Small talk conversations are usually short and can be about topics like work, family, sports or common

interests.
Small talk is how many conversations begin.
It's just short conversations about every day topics, but those short conversations can lead to longer and more
important ones.
In your language...
What kind of greetings do you use? - Opening lines - Introductions
What do you talk about? - General topics
First, let's look at how you can introduce yourself to someone new.
Hello, I'm Jody. What's your name? >> Hello, I'm Ben. Nice to meet you, Ben.
And often, when you introduce yourself first, it's makes the other person feel more comfortable talking to
you. And once you've heard the other person's name, say it. Nice to meet you, ben.

This is a great event, isn't it? What brings you here? >> I'm here for work and you? >> Me too. What kind of work
do you do?
Here's a chance to learn a little bit more about the person. Smile and keep your eyes on the person you're
talking to.
So, you're in technology? What do you think about my new phone? >> Wow, it's really great. I haven't seen one
of those yet. >> You're right, it is great.
What are some other popular small talk topics? Hobbies, family, news, sports, just to name a few. And
remember, the more detail you add to a conversation, the easier it is to keep it going. Don't just answer yes or
no. And as you find yourself coming to the end of a conversation, keep it going with a plan to see that person
again.

Next lesson

Word & Sentence Stress:- - Syllable stressed in a word - Words stressed in a sentence

Intonation:- - Rising/Falling intonation

What’s word stress? In English we stress just one syllable in every word. We say that one syllable more
loudly, we say it higher and we make it last longer.
Let's look and listen to some words with two or more syllables. The syllables highlighted in red are get stressed.
Chicago(3 syllabels), grandmother(3), technology(4). Strengthen(2), January(4), university(5).

Sentence stress In every sentence we stress the content words(loudly&longer) are the key words.
They are the words we stress. They are longer and louder. If you take them out, the sentence will make no
sense, By saying the content words longer and louder , gives English its rhythm and its beat.
It's that ta, Ta, ta, Ta, ta, Ta you hear when you listen to English.
How do we create it? When we say a sentence, some words are strong, and others are weak. The last word is
the strongest and longest. This combination of strong and weak words creates rhythm in each sentence.

Action verbs(ex: teach, talk, sing). Nouns(name, com) , adjectives(ex: green, big, interesting),
adverbs(ex: quickly, loudly, never), WH Questions Words, & Negatives(ex: no, not, don’t, can’t).

>> He bought some jeans, ta, Ta, ta, Taa. John bought two pairs of jeans, Ta, Ta, Ta, Ta, ta Taa
He bought a pair of jeans, ta, Ta, ta, Ta, ta, Taa.
simply, those are the important words, the keywords in the sentence and we always stress the important
words. We call them content words. They give us the meaning of a sentence.
Structure words(shorter and softer):- are words we don’t stress, We use them to construct our sentences,
but they don't carry a lot of meaning, and we don't stress them. We can leave them out, and our listeners will still
be able to understand us. often the little words in sentences. If you remove them, the sentence will still make
sense.
They’re :- prepositions (ex: in, on, at) pronouns (ex: it, she, he, you) articles (ex: a, an, the)
modals (ex: can, should, would) helping verbs (ex: be, do, have)

İntonation:- It's the way your voice rises when you ask a question that gets yes or no for an answer.
Like:- do you have the letter? Did you make the call?
also we can say your voice rises and falls when you make a statement or ask an information question. For
example, summer weather in Atlanta is hot and humid. What's the weather like in your country?
In rising and falling intonation,your voice rises and falls on the last important words of the sentence. Rising
falling intonation tells your listener that you're finished.
Next lesson
Good elevator speech:
1) tell a story about you. 2) give facts about you. 3) show why you’re important to them.
at the end, the person you're talking to should want to know more about you. telling your listener, you will
contact them soon to continue the conversation. Like "l will contact you again soon. "
every face to face encounter, how you sound and how you look is even more important than what you say.
- Rhythm & Intonation - Speed (How fast?) - Volume (How loud?)
ex: successful elevator speaker: "Data Analytics Proficiency: Bridging Economics with Practical Insights"

