Small talk:
Talk to me!
Bevor Geschäftspartner zur Sache kommen, unterhalten sie sich gerne zwanglos
über allgemeine Themen. So lernen sie sich besser kennen und schaffen eine gute Atmosphäre für ihre späteren Verhandlungen. Testen Sie Ihre Fähigkeit zum
Smalltalk mit diesen Übungen, die wir für Sie zusammengestellt haben.
1. Start with an introduction (8 points)
On the first day of the trade fair, Sue and Anna are chatting when Sue spots an old friend. It’s time for introductions. Unscramble the words in bold.
Sue: Ron, what a small (A) rwdol !
I haven’t seen you in (B) gaes
.
Ron: Sue! Hi! Long (C) emti , no see!
Sue: How are (D) gsnith ?
Ron: Great, fantastic, really. How have you
(E) eben ?
Sue: Good, really good. Oh, how rude of me. Ron, this is my colleague Anna Schwarz. Anna, Ron Johnson. We were at university together.
Ron: Hi, Anna. It’s a(n) (F) aurpseel
to meet you.
Anna: It’s good to meet you at (G) slat
, Ron. Sue has told me all about you.
Ron: Really? That’s interesting. Just the good bits, I hope.
Sue: Absolutely. Ron: So, what do you do, Anna? Anna: I’m responsible for purchasing.
Here, let me give you my (H) radc
.
2. The problems of traffic, trips and
the weather (6 points)
The weather is often a good topic of small talk, and so, too, are traffic and trips. Rearrange the words to create questions to talk about these things. The first word is correct.
Sue: (A) Are / town / long / for / you / in
?
Ron: Yes, for the whole week. Sue: Me, too. We leave Friday. And you? Ron: I go back to London on Saturday. Anna: (B) Is / Hanover / trip / first / your / to / this
?
Ron: Yes. I’d like to see something of the city while I’m here, so I checked into a hotel close to the central railway station.
Anna: Same here. We’re not far from the station either. We’re staying in a boutique hotel. It’s charming. (C) What’s / like / hotel / your ?
Ron: Impersonal, but comfortable. It’s one of the major international hotels. (D) How / this / the / was / trip / morning / to / fair / out / the / trade
?
Anna: Not too bad. It took about 20 minutes. Ron: I needed an hour. A couple of buses were cancelled, so I had a long wait.
Anna: I heard about that on the radio, so we took a cab.
Ron: Smart move. My German’s not that great, so I missed that piece of important information.
Anna: It’s because of the snow. There are often problems with the trains here in the winter. (E) What’s / back / weather / home / England / the / in / like
?
Ron: Warmer than in Germany! (F) How / does / here / cold / get / it
?
Anna: Freezing! I hate the cold.
Ron: So do I! But at least the heating works in the hotel. That’s not always the case in London.
3. Enjoy food, drink and eating out (8 points)
When you’re a guest of international business partners, it’s best to show interest in the local food. If you are the host, try to make your guest feel welcome by finding out about their preferences, too. Match the responses to the correct questions.
A. Would you care to join us for lunch?
B. Would you mind if we went somewhere that
has vegetarian food?
C. Would you like to sit by the fire?
D. Shall we order the drinks first?
E. Do any of the wines appeal to you?
F. What would you recommend?
G. What do you fancy?
H. Why don’t we have a dessert?
1. Yes, please. I need to warm up!
2. I’m not sure yet. Maybe something spicy!
3. I’d love to. How kind of you! Thank you.
4. I’d rather not drink alcohol during the day. 5. Not at all. I don’t eat meat either, so that would
suit me, too.
6. Yes, why not? The apple strudel sounds great. 7. The vegetable lasagne is a speciality here. 8. Good idea. I’m really thirsty.
4. Be open to culture and current affairs
(6 points)
Anna tries to talk about recent events with Ron. How they both react to sensitive topics is important for their future personal and working relationship. Complete each sentence with the right word from the box. There are two words that you do not need.
5. Highlight your holidays and travel plans
(8 points)
At the end of the first day, Anna is waiting for the bus with Sue. Questions are useful for keeping the conversation going. The words in bold are not where they should be. Put them where they belong.
Sue: So, (A) is it have any plans for the weekend?
Anna: Yes, big plans. We’re going to Greece for the weekend!
Sue: Nice! (B) When ?
Anna: Athens.
Sue: Athens! (C) Do you ? It’s not a typical holiday destination in winter, (D) How come ? Anna: (E) Whereabouts is that? Sue: Well, most people would choose to go there in the summer. I know I would. Anna: I love the city in winter, too.
Sue: (F) What are been there before?
Anna: Many times.
Sue: (G) Have you do you normally go?
Anna: February, nearly every year. We have friends there. (H) Why your plans? Anything special this weekend? Sue: Nothing as exciting as Athens!
6. Be proud of your interests (8 points)
Being interested in different topics can lead to interesting moments. Anna tells Sue about a film she saw recently and really liked. Complete the sentences with the correct adjectives.
It was so (A) boring / gripping, and it had such a (B) compelling / dreary plot. Maybe a bit (C) convoluted / simple, so you have to pay attention — but everything is explained in the end. The characters were totally (D) far-fetched / convincing. They were real to me! There are some (E) hilarious / miserable moments, too. My stomach was hurting from laughing so much. And the ending was the best part — (F) dismal / stunning. I loved it. I’m not surprised it got (G) dreadful / glowing reviews on all the websites. Absolutely (H) outstanding / disappointing. You’ll love it, too, I’m sure. I can recommend the film — but don’t bother with the book. I didn’t even finish it.
7. A final sprint with sports (6 points)
To end small talk, try to change the focus of the conversation to work topics. Anna tries different ways to do this but Sue keeps going back to sports. Complete the sentences with the missing words or phrases. The first two letters are provided.
Sue: (A) By , I won the race this summer! I couldn’t believe it. Anna: That’s amazing. Well done you! (B) Sp of winning, did you know who won the prize for best salesperson of the year?
Sue: No, but it was probably someone in the US. (C) Ac , I’m hoping to compete again in March already. This time, in Florence.
Anna: You must be so disciplined with all the training. (D) Fu you should mention Florence. Did you know that the new manager for the UK is Italian — and he’s from Florence?
Sue: I had heard that. But he’s lived in London for more than ten years, so he’s not exactly new to the city. I think he’s British now, too. (E) An , for the race in Florence, we decided to hire a camping van and drive down to Rome afterwards. Anna: That sounds like a lot of fun. Oh, that (F) re me, I wanted to ask how the project in Rome went.
Sue: Oh, that’s right. You haven’t heard. It was a total success. Let me start at the beginning…