Small talk

Small Talk

Aim:

1. To find system-forming elements of “small talk”;
2. to present “small talk” as a system, on the basis of these elements;
3. to make recommendations how to study “small talk” for students of Russian schools;
4. to prepare the product on the topic "small talk".

Tasks:

1. Serf the Internet and read all articles on this subject;
2. Compare the situation with “small talk” in Russia and in English-speaking countries;
3. Find the peculiarities of “small talk”;
4. Find out functions of “small talk”;

Methods:

1. Analysis
2. Synthesis
3. Comparison

The object of the research

Short conversations with unknown or poorly familiar people who are not our relatives or friends.

The subject of  the research

So called “small talk” as a piece of English etiquette.

Actuality:

The concept of “small talk” is so far from our culture that there is not even a good translation of this phrase. In order not to get into an embarrassing situation when communicating with a native speaker, you need to understand what a “small talk” is and how to manage it.

Definition

Small-talk is a small  conversation about anything, which is necessary to fill a long silence of the casual interlocutors.

              Hypothesis

 “Small talk” as a phenomenon is a system. As any system it has its own rules, functions that can be classified and defined.

Interlocutors:

Unfamiliar people, colleagues at work, neighbors, fellow travelers, participants in various events, bosses, etc.

Places of small talk:

Queues in shops and other places, airports, train stations, in the elevator, on the landing, in breaks of conferences, meetings, on courses, etc

Introduction

Nowadays international ties determine the social order for specialists   who are able to effectively make communication in different spheres of life. The solution of this problem demands the formation of intercultural communicative competence   for successful participation in the process of communication in a foreign language on different topics in various situations. At the same time, the effectiveness of any communication assumes the knowledge of communicants about features of the communication process with a foreign partner and their ability to apply this knowledge. So it is necessary to determine the required knowledge and skills, a clear understanding of the structure and the component composition of communication.

The main body of the research

The results of the analysis of research in the field of the theory of communication   show that all forms of communication consists of three universal phases of the development of speech contact: the beginning of contact - the development of contact - the completion of contact. What can be represented as follows: the initial phase-  the main phase - the final phase.

In the context of communication, a "small talk" conversation is a stable element of all kinds of contacts, including business, which performs an important contact-establishing function and serves as a means of facilitating effective communication.  

An essential national feature of “small talk” is the well-marked parts of the  process and the strict rules for conversational partners in it. This is due to the linear thinking characteristic of the British and Americans. This factor is reflected in the structural organization of the speech situation.    

   “Small talk” is a rigid structure   and its violation is considered by English-speaking communication participants as an "alarm signal" leading to communicative barriers.

     The comparison of Russian secular conversation and the English "small talk" showed that the concept of "secular conversation" is not identical with the notion of "small talk" due to many differences in basic national and cultural values ​. In modern history, the concept of "secular conversation" is preserved in the memory of Russian people as archaism, but not as an actual model, and therefore is not supported or developed in the practice of communication. English "small talk", on the contrary, retains its social significance and practical value, is part of the mass consumption.

Comparison of “small talk” in Russia and the UK:

If we are going to communicate with native speakers, we have to get to know that it is impossible without having the knowledge about "small talk" as a component of the culture of the English-speaking world, its national specifics.

Functions:

To make a contact;
During negotiations small-talk is needed in breaks, for switching and rest;
Small-talk  can occur as an exchange of views, for example, during a break in a meeting or seminar;

Small-talk fills pauses;
Such small secular conversations are needed to maintain friendly, informal relations with people in the team.

Rules:

The main rule - try to  keep the conversation interesting, so that it does not look like a specified example of boring conversation.   If you are going to a social party, it is better to think in advance about what you will talk about and how you will talk to make a positive impression on the interlocutor.

Do not be afraid to start the conversation first;

Be active;

Do not avoid "empty chatter“;

 Smile, be open and friendly;

Pay full attention to him;

Express agreement and support not only in words, but also by gestures, facial expressions;

Do not be too intrusive; Do  not lean too close;

Do not look closely at the appearance and clothes;

Talk about positive things;

Do not be afraid to joke, but not about a person, politics, religion and any personal topics;

Start  talking on any topic, the main thing is not to be silent. Silence causes discomfort, makes one feel  uncomfortable and distrustful.

Strategies:

The simplest and at the same time effective strategy to start a conversation with a stranger is the ARE method proposed by the communication expert K. Fleming. It is implemented in three steps:

A – Anchor

You find the point of contact, based on the available information. It's very simple: the topic can be the situation in the company, the industry and the market, and everything related to the topic of professional activity.  

R – Reveal

It is a further movement on the topic. If you are talking about the warm spring weather, you can continue to develop the topic of arguments about the love of country trips, recreation in nature, fishing, tourism;

 E – Encourage

Do not forget about the dialogue. Encourage the interlocutor to participate in the conversation, ask him open questions: if he likes to visit the country, goes hiking, etc., listen carefully to the answers, they contain new anchors.

Features:

The study of the peculiarities of "small talk" as an object on the basis of analysis of data in the field of linguistics, psychology and sociology made it possible to single out its main characteristics, based on the English national and cultural features of communicative behavior:

1. algorithm of speech communication;
2. sequence of use of speech formulas;
3. a limited set of topics of a neutral nature;
4. the taboo of conflict topics;
5. a standard set of expressions, reproduced in accordance with a specific speech strategy and tactics;
6. use of lexical and syntactic units characteristic for "small talk";
7. compliance with the requirements of speech etiquette and maintaining a friendly, calm tone of communication.

Good topics:

Sports, hobbies, cultural events, other interesting events, movies and books,

travel, local landscapes and attractions, pets, profession, weather.

Forbidden topics:

The age of the interlocutor, his salary, his personal life, illnesses, problems,

grief, death, conflicts, family affairs, income, high cost, money politics,

religious topics, the weaknesses, shortcomings of other people, job rank,

do not ask for professional advice from a specialist, it is indecent to speak ill of acquaintances who are not present at the moment, a well-bred person tries to talk less about himself.

The portrait of a good interlocutor

Benevolent, positive, courteous, communicable, he knows how to joke,  

enthusiastic he is able to conduct conversation on different themes,  

he does not keep bored his or her interlocutor, he has a wide range of knowledge,  he knows how to see good things.

Conclusion:

1. “Small talk”  is an important part of speech culture in English-speaking countries;
2. “Small talk”  is an integral piece of conversational etiquette in English-speaking countries;
3. It has an automated algorithm;
4. English-speaking people keep to strict rules of conducting “small talk”;
5. One should remember the list of good topics and the list of forbidden topics in order not to get into an embarrassing situation;
6. One shouldn’t break the  sequences of “small talk”;
7. There are a lot of differences between the ways of conversing in Russia and English-speaking countries;
8. There is no concept of “small talk” in our country, that’s why we have to study this phenomenon of the English language;
9. We have to practice a lot in “small talk” if we want to communicate with English-speaking countries.