Shadowing Practice: Small Talk in English | How to Start a Conversation | A1-B1 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creando lección...
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Hello, welcome back to Daily English Talk, the channel where you practice real English every single day.
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Hey everyone, I'm Tom, and I'm so glad you're here with us today.
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I'm Lily, and if this is your first time here, welcome!
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You just found your new favorite English channel.
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We upload every single day, so make sure you hit that subscribe button.
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Don't miss a single lesson.
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Today's topic is so important.
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We're talking about small talk, how to start a conversation in English, what to say, and how to keep it going.
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This is the kind of English you need every day, at work, at the coffee shop, at the airport.
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But first, Tom, we have something special today, don't we?
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We do.
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We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who joined members to the channel recently.
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You are the reason we do this every single day.
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Seriously, it means everything to us.
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We shared your names in the description.
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Go check if your name is there.
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If you see your name, leave a comment and say hello.
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We would love to hear from you.
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And if your name is not there yet, well, the join button is right there.
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One tap and you're in the family.
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Welcome to the Daily English Talk family, everyone.
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Now let's get into today's lesson.
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But before we start, I have a question for you.
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Ooh, I love this part.
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Tom had a very interesting experience at a coffee shop recently.
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He tried to start a conversation with someone.
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Something went a little wrong.
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Ah, a little wrong is one way to say it.
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So here is your question.
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What did Tom say to the person at the coffee shop, and what happened next?
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Please don't tell them yet.
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I won't.
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Keep watching, and we'll tell you the full story at the end of today's lesson.
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Oh, thank goodness.
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Okay, Tom, let's talk.
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Have you ever had a really awkward moment when you tried to talk to someone new? Have I?
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and begin tell us about the coffee shop okay
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so last Saturday I went to a coffee shop near my
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house it was a nice day I was feeling good very confident and There was a man sitting next to me.
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He had a big cup of coffee.
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He looked friendly, so I decided to start a conversation.
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Good!
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That's brave, Tom.
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Wait for it.
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So I turned to him and said very confidently, Nice weather today, right?
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That's fine.
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That's a classic opener.
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Lily, we were inside the coffee shop.
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There were no windows near us.
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He looked at me and said, "I don't know.
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I just got here." Oh no!
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And then it got worse.
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I got nervous so I said, "So do you come here often?" Tom, that sounds like a line from a movie.
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I know, I know.
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He looked at me like I was very strange.
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He picked up his coffee and moved to a different table.
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Oh, Tom.
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Poor Tom.
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It was a disaster.
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A complete disaster.
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But hey, that's why we're here today.
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So you can do better than me.
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Much better.
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Let's learn how to do this the right way.
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Okay, let's talk about the grammar behind Smalltalk.
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Smalltalk uses very simple grammar.
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You don't need complicated sentences.
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Oh, thank goodness.
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I like simple.
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For small talk, we use three main grammar patterns.
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The first one is a question with how.
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Like, how are you?
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Exactly.
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How questions are friendly and easy.
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How was your day?
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How was your weekend?
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These are perfect conversation starters.
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Simple and polite.
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The second pattern is a statement plus a tag question.
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This means you say something and then add a short question at the end.
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Can you give an example?
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Sure.
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It's a beautiful day, isn't it?
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Or, this coffee smells amazing, doesn't it?
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Unlike my nice weather comment, which had zero logic behind it.
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The third pattern is an open question starting with "what" or "tell me." These questions invite the other person to talk more.
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Like what?
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Like, "What do you think of this place?" or "What brings you here today?" Oh, those sound so natural, so casual.
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Because they are.
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And the best part, you don't need perfect English to use them.
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Just be genuine and friendly.
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I'm going to practice these, starting today.
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Please do.
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Okay, now let's look at real small talk phrases.
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We'll give you the phrase, explain it, and tell you a story about it.
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Ready?
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Let's go!
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Our first phrase is: How's it going?
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This is a very casual way to ask, "How are you?" Native speakers use this all the time.
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Repeat after us.
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How's it going?
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Say it slowly.
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How's it going.
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Now say it naturally.
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How's it going?
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This phrase is great because you can use it with friends, co -workers, even strangers in a relaxed situation.
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Tom, do you have a story for this one?
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I do.
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One time I was at the gym.
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I saw a man I recognized from my street.
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I wanted to be friendly, so I said, "Hey, how's it going?" Good start.
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He said, "Great, thanks !" And that was it.
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We talked for five minutes about the gym, about the neighborhood.
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It was perfect.
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See?
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Small talk works when you use the right phrase.
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That was my best conversation moment.
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I still think about it.
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You're so easy to please, Tom.
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Phrase number two: What do you do?
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This means, what is your job?
