A1 Level – Elementary
1. Do you talk to strangers?
2. What is a short greeting?
3. Do you like talking about the weather?
4. What is a difficult moment?
5. Do you think small talk is important?
6. What is a friendly smile?
7. Do you worry about silence?
8. What is a safe topic?
9. Do you think silence is okay?
10. What is a new friend?
11. Do you like asking questions?
12. What is a quick answer?
13. Do you like simple conversation?
14. What are three good topics for small talk?
15. Do you think small talk is easy?
A2 Level – Pre-Intermediate
1. What is the difference between small talk and deep conversation?
2. Why do people talk about the weather so much?
3. What are the good things and bad things about being shy?
4. How can a person start small talk with a co-worker?
5. Should all schools teach students how to start conversations?
6. Why is it important to make eye contact during a talk?
7. Do you think small talk is necessary for business?
8. What is the purpose of talking about movies or sports?
9. How does cultural background affect small talk topics?
10. What is the difference between being a good listener and a good talker?
11. Do you think small talk is harder in a second language?
12. What are the problems when small talk topics become too personal?
13. When is the best time to stop small talk and leave?
14. What are two things that make small talk comfortable?
15. How does a lack of small talk affect networking opportunities?
B1 Level – Intermediate
1. What are the simple ways to politely change an uncomfortable small talk topic?
2. How does the desire for authenticity affect the use of small talk?
3. Should the government provide resources for social skill training?
4. What is the difference between awkward silence and comfortable silence?
5. Do you believe that small talk helps people find common ground?
6. What are the challenges of making small talk with a very quiet person?
7. How does focusing on speed affect the quality of a short talk?
8. What is the idea of “reading the room”?
9. Is it fair when a person is judged for being bad at small talk?
10. How does a lack of shared context affect the starting of a conversation?
11. What are the basic steps for gracefully ending small talk?
12. What is the value of small talk in building professional relationships?
13. Should the news talk more about the importance of social connection?
14. What are the simple reasons why some people hate small talk?
15. How does the history of politeness affect modern small talk rules?
B2 Level – Upper-Intermediate
1. What are the simple social problems caused by avoiding small talk completely?
2. What are the ethical issues when small talk is used to gain an unfair advantage?
3. How does constant online interaction affect real-life small talk skills?
4. Should companies be legally required to provide communication training?
5. How does the feeling of anxiety affect a person’s ability to engage in small talk?
6. Who is responsible for promoting better conversation skills?
7. What is your simple view on the practice of only discussing deep topics?
8. What is the role of technology (apps) in preparing people for small talk?
9. How does the problem of social pressure affect conversational spontaneity?
10. What are the clear problems with allowing a conversation to become too one-sided?
11. What are the legal differences between a simple question and an intrusive one?
12. Do you think the main purpose of small talk is to test a person’s social skills?
13. What steps can friends take to help a shy person practice small talk?
14. How does the lack of a shared language affect initial interactions?
15. What are the simple psychological effects of a very smooth small talk interaction?
C1 Level – Advanced
1. Is it fair that career advancement often relies on good small talk skills?
2. What is the moral duty of a society to prepare people for social interaction?
3. How do cultural trends affect the preferred length and depth of small talk?
4. When should the government consider mandatory social skill training for public officials?
5. What are the simple ethical problems of using small talk to gather private information?
6. How does focusing on efficiency affect the need for casual, friendly chat?
7. Discuss the effects of long-term isolation on a person’s ability to use social cues.
8. How should leaders use small talk to build better team cohesion?
9. What is the idea of “phatic communication”?
10. What are the long-term social effects when people avoid all casual conversation?
11. What are the clear difficulties when courts try to decide if a question was intentionally offensive?
12. How does the desire for authenticity affect the need for polite social rituals?
13. Do you think the most important thing is the preservation of simple, friendly conversation?
14. What are the simple moral rules a person should follow when managing an awkward silence?
15. Should the government set a clear standard for acceptable topics in public conversation?
C2 Level – Proficiency
1. What is the true difference between a manufactured social ritual and authentic connection?
2. Should we eliminate all forms of casual conversation in favor of efficiency?
3. How does the idea of connection change when it starts with superficial topics?
4. What laws are needed to prevent major corporate use of small talk data?
5. How do historical views of social class and conversation affect modern small talk?
6. How can a society ensure that empathy is shown to people with social anxiety?
7. Do you think being completely honest would fix the need for small talk?
8. What simple rules should guide people when they encounter a highly formal person?
9. How can we stop people from using personal choice as an excuse for rudeness?
10. What did old thinkers say about rhetoric, conversation, and human bonding?
11. What will happen to the need for human diplomats if AI can manage all small talk?
12. How do people use the idea of “I’m not a talker” to avoid discussing social skills?
13. How does the experience of a major social success change a person’s view of small talk?
14. What is the power of a group to demand more meaningful conversation?
15. If scientists could create a perfect, anxiety-free social guide, what would happen?
