Breaking the Ice: Small Talk, First Impressions & Trends
A new socializing lesson plus two comprehensive makeovers
Your students ask a taxi driver about local restaurants, and chat about weekend plans in a coffee queue. They do it every day — in their own language. In English, these moments stall. Not because students are shy, but because they don’t have the phrases, the collocations, or the exit strategies that keep small talk moving.
The Art of Small Talk is a new lesson built around the conversations students are already having — at parties, in break rooms, at hotel check-ins, in cafés. It covers everything from opening lines and follow-up questions to compliments, cultural differences, and knowing how to wrap things up gracefully. It also complements the other lessons on my Socializing and Small Talk page — and this is another one of those engaging lessons that can fit into any listening/speaking course.
Alongside it, two popular lessons get comprehensive makeovers. First Impressions comes back with new visual vocabulary, stronger dialogue exercises, and critical thinking tasks that take students from snap judgements about people to how we read brands and places. Describing Trends has been reorganized with clearer progression — brainstorming through to graph interpretation, prepositions, and a role play about social media trends. Both include fresh audio, pronunciation practice, and speaking activities throughout.
Small Talk Skills
Talk Zone: Small Talk Conversation
Social Media Trends: Present Perfect Grammar Role Play
