Small Talk Practice 3: At a Party
Read the small talk below and find the 10 mistakes. Then check your answers.
Woman 1: (Standing in a corner drinking a glass of wine by herself)
Man: Hi there. Why aren't you dancing?
Woman 1: (Smiles. No response.)
Man: Hello. Have you tried Felicia's punch yet?
Woman 2: No, but I was just about to.
Man: Don't. It's terrible.
Woman 2: Oh. Okay.
Man: So, how are you knowing Rick?
Woman 2: Oh, Rick and I go way back. We studied nursing together.
Man: Nursing. Hmm. I heard on the radio today that all of you nurses are on strike. Are they not paying you enough?
Woman 2: Actually it's about working conditions.
Man: I see. So, have you had a chance to take a dip in the pool yet?
Woman 2: No, not yet. How about you?
Man: No, I need to lose some weight before I put on a bathing suit. But you have a great figure.
Woman 2: Uh, thanks. Well, I better go and jingle. There are a few people I haven't said hello to yet.
Man: Wait! Did you hear that the Pope is coming to town?
Woman 2: Ya. I heard that on the news today. I bet it'll be really tough to get to see him.
Man: I know. But I'm not Catholic anyway. Are you?
Woman 2: Yes, I am actually. Well, it looks the sun is finally coming out. I think I'll go take that swim.
Man: You better hurry. I hear they are asking for thunderstorms this afternoon.
What an inappropriate man! And apparently one of the errors was that she said "jingle" when she should have said "mingle". What a ridiculous website! I love it.
Renee Out
Showing posts with label smalltalk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label smalltalk. Show all posts
Friday, May 15, 2009
Gab and Renee educate themselves in the art of smalltalk
Small Talk Practice 2: At the Office
Read the small talk below and find the 10 mistakes. Then check your answers.
Woman: Hi there.
Man: Hi. I haven't seen you around here before. Have you been working long?
Woman: No, I've only been here a few months. I work in the Human Resources Department.
Man: Oh, you must make more money than I do then. I'm in Sales.
Woman: Sales sounds like an interesting job.
Man: It's okay. Hey, you look like you could really have a coffee.
Woman: Yes, it's been a really hectic week.
Man: Tell me about it! At least it's supposing to be a nice weekend.
Woman: Yes, I've listened that they are calling for blue skies.
Man: Say, did you happen to catch the game last night?
Woman: No, I was working late.
Man: It was a great game. We won in overtime.
Woman: Actually, I don't even know who was playing. I don't really follow sports.
Man: The Chiefs! Do you think they're going to make it to the finals this year?
Woman: I'm not sure. Well, I better get back to my desk.
Man: Speaking of desks, what do you think of the new office furniture?
Woman: It's nice, but I would rather get paid for my overtime hours than have new furniture.
Man: Oh. Well, I think I'll be heading home early today. It might be snow.
Woman: I know. I can't believe all of this cold weather. Hopefully Spring will come soon.
Man: I can't wait until Spring.
Woman: Me neither! My divorce will finally come through by then!
Renee Out laughing.
Read the small talk below and find the 10 mistakes. Then check your answers.
Woman: Hi there.
Man: Hi. I haven't seen you around here before. Have you been working long?
Woman: No, I've only been here a few months. I work in the Human Resources Department.
Man: Oh, you must make more money than I do then. I'm in Sales.
Woman: Sales sounds like an interesting job.
Man: It's okay. Hey, you look like you could really have a coffee.
Woman: Yes, it's been a really hectic week.
Man: Tell me about it! At least it's supposing to be a nice weekend.
Woman: Yes, I've listened that they are calling for blue skies.
Man: Say, did you happen to catch the game last night?
Woman: No, I was working late.
Man: It was a great game. We won in overtime.
Woman: Actually, I don't even know who was playing. I don't really follow sports.
Man: The Chiefs! Do you think they're going to make it to the finals this year?
Woman: I'm not sure. Well, I better get back to my desk.
Man: Speaking of desks, what do you think of the new office furniture?
Woman: It's nice, but I would rather get paid for my overtime hours than have new furniture.
Man: Oh. Well, I think I'll be heading home early today. It might be snow.
Woman: I know. I can't believe all of this cold weather. Hopefully Spring will come soon.