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It's one of the most common small talk questions in English.
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Repeat slowly.
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What do you do?
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Now together.
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What do you do?
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I love this question because people have such different answers.
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Tom, what's your story for this one?
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Okay.
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So I was at a dinner party.
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Someone asked me, "What do you do?" And I said, "I teach English." And they said, "Oh, really?
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Say something in English." Oh no. I completely froze.
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I forgot every word I knew.
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I just said, "Um, hello, the cat is on the table." The cat is on the table.
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I have no idea why I said that.
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Everyone at the table just stared at me.
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Oh, Tom, you poor thing.
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But the good news?
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Everyone laughed.
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And we had a great conversation after that.
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Small talk doesn't have to be perfect.
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Just be yourself.
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Phrase three: Have you been here before?
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You can use this at a restaurant, a cafe, an event.
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It's a great conversation starter.
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Slow repeat.
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Have you been here before?
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Now, natural speed.
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Have you been here before?
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This phrase is great because it opens a whole conversation about the place.
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Exactly.
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The other person might say, "Yes, the pasta here is amazing," or, "No, it's my first time.
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What do you recommend?" And suddenly you're having a full conversation.
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I used this phrase once at a bookstore.
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I saw a woman looking at the same shelf as me.
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I said, Have you been here before?
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Do you know if they have a good fiction section?
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What happened?
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She spent 20 minutes giving me book recommendations.
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We talked about everything.
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It was wonderful.
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One question, one question started all of that.
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That's the magic of Smalltalk.
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Oh, this one, weather talk.
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Yes, weather is the most classic small talk topic in the world, especially in English -speaking countries.
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Phrase 4: What do you think of the weather?
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Repeat slowly.
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What do you Think of the weather.
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Now natural.
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What do you think of the weather?
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Now, Tom, you had a weather comment fail earlier in our story, but weather talk can be done correctly, yes?
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Yes.
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The key is you need to actually be outside or near a window.
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Or at least have some context.
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If it's raining, you can say, "What awful weather today, right?" If it's sunny, beautiful day, isn't it?
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Simple, easy, natural.
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And people love talking about weather because everyone experiences it.
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It's safe, it's easy, it's friendly.
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Unlike asking someone, "Do you come here often?" while inside a coffee shop with no windows.
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We will never let that go, Tom.
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Our last phrase is how to end small talk, because knowing when and how to finish a conversation is also very important.
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Oh, I never thought about that.
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Phrase five.
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It was nice talking to you.
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This is friendly, warm, and natural.
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Repeat.
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It was nice talking to you.
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Natural speed.
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"It was nice talking to you." You can also say, "It was great meeting you." Or, "Let's talk again soon." These phrases end the conversation on a positive note.
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The other person feels good, you feel good, everyone is happy.
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And, "Maybe you made a new friend." Exactly!
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Small talk is the first step to real connection.
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Okay, now let's practice together.
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I'll say the phrase, Tom will repeat slowly, and then you repeat too.
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Ready?
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Shadowing time.
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This is so good for your pronunciation.
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Phrase 1.
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How's it going?
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Beautiful.
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Now you say it.
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Phrase 2 What do you do?
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What do you do?
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Great!
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Keep going!
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Phrase 3 Have you been here before?
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Phrase 4: What do you think of the weather?
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And phrase five: It was nice talking to you.
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It was nice talking to you.
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Amazing!
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You just practiced five real English phrases.
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Say them every day and they will feel completely natural very soon.
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Practice makes perfect.
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We believe in you.
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Now it's your turn.
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We have a question for you.
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Write your answer in the comments right now.
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Where do you usually try to make small talk? At work? At school?
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At a coffee shop?
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Or maybe you also tried to make weather talk inside a room with no windows.
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No judgment.
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Tell us your small talk story.
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We read every comment.
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Your comment might be in our next video.
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We love hearing from you, so please write something down there, even just one sentence.
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Your English is good enough.
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Trust us.
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Thank you so much for watching today.
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You just took one more step toward confident English.
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And remember, we upload a brand new English lesson every single day.
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Every single day.
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So, if you haven't subscribed yet, hit that button right now.
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You don't want to miss tomorrow's lesson.
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The subscribe button is right there.
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One tap, that's all.
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You are doing something amazing by learning English.
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Every day you watch, every day you practice, you are getting better.
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We are proud of you, honestly.
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Keep going.
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Don't stop.
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And we'll see you tomorrow.
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Bye, everyone.
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Bye -bye.
