Small Talk Strategies for the Classroom

This two-hour workshop will support new UM students for whom English is not a first language.  Students entering degree study in a Canadian university commonly express a strong desire to connect with classmates.  Many students, however, are held back in this regard because they lack confidence and are unsure of the norms of small talk in this context. They may lack confidence for initiating and sustaining an informal conversation with their peers.  As such, this interactive workshop will focus on cultural norms and expectations around small talk, along with providing and practicing specific strategies and phrases for effectively connecting with classmates.  The primary goals of the workshop are to increase students’ cultural knowledge and their confidence in engaging in small talk/informal conversation.