Small Talk:

"The most important conversation you can learn!"

All right ESL Learners, I'm about to teach you the most important conversation you can learn.  We call it "Small Talk" in English and it refers to the tiny, little conversations we have everyday when we bump into people on the street, on the subway, at work, at play, anywhere.  Believe it or not, 90% of the "Small Talk" conversation speech patterns can be memorized.  There are some simple rules that can make you look good very easily.  Getting them wrong, doesn't look so good.  Basically, "Small Talk" is also the most comfortable and casual conversation that English people like to have.  Therefore, mastering "small talk" will really help to make foreign, English friends.  When we're living in Korea, we also really need a chance to relax and just speak our comfortable language.

Why learn small talk?

• You can make instant English friends. (Foreigners need friends for comfortable conversation.  These basic questions are almost like a "friendship compatibility test.")
• These are some very very simple, but important speech patterns.
• It will help your basic conversation skills.  (I've worked with highly educated Koreans who wanted to learn so many words, but they failed these basic speech habits.)
• It's the most common English conversation there is!  This is the exact stuff native speakers say every day in their regular life routines!

Well here it is.  Please note, I will give a simple Korean translation for the basic expression. 

 Question:  1. How's it going?                   

Variations:So, how's it going? Hey, how's it going?Hey John, how's it going?Hey Lisa, how's it going?

Korean: 어떻게 지내요?

Answer:It's going ______. 

good, ok, all right, well, great, fantastic, terrific, bad, so so,shitty, crappy  

Also common: It's not going well.

Korean 잘 지내요.

 Tips:

Note: Please don't forget to answer with these exact words: It's going _____.

Don't say, "I'm going good."It will immediately sound incorrect! Not good!

Question:2. What's new?

Variations:So, what's new? Hey, what's new? Hey David, what's new?

Korean: 새 소식 있어요?

Answer: Nothing new. (usual answer)

Nothing new.

Variations: Oh nothing much. It's my birthday today! I got a new job, girlfriend, cellphone, etc.

Korean: 소식 없어요.

Question: 3. How was  ___?

Variations: So, how was the _____ ?

the movie, the game, the test, your weekend, the meeting, your presentation, your speech, your date

Korean: ~는 어땠어요?

Answer:  It was ___?

Variations:

good, ok, so so, not bad, great, awesome

Korean: 좋았어요. (It was good)

 Question: 4.  Did you have a good weekend?

 Variations:Did you go to the movie? Did you go to the movie? Did you go on a date?

 Korean: 주말 잘 보냈어요?

 Answer:Yes I did. No I didn't.

 Variations: Not much variation here.  Simple answer, but you can talk more about what you did.

Example: Yes I did see the movie Avatar.  It was awesome.

 Korean: 내, 잘보냈어요?

Question:  5. What did you do?

Variations:

What'd you do?

So, what'd you do?.

What joo do? (*fast pronunciation, not actual English words)

Korean: 뭐 했어요?

 Answer:

 I went to school.

Variations:

I played a game. I studied English. I watched TV.

Korean: 학교에 갔어요.

 Question: 6. How is your ____?

Variations:

How's ______?  How's the ______?  How's your _____?

Examples: How's school? How's life? How's the job?  How's your wife? How's your family?  How's your work (going)?

Korean: _____ 어때요?

 Answer: It is _____.

It's good, ok, so so, great, awesome, amazing, incredible, horrible, pretty bad, pretty good.

Variation: It's ___.

Question: 7. What will you do?  What are you going to do?

Variations: What'll you do? What are you going to do? Whadyah gonna do?

Korean: 뭐 할거예요?

Answer:  I will ___.

 I will go to school.  I will play a game. I will read.  I will practice tae-kwon-do. 

Variation: I'm going to _____

I'm going to see a movie.  I'm gonna eat dinner.  I'm gonna study.  I'm gonna fix my car.

 Question:8. What do you have to do? What do you got to do?

 Variations:

 Whadyah have to do?

 What do you got to do?

 Whatdyah gotta do?

 Korean: 뭘 해야되요?

Answer:

 I have to _____. I got to ______.

I have to study.  I got to study.

I have to go to work.  I got to do my homework.

 Question: 9. Do you have any plans this weekend?

 Variations:

So, what are you up to this weekend?

Hey, what are you doing this weekend?

Have you got any plans for the weekend?

Korean: 이번 주말에 계획있어요?

Answer:

Yes I do.  No I don't.  ("Do you" or "Have you" question)

Yes, I'm going to a movie.  I'm going to see "Titanic".  I'm going to a concert. Unfortunately, I gotta work ("got to" spoken fast = gotta)

I'm going hiking at Soraksan Mountain.  I'm going to the beach.  I'm going to the bar with my friends.  I'm going out for dinner.

Oh nothing much, just studying at home.

 Question: 10. What's it like?

Variations and Possible Answers:

What was the movie like? It was funny.

What the teacher like? He's really cool.

What's your schedule like? It's very busy.

What's your Dad like? He's very easy going.

Korean: 이건 어떻꼐 섕겼어요?

Please note this page is still under construction!

How do you feel? I feel ________.

Please watch, study and learn the question: How do you feel?

Feelings:

happy, hungry, excited, angry, bored, depressed, sad, scared, surprised, sick, thirsty, tired

Here's the Easy Verbs Lesson:  (Note: Past Tense 과거can be found below)

Question: What are you doing? (뭐 하고 있어요?)

