Updated on January 5, 2024
Small talk in English: 7 topics to get you started
Love it or hate it, small talk is pretty much required in social situations. Without small talk, you risk awkward silences between you and the people around you.
But what exactly is small talk?
Small talk is a way of getting comfortable with new acquaintances by chatting about small, unimportant things like the weather or your favorite movies. It’s a much better idea to break the ice using small talk than to dive into big questions like “How much money do you make?” or “Who did you vote for in the last election?”
But making small talk in English can be tricky. You might not know what the right topics are or how to start a conversation.
Below, we’ll go through some small talk topics in English. We’ll also give you some examples of small talk phrases in English to use next time you want to cut the tension and start chatting.
Greeting someone and introducing yourself makes a lot of sense when you’re just meeting them for the first time. This is probably the most obvious go-to topic. Making introductions is a great way to lead into a conversation.
This might seem like a bit of a cliché, but the weather is an easy, relatable topic that anyone can talk about.
The nice thing about discussing the weather is that it can lead to other topics like weekend plans or vacations.
Travel is a topic with lots of different directions: holiday plans, past trips, staycations, recommendations, favorite places, etc.
Food is an excellent icebreaker. After all, everyone eats!
This small talk topic could include restaurants, comfort foods, cooking, the strangest foods you’ve tried, favorite foods and more.
This topic is appropriate for both new acquaintances and people you work with but don’t know very well.
When talking to someone you’ve just met, you could ask them about their job. To chat with a coworker, ask about something work-related.
To a new acquaintance:
To a coworker:
This is a topic that most people can relate to and say something about. Even if someone hasn’t seen the same shows as you have, you can always describe a series or movie that you enjoyed—if they seem interested, that is!
Talking about what’s happening around you can be a fantastic way to break the ice.
You could bring up something about a shared experience you’re having (e.g., maybe you’re both at a party and don’t know anyone) or point out something interesting nearby.
Knowing how to make small talk in English is a valuable skill for a variety of situations. Try some of the topics we’ve discussed to avoid those awkward situations where no one’s saying a word.
Feel like you need more speaking practice or want to build your vocabulary before jumping into real-life small talk? Why not find a meetup group, join a social media community or have English-speaking coffee dates with a friend? You’ll be a small-talk pro in no time!
