joining us on the
362. 14:56English leap podcast until next time
363. 14:59time keep practicing keep smiling and
364. 15:02take that leap in your English
365. 15:04Journey bye for now see you
366. 15:10soon your progress doesn't end here to
367. 15:13continue advancing your English skills
368. 15:15click on the next video or explore the
369. 15:17additional videos we've thoughtfully
370. 15:19selected for you