Pratique du Shadowing: British Small Talk for English Learners (easier than you think) - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo

Création de la leçon...
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In England, we don't say hello.
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We might ask if you're all right.
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You all right?
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We might say I'm good when life is actually bad.
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Welcome to British Smalltalk.
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Three years ago, I was terrible at small talk.
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Why is that?
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Nobody teaches you this stuff.
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So in this video I will teach you the secrets of British small talk
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so you can walk into any conversation and feel confident
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and at the end of the video I'm gonna share a special memory trick so you can remember everything you learn
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Small talk is like glue, social glue.
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It's about making the other person feel comfortable,
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showing them that you care.
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In the beginning the goal isn't to talk too deeply,
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it's about keeping it light, keeping it fun.
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You could talk about the weather, the food, the coffee.
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Keep it light-hearted.
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In British English when someone asks how are you they probably don't want to hear about your problems
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so you can respond I'm good how are you?
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Another note is that I hear a lot of people say I'm fine
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but I'm fine can be perceived as a little bit negative
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so it's better to just say I'm good that always works how are you I'm good
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the biggest problem with small talk is
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that we focus too much on ourselves instead focus on the
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other person ask questions be curious the person who asks best questions is always the most interesting person in the room.
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If you want to be interesting, be interested.
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Act like Sherlock Holmes.
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Sherlock wouldn't walk into a room and talk about himself.
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He's curious.
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He observes.
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He looks for clues.
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In small talk, you have to look for clues and ask questions.
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For example, if somebody talks about their love for dancing,
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and you love dancing too,
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don't just say, oh, me too.
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Dig in.
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How long have you been dancing?
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What style of dance do you like?
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Where do you dance?
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Classes or just going out?
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How often do you practice?
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But what if you don't know the topic they are talking about?
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Well, be Sherlock.
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Ask questions.
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Be curious.
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So you can say something like, ah Interesting.
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Can you tell me a little bit more about that?
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Or you could say i'm curious i don't know much about
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that but can you tell me this just gets the other person talking
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and keeps the conversation flowing recently actually i had a student
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in my group classes who was talking about ramadan i didn't know much about ramadan
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so i asked him i said i don't know much about it
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but i am curious can you can you tell me more about ramadan
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and he obliged he was very happy to talk about ramadan with me
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and i was happy to listen and by the way
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if you want to join the weekly group classes with me
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then you can i have a weekly group class on sproutlanguage.com
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you can check the link in the description it's super fun and i would love to see you there Speaking of curiosity,
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I'm curious about what's around me right now.
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This is a plant pot.
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These beautiful pink flowers are called bougainvillea.
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Let's keep looking.
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Ooh, a petal.
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This petal fell from that tree.
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And behind me there is a large pond with koi fish inside.
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Small talk is like a game of ping pong.
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You answer and then you return.
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Don't hold the paddle for five minutes and talk.
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For example, if someone asks, how was your trip?
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It was good, thank you.
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I went to Hue, I fed the koi fish,
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and I took lots of nice photos.
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How about you?
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Meh, I'm just stuck in the ground.
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Or are you enjoying your holiday so far?
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Yeah, I'm having a lovely time, thank you very much.
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It's been a blast.
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How about you?
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Are you going anywhere nice this year?
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Actually, yes, I want to go to the UK,
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but I'm still waiting on my visa.
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Anyway, I need to shoot off,
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so I'll see you later.
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Bye-bye.
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While the other person is still talking,
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these small words will help you to let them keep talking.
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I'm a tree.
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Yep, I'm a tree.
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Interesting.
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Yep, I've got roots.
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Cool.
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I've also got branches and leaves.
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Nice.
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I can dance.
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All right.
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I can dance.
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Did you not hear me?
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Wow.
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Seriously?
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Nah, just kidding.
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Mmm.
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I wish someone taught me these small little words
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when I was living in France because I would just look at people like this.
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I wanted to give them expression.
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I wanted to show them that I was listening and that I care.
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So you can use these small little words to really help you have a better conversation and be a better listener.
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Imagine yourself as a time traveler.
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We all have a past,
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a present, and a future.
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If you use these in your conversation,
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then it will always continue flowing.
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What did you get up to last weekend?
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Have you ever tried?
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What's something you've learned recently?
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Now for you behind the camera.
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What's something that you have learned in this video?
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Let me know in the comments.
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A great tip to spark small talk is to use your environment to spark up a conversation.
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For example, we're on holiday.
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I might say, do you come here often?
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I have literally never left.
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Would you recommend anything nice to do around this area?
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Sorry, I just stand here.
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You can use this in any location.
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If you're in a coffee shop and someone is standing in the queue behind you,
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you can smile.
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say hi
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and ask them do you come here often i'm new here
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can you recommend anything on the menu what's your favorite food
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using your environment is a fantastic way to spark small talk
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using the future tense in small talk is an excellent way to connect with people by discussing plans,
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hopes, or events.
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For example, have you got any holidays lined up this year?
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I'm thinking of going to the North Pole.
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What are you doing this weekend?
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I'm seeing my friends.
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By the way, I just said what are you doing this weekend?
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I'm using the present continuous for a future event.
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This is way more natural to use than will or are going to.
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And even more natural way to say that in British English is what are you up to?
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What are you up to this weekend?
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Just chilling.
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Nice.
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See ya.
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Bye Jay.
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Now I want to share a secret with you,
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something that goes way beyond English and it's useful for communication in all aspects of life.
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But before that, So, let's go for a walk and get the body moving.
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So now I'm walking by the river and looking out at the boat.
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Ooh, a man just cycled past.
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Now I'm walking through a pine forest.
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Forests are my favourite place on earth.
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Ooh, a rabbit.
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A toad.
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Ribbit.
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I'm back at the river,
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and now it's time for the most important part of communication.
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The most important form of nonverbal communication,
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which affects how people see you,
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how confident you seem, is your body language.
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Remember, open.
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Open shoulders, open chest, imagine a string is pulling your head up to the sky so you have a nice upright posture.
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You're relaxed but you're standing tall, standing straight.
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Compare that to closed shoulders,
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crossed arms, and now all of a sudden I seem less approachable,
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I seem less confident in myself self,
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if I remember to take a deep breath,
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stand up straight and smile,
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then I appear way more confidence and it's going to help you in every social situation.
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The next nonverbal communication tip is all about eye contact.
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In British culture, it's very polite to give eye contact.
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A wonderful tip that somebody shared with me many years ago is to focus on the left eye.
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Now you have a focal point and it helps you to maintain better eye contact.
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It helps me to maintain better eye contact.
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Beyond that you've got smiling,
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nodding, and showing the other person that you're listening when they are talking.
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Matching their energy, matching their facial expression makes you a better listener and it makes you seem more polite.
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The final tip of the day is to practice everything
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that you've learned in this video and you can do that with J.I which is an AI version of me.
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You can practice for five minutes per day with him in a stress-free environment.
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You can relax, there's no anxiety about talking with a real native speaker and it will prepare you for real-world conversations.
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Try it now for seven days free.
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Click the link in the description.
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I hope you like it and now Now to summarize, be Sherlock Holmes.
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Be curious and ask questions.
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Play verbal ping pong.
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Answer their question and then return with your question.
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Ask questions about the past,
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the present, and the future.
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Moving your body.
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Practice good body language.
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And finally, practice speaking with J.I on Sprout.
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And now as promised, here's the weird memory trick which will help you remember everything from this video.
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And Sherlock Holmes playing ping-pong,
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flying through a wormhole, travelling through time.
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And look at that body language, he's dancing.
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And on the other side of the net, J.I helping him improve his English.
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And that is how you small talk, my friend.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will delve into the art of British small talk, a vital skill for anyone looking to enhance their conversational abilities in English. You’ll learn how to initiate light-hearted conversations, respond appropriately, and ask engaging questions to keep dialogue flowing. This practice focuses on not just talking about yourself but being curious about others, making interactions enjoyable and comfortable. By the end of this lesson, you'll feel equipped to enter any conversation with confidence, knowing how to maintain small talk effectively.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • You all right? - A common British greeting.
  • I’m good - A positive response that avoids negativity.
  • Small talk - Light conversation to build rapport.
  • Be interested - Encouragement to show genuine curiosity towards others.
  • Dig in - To ask deeper questions and explore a topic further.
  • Can you tell me more about that? - A great way to encourage others to share.
  • Ping pong conversation - The back-and-forth exchange typical in casual chats.
  • Curiosity - The essential trait for engaging small talk.