Introduction:
Hello/Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you.
My name is Adnan Mohamed Ahmed.
What you do:
I recently graduated with a Bachelor of Economics.
Throughout my studies, I developed a strong interest in data analytics.
Why you are important to the listener:
I've dedicated myself to self-taught learning in this field and have acquired two years of hands-on
experience working with data.
During this time, I've gained expertise in various tools such as Excel, MySQL, PowerBI, Tableau, Python, & R.
Additionally, I am a Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate graduate, further solidifying my skills and
knowledge in this domain.
Conclusion:
I'm truly passionate about leveraging data to drive insights and decisions.
I'd love the opportunity to discuss how my skills and experience could benefit your team.
Here's my contact information [provide your contact details].
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to speaking with you again.

Sample Outline
Brief introduction
Hello, I'm so happy to meet you. My name is........
2-3 sentences about what you do:
I'm a ................
I work in..............department/team/area/field.
2-3 sentences about how you are important to the listener:
I have some ideas about..............
I would love to them to you. / I would love to tell you about them.
Conclusion:
Here's my contact info.......
I look foward to speaking with you again
Thanks very much!

Lesson 1 Basics of Meeting Online

Lesson 2 Expressions, Vocabulary, Body Language for Online Discussions

Lesson 3 Apply Language to Situations

During a video conference, you can...

- share PowerPoint presentations - share videos & documents - record the meetings

English as a Second Language

- spend more time to prepare - plan what you will say - PRACTICE!

Pronounciation: - speak SLOWLY - maintain STEADY VOLUME - practice WORD STRESS

- remember RHYTHM - STRESS CONTENT WORDS (soft, short structure words)

During the meeting...

- RESPECT other participants - watch HOW LONG you speak - be sure everyone has a TURN
-remain attentive -when you don’t speaking turn-off the microphone
-never forget you’re on camera, & everyone can see what you’re doing, even if you’re not speaking.

Now, what video conferencing sites should you Meeting Burner.

use? I'm only going to mention free sites, some or
all of which you may already be familiar with.
These include Google Hangouts, Skype for
Business, Fuze, WebEx, GoToMeeting, and

21st Century Technology + Your Experience + Your English Skills = Creates NEW opportunities.

Lesson 2: Group Discussion Language

- Agree / Disagree (with other speakers)

The meeting begins, and everyone AGREEs with the agenda. morning.
Does everyone agree with our plan? Ways to AGREE:
a. Yes, I agree. b. It looks good to me. c. I think so, too. d. I definitely agree.
Great then, lets get started.

Fortunately, there are many ways to disagree and still remain polite and positive.
-so, here’s my idea.....
way’s to disagree (that person idea):-
a. I'm afraid I don't agree. b. I'm sorry, but I don't agree. c. That's interesting. But I'd prefer
something different. d. Actually, I disagree.

- Clarify (to make sure we understand/ following the conversation)

Boss:Now let's move to the first item on our agenda - a review of the budget.
Ways to CLARIFY info:
a. Excuse me, I didn't hear that. Could you say it again?
b. Sorry, I missed what you just said. Could you repeat that please?
c. I'm sorry, could you explain that again? d. Excuse me, could you tell me what that means?

So does everyone understand now? Ways to say you understand:

a. Thanks, now I get it . b. Thank you. It's a lot clearer to me now.
Okay, I understand now. Thank you for clarifying that. Thanks, I see what you mean.

- Restate (in your own words what someone else has said)
Restating confirms that everyone in the discussion understands. So does everyone understand now?
ways to RESTATE info:
a. I understand. We're going to discuss money first.
b. I see. Our first step is to look at how much money we have and how much money we can spend.

- Take a Turn. Ways to get your turn:

Excuse me, Can I say something here? Could I interrupt you for a minute?
Sorry to interrupt, but I'd like to say something here.
Ways to include others:
a. So, what do you think? b. Can you give me your thoughts on this?
c. Do you agree? d. What's your opinion?

