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Do you find it hard to start talking to people at a party when you do not really know them that well? How can you avoid an awkward silence when you are early for a work meeting and some other colleagues are already waiting in the room? Of course, you can just grab your phone, look down and pretend that you checking your mail to reduce social exposure, but have you ever ventured into the old art of conversation?
Dr. Elisabeth Yuko is a Bioethics lecturer and a regular writer for Lifehacker, where she discusses self-improvement techniques to reduce social anxiety in situations where you do not feel overly confident, for example, when you desperately need ideas for "small talk" to avoid an awkward silence. In two of her latest articles, she presents two methods to start a conversation, the first article is entitled "Use the FORD Method to Master Small Talk", and the second "Use the HEFE Method to Strike Up a Conversation". Both articles are short and not too difficult, including the informal comments from the readers, so they can be accessible to B2 students and above. In the FORD Method article you will find interesting words like: small talk, to strike up [a conversation], a check out [line], public transit, challenging, an acronym, to come up with [a method], to jog [your] memory, to go blank, to launch [into your questions], lest, to be up to [you], a sibling, to follow up [a question], connection, a casual [encounter], to come in handy, open-ended [questions], to engage with [your questions], a meaningful career, a spouse, to put a damper on [a converstation], the same holds for [talking with someone], to [fully] acknowledge, to be disrespectful, to diminish [you], sanitized [responses], schmooze, fake [friendliness], tongue-tied, a safe-haven, to wave, a grocery store, invasive, to disclose [information], to lay [people] off, to floss, to scrape, awkward, to shore up [investments], to inquire, to catch [somebody] off guard, snowflak(y).
In the HEFE article, you will come across words such as: to strike up [a conversation], to figure out, to stand for, renovations, crowded, low-stakes, awkward, to require, expertise, controversial [subjects], the appeal, predictability, to take the focus off [yourself], to revolve around, a belief, to loathe, nippy, clumsy, a trait, [my] forte, loathesome, to yearn for [personal connections], a chasm, a gateway, a stand-up [comedian], banter, wallflower awkwardness, convenient, a diversion, to bring [others] out [of their shell], to seek, approachable [people], a [delayed, eyes-rolled] nod, stuff, dismissive, disrespectful, to compromise, a bold [idea], intimidating, a teleprompter, geez, garbage.
If you want to listen to a TED-Talk where Dr. Elizabeth Yuko discusses some Bioethics principles illustrated with a number of episodes from the sitcom The Golden Girls -which was very popular in the 80's and 90's, you can watch this 12:22 YouTube video from Fordham University. This video with subtitles is recommended for C1 students and above: