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Section 1 / 8
Warm-up
Lesson 6
Networking & Small Talk
Business English B1Lesson 68 sections41 exercises
1.1
Networking & Small Talk
Today is about the informal side of business English — walking into a room of strangers at a conference, introducing yourself naturally, and keeping a conversation going without it feeling like an interrogation.
1.2
After this lesson you'll be able to...
- Introduce yourself naturally at a professional event
- Make small talk beyond "How are you?"
- Ask good follow-up questions to keep talking
- Exit a conversation politely and exchange contact details
1.3
Get to know each other (3 minutes)
- Do you go to networking events or conferences?
- Do you find small talk easy or awkward, even in Ukrainian?
- What do you usually say when you meet someone new at a work event?
1.4
Say it out loud
Practise a natural self-introduction. → Hi, I don't think we've met — I'm [name], I work in [field].
1.5
Fact worth knowing
Research on networking shows that people remember HOW a conversation made them feel far more than the specific facts exchanged — asking genuine follow-up questions matters more than having an impressive title.
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Section 2 / 8
Vocabulary
2.1
Networking vocabulary
2.2
Small talk phrases
| So, what brings you here today? | Що вас привело сюди сьогодні? |
| How do you know [the host/organiser]? | Звідки ви знаєте [господаря]? |
| That's a great point — tell me more. | Гарна думка — розкажіть більше. |
| It was great chatting with you. | Було приємно з вами поспілкуватись. |
| Let's stay in touch — do you have a card? | Будьмо на зв'язку — у вас є візитка? |
2.3
Try out the new words
Describe your role in one relaxed sentence. → I mostly focus on … at my company.
Ask a good follow-up question. → What made you get into … ?
2.4
Which word is it?
Casual, low-stakes conversation before "real" business talk
small talk
A short, memorable summary of who you are professionally
an elevator pitch
Building professional relationships and contacts
networking
A safe, neutral topic to fall back on (weather, traffic, etc.)
a safe topic / go-to topic
Politely ending a conversation to talk to someone else
to excuse yourself / to wrap up
2.5
Fill in the missing word
Let me tell you my ____ pitch in 30 seconds. (elevator)
It was great ____ with you today. (chatting)
Let's ____ in touch — here's my card. (stay)
2.6
Translate the phrase
що вас сюди привело? →
будьмо на зв'язку →
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Section 3 / 8
Grammar
3.1
Open questions to keep a conversation alive
| Closed question (dead end) | "Do you like your job?" → "Yes." (conversation stops) |
| Open question (keeps it going) | "What do you enjoy most about your job?" |
| Follow-up pattern | Statement → open question → "And what about you?" |
3.2
Closed or open?
"Is this your first time at this conference?" — closed or open?
Closed — but a good follow-up would make it open: "What made you decide to come this year?"
3.3
Turn this closed question into an open one
"Do you like working there?" →
"Was the trip good?" →
3.4
Fill in the missing question word
____ did you get into this industry? (How)
3.5
Say it about your real work
Ask your tutor one genuine open question about their work or interests, and really listen to the answer.
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Section 4 / 8
Reading
4.1
Read: a networking conversation
"Hi, I don't think we've met — I'm Marco." "Oh hi, I'm Anna, nice to meet you! So, what brings you here today?" "I'm speaking on the afternoon panel, actually — a bit nervous! What about you, how do you know the organiser?" "We worked together years ago — small world! What's your panel about?" "Sustainable supply chains — it's a bit of a passion project of mine." "That's fascinating, tell me more — what got you into that?" "It's a long story, but basically…" (they talk for ten more minutes) "This has been great — it was lovely chatting with you. Do you have a card? I'd love to follow up about your panel."
4.2
True or false?
Marco and Anna already knew each other well.
False — they had never met.
Marco is speaking on a panel about sustainable supply chains.
True
Anna asks a closed question to keep the conversation going.
False — she asks open questions like "What got you into that?"
4.3
Find the small talk techniques
Find the opening line and the exit line.
Opening: "Hi, I don't think we've met — I'm Marco." Exit: "It was lovely chatting with you. Do you have a card?"
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Section 5 / 8
Practice
5.1
Picture the conversation
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Open → Small talk with open questions → Genuine connection → Polite exit + contact swap. Every good networking chat follows this arc.
5.2
Match the phrase to its stage
"I don't think we've met — I'm…"
"It was great chatting with you."
5.3
Put the words in order
brings / today / you / what / here
5.4
Fill in the missing phrase
Do you have a ________ (card/paper)? I'd love to follow up.
5.5
A networking fact
The most effective networkers ask more questions than they answer — aim for roughly 60% listening, 40% talking, in any new professional conversation.
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Section 6 / 8
Speaking — Work the Room
6.1
How to use this section
Today's roleplay is a networking event. Your tutor will play different "strangers" you meet at a conference. Practise opening, keeping the conversation going with open questions, and exiting gracefully — several times, with different scenarios.
6.2
Your elevator pitch
🎙️ Task: introduce yourself and your work in under 20 seconds.
Starter: "Hi, I'm [name] — I mostly focus on [field] at [company/context]. What about you?"
6.3
Breaking the ice
🎙️ Task: you're standing next to a stranger at a coffee break. Start a conversation.
Starter: "This coffee is a lifesaver, right? I'm [name] — so, what brings you here today?"
6.4
Asking a genuine follow-up
🎙️ Stranger: "I run a small design agency."
Starter: "Oh, that's interesting — what got you into design in the first place?"
6.5
Recovering from an awkward silence
🎙️ The conversation has gone quiet.
Starter: "Anyway — have you been to this event before? I'm curious how it compares to last year."
6.6
Handling a boring or one-sided talker
🎙️ Your tutor talks at length without asking anything back.
Starter: "That's really interesting — actually, on a related note, I've been working on something similar. Can I tell you about it?"
6.7
Exiting a conversation politely
🎙️ Task: you need to move on to talk to someone else.
Starter: "I don't want to keep you — it was great chatting. Let's stay in touch, do you have a card?"
6.8
Following up after the event
🎙️ Task: dictate a short follow-up message to send the next day.
Starter: "Hi [name], great meeting you yesterday — I really enjoyed our chat about [topic]. Would love to grab a coffee sometime and continue the conversation."
6.9
Full networking simulation — no stopping
FULL RUN-THROUGH
Your tutor will play three different "strangers" in a row. For each one: introduce yourself, ask at least one open follow-up question, and exit politely — all without switching to Ukrainian, even if it feels awkward.
6.10
Let's talk — reflection
- Which "stranger" felt easiest or hardest to talk to?
- Did you manage to ask more than you answered?
- What's one opening line you'll actually use at your next event?
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Section 7 / 8
Cool down
7.1
Now I can...
- Introduce myself naturally at an event
- Make small talk beyond "How are you?"
- Ask good follow-up questions
- Exit a conversation politely
7.2
One more thing before you go
Say your elevator pitch one final time, from memory, in under 20 seconds.
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Section 8 / 8
Homework
How to do your homework
- Do the exercises below and press Check in each one. Green = correct. Red shows what was expected.
- Do the writing and speaking tasks and tick them when they are done.
- Write your name and press Copy my result, then send the text to your tutor.
8.1
Words to remember
| to break the ice / small talk | розтопити лід / світська бесіда |
| an elevator pitch / networking | коротка самопрезентація / нетворкінг |
| a safe topic / to excuse yourself | нейтральна тема / ввічливо піти |
| to follow up / to stay in touch | продовжити спілкування / бути на зв'язку |
| open question / closed question | відкрите питання / закрите питання |
8.2
Turn this into an open question
"Do you enjoy conferences?" →
8.3
Translate the phrase
було приємно з вами поспілкуватись →
8.4
Write it yourself
Write your own 20-second elevator pitch, plus 3 open follow-up questions you could ask someone new at a work event.
8.5
Practise out loud
Say your elevator pitch out loud to a mirror three times, until it feels completely natural and unrehearsed.
Tick what you have done
- 8.4 Write it yourself: Write your own 20-second elevator pitch, plus 3 open follow-up questions you could ask someone ne…
- 8.5 Practise out loud: Say your elevator pitch out loud to a mirror three times, until it feels completely natural and u…