Hey there! This is TOP 360. 3 Small Talk Mistakes to Avoid
**You read English. You understand English. You’ve been learning for years, but when it’s time to speak your mind just freezes, and the words don’t come out. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. My name’s Ola, and this is Teacher Ola Podcast. I’m here to help you finally speak out loud. This isn’t about perfect grammar or fancy vocabulary. This is about your voice. Your words. Your real English.
I think small talk is one of the most underrated skills when it comes to learning English. But before we get into today’s topic, a quick reminder about something exciting coming up! On the 22nd of November, at 8 pm, I’m hosting a webinar called “Present Not That Simple”. If you’ve ever struggled with using the Present Simple correctly, especially when speaking, or you’ve found yourself hesitating over basic sentences, this webinar is for you. We’ll look at the grammar, of course, but more importantly, we’ll focus on how to use it naturally and confidently in everyday conversations. So, if you’d like to join me, you can sign up at teacherola.com/simple. That’s teacherola.com/simple.
Right, let’s get back to small talk!
**Actually, in my Say It Out Loud (aka SIOL) course, we have an entire week dedicated to small talk. It’s one of my favourite parts of the course because I think these everyday, seemingly unimportant conversations are what make a huge difference to how comfortable you feel speaking English.
And since the latest group is currently working through that week, I thought it would be a perfect time to talk about something slightly different today. Not how to make small talk, but how NOT to destroy it. Because it’s not that you don’t have enough vocabulary or that you don’t know what to say. Sometimes, it’s the little things you say that make a conversation come to a rather awkward end. So today, I want to talk about three things that can absolutely destroy a perfectly good small-talk conversation.
**The first one is saying “We’ll see.”
Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing grammatically wrong with this expression. It’s perfectly natural English, and of course, there are situations when it’s exactly what you want to say. But when it comes to small talk, it can be a bit awkward. Imagine someone asks you, “Are you coming to the Christmas party on Friday?” And you say, “We’ll see.” And that’s it. Conversation over. Why? Because you’ve given the other person absolutely nothing to work with. You’re not saying yes, you’re not saying no, you’re not explaining anything, and you’re not asking anything back. It’s a bit of a dead end. And it can also sound a little dismissive, as if you can’t really be bothered to make a decision or continue the conversation. So, what can you say instead? Well, you could say, “I’m not sure yet. I need to check a few things, but I’ll let you know.” Or, “I’m still thinking about it. Are you going?” Or even, “I’d love to, actually, but I’m not sure if I can make it. How about you?” Can you see the difference? You’re still not committing to anything, but you’re giving the other person something to respond to. And that’s really the whole point of small talk. You don’t have to have a fascinating story or a brilliant opinion. You just need to give the other person a little opening to keep the conversation going.
**The second thing that can finish small talk fast is giving one-word answers.
Now, I’m sure you’ve experienced this.
You ask someone, “How was your weekend?” and they say, “Good.”
“Did you do anything nice?”
“No.”
“Have you watched anything interesting lately?”
“Not really.”
And at some point, you just want to give up, don’t you? Of course, nobody expects you to give a five-minute speech every time someone asks you how you’re doing. And sometimes you’re tired, you’re in a rush, or you simply don’t feel like talking. That’s absolutely fine. But if you do want to have a conversation, try to give slightly longer answers. And here’s a little trick I often share with my students: add one extra piece of information. So, instead of just saying, “Good,” when someone asks you about your weekend, you could say, “Pretty good, actually. I went for a long walk on Sunday.” Instead of saying, “I’m tired,” you could say, “I’m tired. It’s been a really busy week at work.” And instead of saying, “No, I haven’t seen that film” you could say, “No, I haven’t seen that film, but I’ve heard really good things about it. Is it worth watching?” See? Nothing complicated. You’re just giving the other person something to pick up on. And one more thing: don’t forget that you can ask a question back. If someone asks you about your weekend, you can answer and then say, “How about you? Did you get up to anything nice?” It’s such a simple thing, but it makes a huge difference.
**And finally, the third thing I want to talk about is turning every conversation back to yourself.
Now, this one is quite interesting because I think people often do it without even realising it. And usually, they don’t have bad intentions. They’re simply trying to connect with the other person by sharing a similar experience. Let’s say someone tells you, “I’ve just come back from Italy. We had such a lovely time!” And you immediately jump in with, “Oh, I’ve been to Italy three times! And suddenly, the conversation is no longer about their holiday. It’s about yours. Or someone says, “I’ve been really busy at work lately.” And you respond, “Oh, tell me about it! I’ve got so much work at the moment. Yesterday I had six meetings, and then I had to…” You know what I mean? There’s nothing wrong with sharing your own experiences. In fact, that’s an important part of having a natural conversation. The problem is when you do it too quickly and don’t give the other person a chance to finish their story or tell you more. So, next time someone shares something with you, try to show a little curiosity before bringing in your own experience. If someone says they’ve just come back from Italy, you could ask, “Oh, lovely! Which part did you visit?” Or, “What was your favourite thing about the trip?” Or even, “Would you go back?” And if you have been to Italy yourself, that’s great! You can absolutely mention it a little later. But first, let the other person enjoy telling you about their experience. I think one of the nicest things you can do in a conversation is make someone feel that you’re genuinely interested in what they’re saying. A simple follow-up question is enough.
So, let’s quickly recap. Three things to avoid if you want to become better at small talk: don’t end every conversation with “We’ll see”, don’t give people one-word answers that leave them with nowhere to go, and don’t turn every single conversation into a story about yourself. And remember, small talk isn’t about impressing people. It’s not about being the funniest, the most interesting or the most talkative person in the room. It’s about making a connection, showing a little interest and making the other person feel comfortable talking to you. And honestly, I think that’s a skill worth practising. So, here’s a little challenge for you: the next time you have a conversation with someone, pay attention to how you respond. Are you giving them something to work with? Are you asking questions? Are you actually listening, or are you just waiting for your turn to speak? And if you don’t have a space to practice speaking, you can join my small conversational, whatsApp groups. Just do the test at teacherola.com/test.
Now! Don’t forget your worksheet, it’s at teacherola.com/360. Let’s practice. Listen and repeat out loud:
How was your weekend?
Did you do anything nice?
Are you going?
How about you?
Is it worth watching?
What was your favourite thing about the trip?
Pretty good, actually. I went for a long walk on Sunday.
I’m still thinking about it. Are you going?
I’ve heard really good things about it. Is it worth watching?
I need to check a few things, but I’ll let you know.
Thanks so much for staying till the very end of this episode! If you’re interested in practising English with me, take a look at Voice Loop programmes. These are small conversational groups organised into five-week programmes. You practise English every day in our WhatsApp group, get daily learning materials and individual feedback from me, and we meet once a week for a one-hour conversation session.
You can try it for free before deciding if it’s right for you. Just go to teacherola.com/test.
And one more link for you to remember teacherola.com/simple. That is where you can sign up for my next webinar PRESENT NOT THAT SIMPLE that will take place on the 22nd of November 2026 at 8 pm. Teacherola.com/simple.
Please rate and review the podcast, subscribe if you haven’t yet. Stay fearless, take care, and say it out loud.
I love you, I believe in you, and I know you’re ready to speak English.
I’m your teacher, Teacher Ola. Bye for now!