Do you know how to start speaking

With Englishmen?

Learn to be always polite!

LESSON 2 Small talk and personal contacts

Texts:

1. Small talk

2. At the University

3. Don't be a nuisance

4. Apologising

5. A patient salesman Sounds [0], [d], [w]

Articles

Pronouns few, some

Nouns and verbs

Compound nouns

people - peoples

spring, summer, autumn, winter

Let me do smth...

Do you mind if I use...

Is it all right if I...

Thank you for...

I'm awfully sorry but...

Please, excuse me but...

I do apologise...

Will you...

Would you be so kind as to...

You don't mind..., do you?

in various cases______________________

to have small talk_____________________

on various occasions__________________

casual acquaintances _______________

small talk happens between smb________

to welcome smb______________________

to offer smth_________________________

to socialize/ to communicate with smb.

to cover/ to discuss various themes _____

weather_____________________________

trip impressions______________________

comparisons_________________________

to feel relaxed_______________________

to feel comfortable___________________

to develop good relations______________

_ta good atmosphere___________________

not to be a nuissance_________________

to apologise_________________________

to be patient_________________________

to be polite__________________________

to enjoy a talk________________________

to be positive________________________

to meet smb halfway__________________

to compromise_______________________

to be attentive to smb_________________

to comply with smb's request___________

to show/to display initiative____________

to have patience with smb______________

to be emotional______________________

to be reserved/restrained_______________

b. Underline the attributes and add a few similar word combinations, paying attention to the use of the Definite Article:

the first time the same hotel the immediate in the course of

the second floor the same plane environment their work

the third variant the same mistake the near future the length of the text

Small talk

Small talk is useful in various cases. It helps people to feel relaxed and comfortable when they meet for the first time, on various so­cial occasions. They sometimes exchange a few non-committing Rhrases before they start discussing some serious problems, dur­ing breaks, at meals, at evening parties etc. Small talk happens between casual acquaintances, people who meet in the course of their work, perhaps engaged in different fields, or staying in the same hotel or travelling on the same plane, etc.

Small talk can cover various themes, like weather, trip, impres­sions and comparisons, offering refreshments, etc. Conversation normally arises from the immediate physical environment: the weather, buildings and places, hotel, arrival and departure, meals, time of day, entertainment, or it flows from the conversational context.

Small talk helps develop good relations and a good atmosphere.

Exercises

a. Write down the words which are pronounced in the following way:

['kAmfstabl] [a'kwemtans]

[э'кизп] [ko:s]

[<t9)'freiz] [tu m'geid3]

['aetm3,sfi9] _ [8i:m]

['kaejjual] _ Lenta'teinmsnt]

Make a few sentences using the above.

e.g. The library is located on the second floor.

с Underline the attributes and make a few sentences, paying attention to the use of the Indefinite and Zero Articles:

e.g. / turn to this dictionary in various cases.

in various cases a good atmosphere

on various social occasions an experienced interpreter

in different fields casual acquaintances

an interesting topic

d. Translate into English paying attention to articles:

1 Это довольно интересный текст.

2 Мне хотелось бы получить ответы на мои вопросы.

3 Первый вопрос касается заголовка этой статьи.

4 У нее такое же мнение.

5 На уроках мы обсуждаем различные темы.

e. Translate the following sentences into English paying attention to the diagram:

люди народность

There are very many people in the They spoke about cultures of various
lobby. peoples.

2*

1 Люди не знают ответа на этот вопрос.

2 Они говорили о народностях, живущих на Севере.

3 Это помогает людям чувствовать себя спокойно.

4 Люди, которые присутствовали на вечере, работают на одной фирме.

5 По-моему, это очень интересные люди.

f. Have a look at the picture and translate the sentences into Russian paying attention to the use of articles:

1 Be careful! There's bro- 5 I need a cloth to wipe the table.

ken glass on the road. 6 Hamlet is one of Shakespeare's most

2 We had fish for dinner. famous works.

3 Drink was the cause of all 7 Would you like to have a drink? his troubles. 8 Did you buy a paper this morning?

4 They produce and export 9 May I have a glass of water, please? a lot of paper.

h. Write down verbs from which the following nouns are formed and make a few short sentences: g. talk — to talk — / didn 't listen to the talk they had.

e.

entertainment. environment _ refreshment _ acquaintance _

assistance___

comparison _

arrival

i. Have another look at the text and mark the correct answers with a tick (/):

e.g. Is small talk useful on various occasions?

Oh no, very seldom. / Yes, quite often.

Oh no, maybe once in a lifetime.

1 Does it help people to feel relaxed and comfortable?

Yes, it does and especially when people meet for the first time. Yes, it does, but only when people know each other very well. No, usually it does not.

2 Do people usually speak about the weather then?

Practically, they never do.

Yes, only about the weather.

They may speak about various things, including the weather.

j. Make a few sentences on the basis of this diagram and the text (you may make shorter sentences than those used in the text):

g. Underline the Zero Articles in the following sentences paying attention to the fact that it is usually used when nouns are given in ennumeration: