There is perhaps no smoother introduction to and no more realistic way of practising language than a set of especially chosen small talk questions. These could be questions including the grammar etc that you want to practise, e.g. small talk questions just in present tenses, in which case you could see how much of that language students can remember after they have used them to chat with their partner(s). Or they could be questions which you chose as likely to prompt use of the vocabulary etc that you have introduced or will introduce, e.g. “Have you seen any good… recently?” etc to link to arts and media vocabulary, or lots of different “How…?” questions to practise conversational reactions like “That’s a shame” and “I envy you”.
Photocopiable examples of all of this below. Some worksheets are given in more than one section if they serve more than one of those purposes.
Small talk for grammar practice
Small talk for tenses
Small talk for present tenses
Small talk with present tenses to start meetings (with useful phrases for ending the small talk and getting down to business)
Business English small talk questions with be and do (and updated version in this very cheap e-book)
Small talk for past tenses
Past Simple small talk questions
Present Perfect Simple and Continuous small talk
Business English small talk questions with Present Perfect and Past Simple (and updated version in this very cheap e-book)
Small talk for reviewing tenses
Small talk tense review – in this very cheap e-book
Small talk for question formation
Small talk questions with how activities – NEW LINK
Tag questions in small talk – NEW LINK
Meeting people and small talk yes/ no questions games – NEW LINK
Wh questions for making small talk
Business English small talk questions with be and do
Direct, indirect and taboo small talk questions
Small talk for other grammar points
Small talk for vocabulary practice
How questions about work and leisure
Small talk questions about work and leisure
Small talk for functional language
Personal questions and invitations (in this new e-book) – NEW
Small talk leading to recommendations and invitations practice (in this new e-book) – NEW
Small talk questions when you move abroad
Being sympathetic and unsympathetic
Small talk with present tenses to start meetings (with useful phrases for ending the small talk and getting down to business)
Starting negotiations with small talk practice (in this bargain e-book)
Small talk in phone calls practice (in this very cheap e-book)
Small talk in telephone calls roleplays (in this very reasonable e-book)
More small talk PDFs and an article on the topic, plus other related links here:
Many other adaptable games here:
TEFLtastic Classics Parts One to 49
Updated 9 July 2026
Thank you!
I fully agree that this is the best way to practice speaking, as well as grammar.
Pingback: A blogpost of blogposts | Sandy Millin