Social Talk

What is an ice breaker? When people who don’t know each other, and they want to start a conversation. An ice breaker is a topic to break the silence.

Which topic would you use as an ice breaker when chatting with elderly people?

Which sport are you interested in?

What music do you like listening to?

Who’s your favourite movie star?

How about the weather these days?

Which topic would you use as an ice breaker when chatting with tourists? Which sport are you interested in?

What music do you like listening to?

Who’s your favourite movie star?

How’s your trip?

What have you seen on your trip?

Which places have you seen so far?

These two people are generations apart, they have nothing in common but what can they talk about?

Current events

Work and jobs

Complimenting

“I love your new hair do, where did you get it done?”

“Where did you get those shoes, I want a pair?”

Everyone likes to hear a compliment, what can you compliment a person on?

What things can you do to show you are interested in what the other person is talking about?

Keep eye contact

Look at your watch

Nod your head

Play with your phone

Play with your hair

Face your body towards them

Ask more questions about their topic

Things to say to show you’re interested.

Acknowledging – words to say to show you are listening.

I see You don’t say That’s interesting I didn’t know that

Things to say to show you’re interested.

The follow up question – asking more questions about their topic.

A: which sport are you interested in?

B: I am interested in playing football.

A: which team do you play for?

This is the follow up question

Things to say to show you’re interested.

A: my home town is Melbourne.

What follow up questions would you ask?

What can you do there? What places do you recommend to visit?

How long have you been living there?

Things to say to show you’re interested.

A: my part time job is working at a restaurant.

What follow up questions would you ask?

Do you like working there? How long have you been working there?

How long will you work there?

Things to say to show you’re interested.

Echoing – by repeating what they have said.

A: I like listening to music while I read a book.

B: Listening to music while you read?

Things to say to show you’re interested.

Changing the topic – if you want to change the topic because the current topic has lost interests, or you don’t know anything about this topic. Here are some things to say.

That reminds me of another story Talking about ……..While on the subject of ……..

AI like playing football on the weekend

CI am going to see a movie this weekend

BTo change topics, what do A and C they have in common?

The weekend – “talking about the weekend …..”

You’re at a party, no one knows anyone so you have to mingle.

What is mingling?

Mingling is going around and introducing yourself at a party, breaking the ice and making new friends.

Activity: you are going to go around the room and break the ice with different classmates.

Rule one: you must use a different ice breaker with every student.

Rule two: need to use follow up questions.

Rule three: you will have a few minutes with each person, and will need to mingle with almost everyone.

A

B

Concentric circle – B will rotate and change partners – A will stay where they are.