Small Talk: B1+

Language focus

Many of the chapters have a section that explains a specific language point. These sections focus on the kind of language you might hear and will need to understand, and they also look at aspects of grammar.

Remember this!

Here you will find additional information about the topic of the chapter, such as details about culture, traditions and common business practices.

Tips

Here you will find useful tips on what you can do to improve your small talk skills.

Next steps

This section has useful advice on how to improve your study skills.

Finally …

Make sure you try out the language you have learnt in real business situations and don’t worry too much about making mistakes. Generally, people don’t pay a lot of attention to language errors, but they won’t forget someone who is showing an interest in them and is interesting to talk to. That is what small talk is really all about.

1 New Contacts (#ulink_5f73c96c-53f3-50a2-81f8-85eeb7e81cd5)

My goals

• Make a good first impression

• Greet people I’ve never met before

• Check names and help people to remember mine

Study focus

At conferences, networking events and even in the office – wherever you do business – 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 don’t think we’ve been introduced. My name’s Hans, Hans Schiller.

Hi, I’m Mary, Mary Smith.

We haven’t actually met, but I’m Hans Schiller.

May I introduce myself? I’m Mary Smith.

I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Mary Smith.

Giving the right response

It’s a pleasure to meet you.

Pleased to meet you.

(It’s) good/great/nice to meet you.

(It’s) good/great/nice to meet you too.

Checking names

I’m sorry, but I didn’t catch your name.

I’m sorry, but what was your last name again?

How do you spell your name?

‘Athanasis’. Am I saying it correctly?

Helping people to remember your name

Please, call me John.

Let me give you my (business) card.

Here’s my (business) card.

Go to www.collinselt.com/businessresources (http://www.collinselt.com/businessresources) to listen to the key phrases.

Scenarios

Go to www.collinselt.com/businessresources (http://www.collinselt.com/businessresources) to listen to the scenarios.

Over to you

1 Match the sentence beginnings with the sentence endings.

2 John is talking to Sayuri when Ria joins them. Put the dialogue in the correct order.

3 Check your understanding. Answer the questions about the dialogue in exercise 2.

4 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in the box.

1 I don’t think we................................

2 â€˜Sahinda’. Am I............................... it correctly?

3 May I............................... myself?

4 Let me............................... you my card.