conversation questions/ cultural training/ small talk
Work in pairs. Ask one question to your partner, using the follow-up question(s) if you want to extend the conversation. Then take turns asking your partner that same last question, then a new question from the list. Don’t look at the questions when it is your turn to answer.
- How important is small talk in business in your country? (How about humour?)
- How much small talk does a business meeting usually start with? (What topics do you usually talk about? Is there a clear transition between small talk and the start of the meeting?)
- What topics are best avoided during small talk? (What makes you say that?)
- What do you think about sport, shopping and fashion as topics of small talk in a business setting?
- If you socialise with colleagues, clients, suppliers, etc after work, is it okay to keep on talking about work? (What topics are more common?)
- How would you start a conversation with someone sitting or standing next to you at a conference? (How could you keep the conversation going?)
- What things do you think a foreign guest is likely to want to know about your city and country? (What things are they already likely to know?)
- How does small talk vary from country to country? (Which countries are most similar to and most different from your own?)
Discuss cultural differences as a class.
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