Practice Tips

To make the most of your practice, consider using shadow speak techniques with this video. Start by listening carefully to the speed and tone of the speaker, and then try to mimic their expressions and inflections. Shadowing is particularly effective in mastering the subtleties of conversational speech, such as how to maintain a positive tone and body language during small talk. Aim to repeat phrases as you hear them, focusing on pacing to match the speaker.

Since the speaker employs a friendly and engaging tone, practice not only the words but also the emotional expression behind them. You can further your IELTS speaking practice by recording yourself mimicking the dialogue, allowing you to identify areas for improvement in your delivery. By embedding shadow speech techniques into your practice, you will become more comfortable with the natural rhythms of English conversation.

In small talk, responses should be succinct yet engaging. The goal is to give feedback without dominating the conversation. As you practice, remember that the best conversations often stem from showing genuine interest. Try to ask open-ended questions that lead to longer discussions, such as, “What do you enjoy about your hobbies?” This approach will not only help you connect better with others but also improve your fluency and confidence in using English in social scenarios.

Qu'est-ce que la technique du Shadowing ?

Le Shadowing est une technique d'apprentissage des langues fondée sur la science, développée à l'origine pour la formation des interprètes professionnels. Le principe est simple mais puissant : vous écoutez de l'anglais natif et le répétez immédiatement à voix haute — comme une ombre suivant le locuteur avec un décalage de 1 à 2 secondes. Les recherches montrent une amélioration significative de la précision de la prononciation, de l'intonation, du rythme, des liaisons, de la compréhension orale et de la fluidité.