Making Small Talk to Turn Stranger Conversations into New Friendships

There is much information on small talk conversation topics in English.

And it’s a great way to practice English with those you hardly know.

It makes sense to make your small talk more effective.

When it’s effective, it’s enjoyable for both people and then you may make a friend!

So here are some tips to turn a small talk conversation into a friendship:

1?? Be a good listener.

2?? Use comments to show you heard them (“so you like TV series!”).

3?? Remember what you’ve heard and ask about it another time (“How was that class you had?”).

4?? Ask questions. Almost everyone likes to talk about themselves, or to feel like others are interested in them. Safe questions are “What kind of music do you like?” “What do you like to do in your free time?” “What school did you go to?” Try to identify a common interest or experience?

5?? Make eye contact when listening. People will think you are interested and paying attention. You get lots of information by watching people when they talk (like how interested they are).

6?? Be yourself. Be genuine, and try to appear calm, confident and positive.

7?? Be positive and kind. When you’re nice to people, they will usually be nice back. Also, people are drawn to those who are upbeat and positive.

8?? Find common ground. Ask about or point out common interests or experiences. (“I think you’re living in my neighbourhood.” “You like [band name from shirt]? Me too!”)

9?? Share your contact information if you feel a good vibe and invite them to hang out or do something together. Plan to meet up or do something fun.

?? And don’t forget to give compliments. “I like your drawing/shoes/nail polish.” “You’re good at this—could you show me how to do that?”

By having an enthusiastic small talk conversation, you never know what kind of friendship you can develop if you take the time, be confident, be brave and be an active conversationalist!