Answer: I'm ______ing.

24 Awesome Verbs:

1. go-가다

2. eat-먹다

3. drink-마시다

4. play-놀다

5. give-주다

6.  cook-요리하다,

7.  talk-얘기하다

8.  say-말하다

9.  study-공부하다

10.  do-하다

11.  wash-씻다

12.  make-만들다

13.  sleep-자다

14.  watch-_____보다

15.  listen-듣다

16.  walk-걷다

17.  run-달리다

18.  look (at)-보다

19.  learn-배우다

20.  come-오다

21.  see-보다

22.  write-쓰다

23.  hear-듣다

24.  take-가져가다

Easy Verbs Past Tense (과거)

 The Action Song

                                    The Action Song

Oh I like brushing my teeth, cleaning my room....and playing computer games..
오, 난 이닦는것도 방청소 하는것도 좋아해. 그리고 컴퓨터 게임하는것도 좋아해.
And at dinner time...I like to cook...and I wash all the dishes too.
저녁엔 요리하는걸 좋아하지.  설겆이 하는것도 좋아해
Of course I like to eat and drink....but I always..wash my hands first.
물론 먹고 마시는것도 좋아해 . 그래도 항상 손을 먼저 씻어.
Listening to music, playing the piano and reading books is fun
음악듣고, 피아노 치고 책읽는건 재미있어.
Oh My Daddy likes to shave, But I like to Skip....
오, 우리 아빤 면도하는걸 좋아해. 난 줄넘기 하는걸 좋아하지.
And sleeping at my bed time......그리고 잠잘시간에 잠자는걸 좋아하지.

I always study English on the telephone and I think that's really fun.....
난 항상 전화로 영어공부를 해. 아주 재미있다고 생각해.
Oh no my song is not over 오, 안돼, 내 노래 아직 안끝났어.
Oh no ..my song is not over...
Oh no  ...my song is not over
Oh no  my song is not over

Because 왜냐하면

......two more verbs remain... 두개 동사이 더 남았거든.

At seven o' clock...I turn on the tv and watch my favorite show..
7시에 텔레비젼을 켜고 내가 좋아하는 쇼를 봐.

Then I put it all together.... 그런 다음에  모두 함께 놓아요.(행동, 오늘 했던일)
All that I remember.... 내가 기억하는 모든걸.

And I write write write write.. 그리고 난 뭔가를 써요.

Write write write write...

Write write write write write

Write write write write

In my diary 내 일기장에.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The Easy Verb Chant:

This are the most basic and easy English Questions.  Please learn them perfectly!

                              Basic English Questions:

1. What's your name? My name is ______

  이름이 뭐니?

2. How are you? I'm ____. (fine, ok, good, soso, bad)

 안녕하세요?

3. How old are you? I'm ___ years old.

  몇살이니?

4. What day is it today? Today is ___ Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday) 오늘은 무슨 요일이니?

5. What do you like? I like _____

   뭘 좋아하니?

6. What do you want? I want ______

   뭘 원하니?

7. How's the weather? It's _____ (rainy, sunny, cloudy, snowy, hot, cold, warm, cool )

   날씨가 어때?

8. How do you feel? I feel ______ (happy, angry, sad, depressed, excited, scared, thirsty, hungry, worried)기분이 어때?

9. What's your favorite ______? My favorite ______ is ______.   (color, food, drink, song, movie...)

   네가 제일 좋아하는 ____ 이 (가) 뭐니?

10. Where do you live? I live in _______  (Seoul, ~동, ~Apartment, etc)

   어디 사니?

11. What are you doing? I'm ____(studying,reading,writing,watchingtv,playing the piano...)

   뭐 하고 있니?

12. What time is it? It's ____ .

   몇시니?

13. What do you have? I have a ___.   (pencil, money, 500 won,keys,notebook).

   뭘 가지고 있니?

14. Can you _____ ?  ____ 할 수 있니?

Yes I can. No I can't.

(swim, read, draw, play piano..)

Please Learn this Phonics Song well.  This is the 2nd most important lesson for ESL Beginners!

OK.  I'm glad you came here! This is the right way to start studying English.  You must first learn the Alphabet.

Try to memorize this song and the small sentence:

1. A is for ant.

2. B is for banana.

3. C is for car.

These sentences will help you remember the sound of each letter.  "A is for ant".  Think 아..아 아..ant. "A" 소리는 '아'!

Take a look below for a full list of easy ESL words to go with each letter!

Learning a word and image for each letter of the alphabet is a great way to help students remember the phonics sound of each letter.  So here's a collection done by my students and I in Cheongju, South Korea.  This was at my old school JJ's English Friends at 봉명동, 은천시장.  Hello to my old students who are just finding this today.  
A is for ant.
B is for banana.
C is for car.
D is for dinosaur.
E is for egg.
F is for fish.
G is for game
H is for hamburger.
I is for insects.
J is for jacket.
K is for king.
L is for lion.
M is for money
N is for no.
O is for octopus.
P is for pizza.
Q is for queen.
R is rocket.
S is for snake.
T is for tiger.
U is for ugly.
V is for van.
W is for watermelon.
X is for x-ray.
Y is for yoyo.
Z is for zebra.