Question

Review the guidelines for making small talk and other types of everyday conversation you explored in the textbook and in the learning activities. Find links to YouTube videos that demonstrate a good and bad example of each of the following: making small talk, making an apology, and giving and receiving a compliment. Include the minute and second the viewer should begin watching if not the entire video. Outline a set of specific instructions on how to make small talk, make an apology, and give and receive a compliment.

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) The purpose of “small-talk” is mainly to establish a certain level of comfort so as to ease oneself into engagement of deeper conversations. Small talk does not generally differ based on the type of relationship, for instance, professional, acquaintance, friendship etc. This is because an initial conversation is always formal and reserved to a certain extent. When one has established a commendable rapport with another, small-talk becomes a frivolous exercise to indulge in.

It is essential that one does not indulge in egregious topics when initially talking to someone. This is not an essential precept. However, in order to gain the comprehension of another individual, deep conversations are quite essential.

Dabbling with topics like the weather, new films, popular music or even the goings on of common institutions are favourable to talk about. These may seem like shallow topics, however, they might help break the ice and establish friendlier connections with individuals who would have otherwise been strangers.

The video, “Talk to strangers: Danny Harris at TEDx” at 4:00mins talks about the dreariness of a lack of familiarity in a society where individuals do not engage in conversation. Even the video, “7 Ways to Make a Conversation with Anyone, Malavika Varadan - TEDx” explores the importance of communication.

Quality conversations lead to a better understanding of individuals and are capable of starting conflicts and even resolving them. Although to get to that echelon, it is pivotal to start at a lower level, this is familiarising “small-talk.”

Bad examples of small-talk – Starting with heavier topics like religion and politics. It is important to get comfortable with a conversation before tackling the heavier topics.

Bad examples of making an apology – Making excuses for one’s actions is one of the poorest forms of an apology. One must courageously take responsibility for their actions in order to render a wholesome apology.

Bad example of receiving a compliment – Being too smug and exhibiting excessive pride about the compliment received are not polite ways to handle positive words.

Bad example of giving a compliment – Being rude with compliments could entail several things. When offering a compliment, one should consider that the motive is to offer encouragement and an incentive to do better. For instance, if a manager says, “Good job on the project, I did not expect that from you” It could be insulting to the employee. This is because the manager inadvertently says that he did not presume the employee was capable of doing a good job. Furthermore, if the manager were to offer a compliment in a derisive or sadistic manner it would come across as rude. Therefore, humility and compassion are two important aspects to keep in mind when offering someone a compliment.