Small Talk: B1+. Deborah CaprasЧитать онлайн книгу.
donât worry too much about making mistakes. Generally, people donât pay a lot of attention to language errors, but they wonât forget someone who is showing an interest in them and is interesting to talk to. That is what small talk is really all about.
⢠Make a good first impression
⢠Greet people Iâve never met before
⢠Check names and help people to remember mine
Study focus
At conferences, networking events and even in the office â wherever you do business â you will meet new people. How do you make a good first impression? A warm, friendly greeting will help you. Using small talk to start a conversation will help too. Try to make sure that people remember you and try to remember them too. You might not hear their name properly the first time, and in this chapter you will learn how to ask people to repeat their name.
Key phrases
Making the first move
I donât think weâve been introduced. My nameâs Hans, Hans Schiller.
Hi, Iâm Mary, Mary Smith.
We havenât actually met, but Iâm Hans Schiller.
May I introduce myself? Iâm Mary Smith.
I donât think weâve met. Iâm Mary Smith.
Giving the right response
Itâs a pleasure to meet you.
Pleased to meet you.
(Itâs) good/great/nice to meet you.
(Itâs) good/great/nice to meet you too.
Checking names
Iâm sorry, but I didnât catch your name.
Iâm sorry, but what was your last name again?
How do you spell your name?
âAthanasisâ. Am I saying it correctly?
Helping people to remember your name
Please, call me John.
Let me give you my (business) card.
Hereâs my (business) card.
Scenarios
| Rena: | Hi, I donât think weâve met. Iâm Rena Chioti. |
| Antonio: | Nice to meet you, Ms Chioti. Am I saying it correctly? |
| Rena: | Yes, but please, call me Rena. |
| Antonio: | Rena. Iâm Antonio, Antonio Messina. |
| Rena: | Good to meet you too, Antonio. How do you spell your name? Is it with double âsâ? |
| Antonio: | Yes, like the city in Sicily. My familyâs from there. |
| Rob: | We havenât actually met, but Iâm Rob Williams. |
| Markus: | Itâs a pleasure to meet you. Iâm Professor Kern, Markus Kern. |
| Rob: | Itâs good to meet you too. |
| Markus: | Iâm sorry, but I didnât catch your last name. |
| Rob: | Itâs Williams, as in Robbie Williams. You know, the singer. Let me give you my business card. |
| Markus: | Thank you. And hereâs mine. |
| Jules: | Hello. I donât think weâve been introduced. My nameâs Jules, Jules Chirac. |
| Sergei: | Oh, Iâm sorry, Jules! Sandra, this is Jules Chirac, our designer in our French office. Jules, this is Sandra Harper. Sheâs with RTV. |
| Sandra: | Nice to meet you, Jules. Iâve seen your work. Itâs impressive. |
| Jules: | Thank you. Thatâs great to hear. Itâs nice to meet you too. |
Over to you
1 Match the sentence beginnings with the sentence endings.
| 1 Iâm sorry, but I 2 Let me give you 3 I donât think weâve 4 May I 5 Itâs a pleasure to | a been introduced. b meet you. c didnât catch your name. d introduce myself? e my business card. |
2 John is talking to Sayuri when Ria joins them. Put the dialogue in the correct order.
| 1 | Ria: |
Hello. I donât think weâve |