View Content #28498

by Ellie Collins, CASLS Graduate Intern

This activity was designed for learners of all levels. It was created to help learners build their knowledge of small talk through observation. In this activity, learners will observe videos of small talk conversations, take notes on the words and phrases the interlocutors use, and consider how they could use this knowledge during small talk in their own target language.

Learning outcomes:
Learners will be able to:

• List 3-4 appropriate topics of conversation in small talk
• Identify 2-3 greetings and/or questions appropriate for small talk situations

Mode(s): Interpretive, Interpersonal

Materials:
Knowledge: Small talk video, small talk handout, clips of small talk in the target language (English examples: Novice- Englishare; Intermediate/Advanced- Comedy, Gilmore Girls) 

Procedure:

1. Ask learners what they think small talk means. Explain that small talk is a type of conversation used to express friendliness or politeness without exchanging important information.
2. Ask learners why knowledge of small talk in the target language is, or is not, important.
3. As a group, watch this video about building the requisite knowledge to participate in small talk. Tell learners that the group will now be practicing observing small talk to build knowledge.
4. For the whole group, play a video clip of small talk in the target language. Ask learners to pay attention to the body language of the interlocutors and document their notes on this handout. After the video, have learners share one thing they noticed about body language from the video. Some answers may include physical distance between interlocutors, gestures, and facial expressions. Note: In some languages and communities, an absence of small talk might also be noteworthy and warrant observation.
5. Then, play the video a second time. This time, ask learners to write three or four phrases that the interlocutors use in the video on the handout. These phrases could include greetings, questions, and other expressions used during small talk.
6. Finally, play the video clip a third time. Ask learners to write down three or four topics of conversation that were covered in the video clip on the handout. Some answers might include well-being, information about the location, or information about the weather.
7. Place learners in groups of three-four people. In groups, ask learners to share the topics of conversation and phrases that they wrote down from the video. Ask learners to highlight any phrases or topics they think that they could use during small talk in the target language. 
8. As a group, create a list of greetings, phrases, and appropriate topics that learners can use to make small talk. Refer to this list when practicing small talk in the target language.

Notes:

• If technology is not available to play video clips, transcripts can be used. Many YouTube videos have transcripts linked.