- Show Interest(to show interest what other people says)

Ways to SHOW INTEREST: a, That's interesting. b. Really? C. I see.

In your culture...
Formal: Titles: ex) Mr. Ms. Dr. Sir... Informal: First Names: ex) Jane, Mark, Bob...
When you really don't know, the safest way may be to use Sir or Madam.

1. A speaker opens the meeting, states what it will be about and asks each member to respond.
Type of response: Agree
a. Yes, I agree. b. It looks good to me. c. I think so too. d. I definitely agree.

2. One of the speakers is describing something but the information you have is different.
Type of response: Disagree
a. I’m afraid I don’t agree. b. I ‘m sorry but I don’t agree.
c. That’s interesting, but I’d prefer something different. d. Actually, I disagree.

3. A speaker asks you a question but you don’t hear it clearly or don’t understand it.
Type of response: Clarify
a. Excuse me, I didn’t hear that. Could you say it again?
b. Sorry, I missed what you just said. Could you repeat that please?
c. I’m sorry, could you say that again? d. Excuse me, could you repeat that?

4. The speaker gives you more information to help you understand.

Type of response: Show you Understand
a. Thanks, now I get it. b. I see. c. I understand now. Thank you
d. Thank you, it’s a lot clearer to me now.

5. You have some important information you want to contribute to the discussion but another person is
talking.
Type of response: Interrupt
a. Excuse me, can I say something here? b. Could I interrupt you for a minute?
c. Sorry to interrupt, but I’d like to say something here.

6. You notice that one of the people at the meeting hasn’t had a chance to speak.
Type of Response: Invite
a. So what do you think? b. Can you give me your thoughts on this? c. Do you agree?
d. What’s your opinion?

7. The meeting is going well and the speakers are very interesting. Type of response: Show Interest
Nod, look at the speaker and say, a. That’s interesting. b. Really? c. I see.
Practice with Dialogues
Efficient, productive phone calls today involve clear introductions and exchange of
information, no misunderstandings and friendly closings. Put this all together and phone
calls have the potential to contribute to your success. Review and practice these
expressions that you learned through the lecture videos to help you get started.

INTRODUCTIONS
a. Hello, this is ……… I work at ABC Company and I’m calling about your order.
b. Good morning. My name is ….. with Georgia Tech. I heard your presentation at the
conference and would like to discuss it with you.
c. Hello, this is …. From Dr. ……office. I’m calling to confirm your appointment.
d. Hello, this is ….. I’m calling with a question for you.

REQUESTS and RESPONSES

a. Could you please confirm …? - Yes, I’d be happy to.
b. Could you give me more information about ...? - Certainly, what would you like to know?
c. Do you have a minute to review …? - Of course!
d. Would you mind going over this with me? - Not at all.

REPETITION/CLARIFICATION and RESPONSES

a. I’m sorry. I missed that. What did you just say? - No problem, I said…
b. Excuse me. I didn’t catch what you said. Could you say it again please? - I’d be happy
to.
c. Sorry. I’m not sure I understand. What does that mean? - Of course, let me explain.
d. I’m sorry. I don’t quite understand what you mean. Can you explain it again? - Certainly.
What I mean is …

CLOSINGS
a. Thanks so much. I look forward to speaking with you again. Goodbye.
b. Goodbye and thanks for all your assistance.
c. I’ve enjoyed this conversation and hope we’ll talk again soon. Goodbye.
d. It’s been great talking to you. Thank you. Good bye.

the best response for the following situation.

You are beginning a phone conversation with someone you do not know.
Good morning. My name is Andrea Gomez. I'm in the accounting office at ABC Products. I
have a question about your order.

You are on the phone with a client. Everything is going smoothly. Then suddenly, you can't
understand what the person is saying.
Excuse me. I didn't hear what you said. Could you say it again please?