Man: I can't wait until Spring.
Woman: Me neither! My divorce will finally come through by then!
Renee Out laughing.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Awkward chitchat: Boom go Renee's brains
Response: Haha, that ad was weird, man. I had a sea kitten for dinner last night in Thai sauce and lemme tell you, it was gooood.
Smalltalk 101
One of the things I despise more than life itself is an awkward conversation. I'm not generally a shy person; I'll put myself out there pretty readily and let the conversation get awesome, but when you're with someone boring or prudish or boring it just gets so challenging to be normal and not bust out the awkward laughter.
Awkward smalltalk is my first pet peeve; Gab's was the PETA. We should log these somewhere so we don't forget, or maybe just dedicate the whole blog to what we hate. Next post: turtlenecks.
I looked up how to make comfortable smalltalk with someone you don't know. Here is my favourite step.
STEP 3: Play detective.Let's say you opened with "How are you doing with all this rain?" To move from this surface chitchat to a deeper dialogue, listen for any word in the other person's reply that might suggest a conversational direction, advises Leil Lowndes, author of Goodbye to Shy. A few examples:
HER: "Oh, I don't mind the rain. It's good for the plants."
YOU: "Are you a gardener?"
HER: "If I wanted this much rain, I'd live in Seattle!"
YOU: "Have you been to Seattle?"
HER: "I haven't been able to take the dog on a decent walk in a week."
YOU: "I have a miniature dachshund named Beau. Tell me about your dog."
These sound like very normal, interactive conversations. I will take all the advice into consideration, and combined with the kickass tips I learned from "How to make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less" I will be the hit of all parties from now to eternity.
But what if they don't give you way too much information in their response like these charming people do? What if they just say, "Oh yes, the rain's all I've been thinking of." Am I supposed to say "Oh gee, I noticed you ended your sentence with a preposition. You aren't very good at English; did you complete high school?" I think that that would go over really well.
I'm planning to try out some of my tips on that upcoming event I have that Gab knows I don't want to go to because of the awkwardness and the smalltalkiness. Well now my world has been revolutionized! In I will go, commenting loudly on how I'm craving potatoes, and aren't the potatoes lovely in Iowa, have you been to Iowa?
It won't be awkward at all.
Renee Out.
Smalltalk 101
One of the things I despise more than life itself is an awkward conversation. I'm not generally a shy person; I'll put myself out there pretty readily and let the conversation get awesome, but when you're with someone boring or prudish or boring it just gets so challenging to be normal and not bust out the awkward laughter.
Awkward smalltalk is my first pet peeve; Gab's was the PETA. We should log these somewhere so we don't forget, or maybe just dedicate the whole blog to what we hate. Next post: turtlenecks.
I looked up how to make comfortable smalltalk with someone you don't know. Here is my favourite step.
STEP 3: Play detective.Let's say you opened with "How are you doing with all this rain?" To move from this surface chitchat to a deeper dialogue, listen for any word in the other person's reply that might suggest a conversational direction, advises Leil Lowndes, author of Goodbye to Shy. A few examples:
HER: "Oh, I don't mind the rain. It's good for the plants."
YOU: "Are you a gardener?"
HER: "If I wanted this much rain, I'd live in Seattle!"
YOU: "Have you been to Seattle?"
HER: "I haven't been able to take the dog on a decent walk in a week."
YOU: "I have a miniature dachshund named Beau. Tell me about your dog."
These sound like very normal, interactive conversations. I will take all the advice into consideration, and combined with the kickass tips I learned from "How to make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less" I will be the hit of all parties from now to eternity.
But what if they don't give you way too much information in their response like these charming people do? What if they just say, "Oh yes, the rain's all I've been thinking of." Am I supposed to say "Oh gee, I noticed you ended your sentence with a preposition. You aren't very good at English; did you complete high school?" I think that that would go over really well.
I'm planning to try out some of my tips on that upcoming event I have that Gab knows I don't want to go to because of the awkwardness and the smalltalkiness. Well now my world has been revolutionized! In I will go, commenting loudly on how I'm craving potatoes, and aren't the potatoes lovely in Iowa, have you been to Iowa?
It won't be awkward at all.
Renee Out.
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