R interest

UNIT
SMALL TALK
11
UNIT
GOALS
INFORMAL SOCIAL
CHAT
MAKING CONVERSATION
MAKING PEOPLE FEEL
COMFORTABLE
BRAINSTORM
Which topics do you find easy to talk about in English? Which are more difficult?
Number the topics from 1 (easiest) to 5 (most difficult):
Compare with other students and give reasons:

Your work
Your family
Your interest
World news
Politics

Work in pairs. Look at the phrases and situations below.
Decide when you would use each phrase. Tick the boxes
Meeting someone for
the first time
Meeting someone
you know
Its good to see you again. . .
Hows business ? . .
Nice to meet you. . .
Im Jo, by the way. . .
How are you? . .
Are you new here? . .
How are things? . .
How do you do? . .
C. Listen again. Tick the phrases in 1 language focus that
they use
a. iMac b. Apple
Computer
c. Steve Jobs/
Steve Wozniak
d. Macintosh
computer
e. New iMac f. Apple 1
B. Track 46. Listen again. Tick the topics they mention
A. Track 45. Listen to two conversations. In each
conversation, are the people meeting for the first time?
Family Flight Food Hotel Sport Work
Conver . 1
Conver. 2

Hi Brian. Its
good to see
you again
Hi Alice. How are
things ?
D. Work in pairs. Practise meeting someone you know. Then
practice meeting someone for the first time
A. Read an article about starting conversations.
A. Are these statement true (T) or false (F)?
T or F
Its important to make the other person feel
comfortatble
You should ask the other persons name before
you say your name
You should talk about the other persons
clothes
B. Read the parts of conversations below. Decide if each one is
good small talk or not, and match it to a piece of advice (a to j) in
the text above
You are in a conference and there is a short break
between presentations. You would like a coffee but you
dont know where to go. You have never been to this
conference centre before. Ask someone for help.
Develope a conversation.
You are in a conference and there is a short break
between presentations. You have been to this
conference centre 3 times before, so you know it well.
Someone will ask you for help. Develope a
conversation. Invent the information that you need to
give
You are in your office, where you have worked for 3 years
in the Sales Department. You see a new person. Start a
conversation, make small talk and introduce yourself.
You have just joined a new company. You will be
working in the Personnel Department. Start a
conversation, make a small talk and introduce yourselt
A. Werner Sass is in Australia on business. He is talking to
Michelle Usher before they go into a business meeting.
Listen to their conversation and answer the questions.

1. Have they met before?
...............
2. What are they going to do tomorrow?


B. Tick the things they mentioned. Then listen again and
check.


The hotel Dinner Television The flight Sightseeing

C. Listen to these parts of the conversations again. Complete
Werners answers



A. Werner uses ANSWER PLUS in the conversation above.
Which of his answers
give more information ?
ask a question?
makes a comment.
B. Work in pairs. Complete the PLUS part of each answer in
the conversations below.
How long
have you
lived here?
Weve lived here
for 3 years.
Where do you
live?
A. Work in pairs. For each of these topics, think of one
question that you could ask a business acquaintance
Famliy Weekend Home Work Interests Food Travel
B. Think of your own answer to each of the questions, and an
ANSWER PLUS
what do you
often do at
weekend?
I play golf with my
friends. Do you
play any sports?
C. Work with a different partner. Have conversations, using
your questions, answer and ANSWER PLUS
Famliy Weekend Home Work Interests Food Travel
A. In your country, which questions are OK to ask a business
colleague and which are not? Tick the columns and give
examples if you tick the last column.
Not OK OK OK in some situations,
for example:
How old are you?
How long have your worked for this company?
Do you have children?
Why dont you have children?
How much is your salary?
Do you play any sports?
Whats your religion?
B. Work in groups. Discuss the questions and your answers
Can we ask a
business
colleague how
old are you?
I think its not very
polite, especially if
your colleague is a
woman.
No, we
shouldnt.
C. Look again at the text in Part A.3 Reading. Is the advice the
same for your country?
20
USE
1) Use it to describe events that happened in the past and are still true
now because you can see the result.
Ive broken my leg!
David has painted his house.
2) Use it to describe experiences in your life.
Ive been to New York three times in my life.
However, you cannot use the present perfect to describe experiences in
someones life if that person has died.
Michael Jackson performed in Britain many times.
NOT
Michael Jackson has performed in Britain many times.
3) Use it to describe events that started in the past and are still happening
now.
Ive lived here all my life (and I live here now).
John has worked here for 10 years (and he works here now).
Never refer to a finished time with a present perfect verb.
Positive



Examples: Ive seen him; theyve gone; shes taken my bag.
Negative




Examples: I havent seen him; they havent gone yet; shes not been
here.
Questions


Examples: Have you seen him? Has she taken my bag?
21
FORM

I / you / they
/ we he / she
/ it
have / ve
has / s
past participle

I / you / they
/ we he / she
/ it
havent /
ve not
hasnt / s
not
past participle

Have Has
you / they /
we
he / she / it
past participle?
22
COMMON MISTAKES
Dont use the present perfect to refer to a finished time.
Ive hurt my arm yesterday. => Ive hurt my arm.
Johns been to New York last month. => Johns been to New York.

R interest
UNIT
SMALL TALK
11
UNIT
GOALS
INFORMAL SOCIAL
CHAT
Your work
Your family
Your interest
World news
Politics

MAKING CONVERSATION
Keep conversations going by using
ANSWER PLUS to :
1. Give more information
2. Ask more questions
3. Make comments

MAKING PEOPLE FEEL
COMFORTABLE
By using small talks