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Vocabulario y notas de pronunciación para esta lección
Esta lección de conversación de nivel B1 se basa en el vídeo “Small Talk in English”. Las palabras que más se repiten: phrase, Tom, English, weather, conversation. Este vídeo tiene 243 frases y 1766 palabras para practicar shadowing. La parte hablada dura 11:48. El hablante habla a un ritmo natural de unas 150 palabras por minuto, cercano a una conversación cotidiana. El 89 % de las palabras está entre las 3.000 más comunes del inglés, por lo que el vocabulario es fácil de seguir. 45 de sus 243 frases son preguntas, así que sirve para practicar la entonación de las preguntas y las respuestas cortas.
Vocabulario clave de este vídeo
Las 15 palabras más avanzadas del vídeo, con su pronunciación y significado:
| Palabra | Pronunciación | Significado |
|---|---|---|
| phrase sustantivo | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | frase |
| subscribe verbo | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | suscribirse, subscribirse |
| grammar sustantivo | /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/ | gramática |
| upload verbo | /ˈʌpˌloʊd/ | subir, cargar |
| goodness sustantivo | /ˈɡʊdnəs/ | bondad |
| casual adjetivo | /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/ | casual |
| confidently adverbio | /ˈkɑnfɪdəntli/ | confidentemente |
| pronunciation sustantivo | /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/ | pronunciación |
| stare verbo | /stɛɚ/ | mirar fijamente, quedarse mirando |
| polite adjetivo | /pəˈlaɪt/ | cortés, educado |
| pasta sustantivo | /ˈpɑ.stə/ | pasta |
| shelf sustantivo | /ʃɛlf/ | estante, balda |
| sunny adjetivo | /ˈsʌni/ | asoleado, soleado |
| recommendation sustantivo | /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/ | recomendación |
| freeze verbo | /ˈfɹiːz/ | helarse, congelarse |
Phrasal verbs que vas a escuchar
| Palabra | Significado |
|---|---|
| pick up verbo | coger, asir |
Frases que vale la pena repetir
Frases cortas y completas del vídeo que puedes reutilizar en la conversación diaria:
- Can you give an example?
- Tom, do you have a story for this one?
- This means, what is your job?
- Tom, what's your story for this one?
- Have you been here before?
Gramática en este vídeo
Las estructuras que más usa el hablante, con las palabras exactas del vídeo:
| Estructura | En el vídeo |
|---|---|
| Superlativos the -est / the most … — lo más alto o lo más bajo de un grupo | the best · the most common · the most classic |
| Verbo + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbos seguidos de la forma en -ing | Keep watching · love talking · love hearing |
| Posibilidad con “might / may” might/may + verbo — algo posible pero no seguro | might say · might be |
| Futuro con “will” will + verbo — una decisión, una promesa o una predicción | we'll tell · We'll give · will never let |
Pronunciación a tener en cuenta
El hablante usa 28 contracciones y formas reducidas, como don't, I'm, you're. Dilas en su forma corta, tal como las oyes.
- Los sonidos de “sh” y “zh”: casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, shelf /ʃɛlf/, recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/
- Palabras largas — cuida el acento: confidently /ˈkɑnfɪdəntli/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/
Sonidos difíciles para hispanohablantes:
- s + consonante al inicio — sin añadir una “e” delante: starter /ˈstɑɹ.tɚ/, stare /stɛɚ/, stranger /ˈstɹeɪnd͡ʒɚ/
- /z/ — sonora, no /s/: phrase /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/, freeze /ˈfɹiːz/
- /dʒ/ — no es la “y” ni la “ch”: stranger /ˈstɹeɪnd͡ʒɚ/, judgment /ˈd͡ʒʌd͡ʒ.mənt/
Cómo practicar con este vídeo
- Escucha el vídeo entero una vez sin hablar y anota las palabras que no conoces.
- Empieza a velocidad 0,75×, haz shadowing frase por frase y vuelve a la velocidad normal cuando te resulte fácil.
- Grábate y compara con el original, prestando atención a palabras como phrase, subscribe, grammar.
¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?
Shadowing es una técnica de aprendizaje de idiomas respaldada por la ciencia, desarrollada originalmente para la formación de intérpretes profesionales y popularizada por el políglota Dr. Alexander Arguelles. El método es simple pero poderoso: escuchas audio en inglés nativo y lo repites en voz alta de inmediato, como una sombra que sigue al hablante con solo 1-2 segundos de retraso. A diferencia de la escucha pasiva o los ejercicios de gramática, el shadowing obliga a tu cerebro y músculos de la boca a procesar y reproducir simultáneamente patrones de habla reales. Las investigaciones muestran que mejora significativamente la precisión de la pronunciación, la entonación, el ritmo, el habla conectada, la comprensión auditiva y la fluidez al hablar, convirtiéndola en una de las metodologías más efectivas para la preparación del IELTS Speaking y la comunicación en inglés en el mundo real.