You are ending a conversation with a new customer.

Thanks so much. I look forward to speaking with you again. Goodbye.
Practice Stress
Working on pronunciation of numbers and can/can’t will improve your fluency and make it
easier for others to understand you. And it will make telephone calls less scary and more
fun.

STRESS IN NUMBERS
It is important to pronounce numbers with accurate stress. One main difference is
between numbers ending in –teen and –ty, such as 14 and 40. Both the stress and the
sound of the “t” are different.
fourteen

f o r ty (/t/ sounds like /d/)

Practice saying these sentences first with the teen number and then with the “ty” number.
Record yourself and listen. Do you hear the difference?
1) The club had (19 / 90) members.
2) The store sells (16 / 60) different products.
3) Sue woke up at (5:13 / 5:30) this morning.
4) Almost (14 / 40) percent of my coworkers live near the office.
5) My brother is (17 / 70) years old.
6) I spent (14 / 40) dollars on groceries.
7) He lives on (13th / 30th) street.
8) Last week, the temperature was about (17 / 70).
9) I spent nearly (18 / 80) dollars on this.
10) I believe that (15 / 50) people are taking the English class.
11) The average cost is (14 / 40) thousand dollars.
12) The temperature is (13 / 30) Celsius.
13) The class is in Room (114B / 140B).
14) The war in (1818 / 1880) didn’t last a long time.
15) My address is (4014 / 1440) North Peachtree Street.

CAN/CAN’T
For correct pronunciation, shorten the “a” in can and lengthen it in can’t.
Practice saying these sentences first with can and then with can’t. Record yourself and
listen. Do you hear the difference?
1) I (can, can’t) speak several languages.
2) My brother (can, can’t) play the guitar.
3) He (can, can’t) fly a plane.
4) They (can, can’t) get here on time.
5) I (can, can’t) set up a meeting.
Challenge yourself. Talk with friends about things you can and can’t do. Can they
understand you?

Practice -ed Endings

-ED ENDINGS
Read the sentences out loud, record yourself and check your pronunciation.

Past tense → /t/ after voiceless sounds (except /t/)

1) We laughed at all of his jokes.
2) I locked the door.
3) He looked at his watch.
4) She finished her exam early.
5) He crashed into a pole when he lost control of his car.
6) She picked him up at the airport at ten.
7) He was embarrassed when he slipped and fell.
Past tense → /d/ after voiced sounds (except /d/)
1) He always worried about his finances.
2) I called up the store and complained about the service.
3) We turned in our work early.
4) She prepared reports, solved problems, and managed a team.
5) He rearranged the schedule and confused the staff.
6) We played all day and studied all night.

Past tense → /id/ after /t/ or /d/

1) The university invited the speaker because many students are interested in the topic.
2) She was educated in the US and graduated from Georgia Tech.
3) They waited and waited until their friend’s plane landed.
4) The teacher handed out the assignment.
5) They located the items I had lost.
6) I predicted I would win.

Practice -s Endings
-S ENDINGS
Read the sentences out loud, record yourself and check your pronunciation.

s/es → /s/ after voiceless sounds (except /s/, /ʃ/, /ʧ/)

a. She often compliments her employees.
b. He hopes his luck will change soon.
c. My friend usually meets me after work.
d. She laughs at all of his jokes.
e. We spent six months on this project.
f. He writes his parents every two weeks.

s/es → /z/ after voiced sounds (except /z/, /ʒ/, /ʤ/)

a. The clothes in that store are really expensive.
b. She throws out all her magazines every month.
c. John saves his money.
d. She feels like relaxing all weekend.
e. Susan drives her friends crazy.
f. The feathers in her hat got wet.

s/es → /iz/ after sibilant sounds

a. John raises horses on his farm.
b. He rarely finishes an exam in one hour.
c. He always changes his mind.
d. My taxes increase and my insurance rises every year.
e. He washes the dishes every evening.
f. Hugs and kisses are typical greetings in many countries.