Posts Tagged esl

30 Tips on the art of small talk!

Jul 13

Posted by admin in Communication Skills, Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad, personal development

Communications Tips (NRI and ESL Tips): Small Talk – how to carry-on a conversation effectively.

“Conversation should touch everything, but should concentrate itself on nothing.” ~ Oscar Wilde

I have written before on the importance of small talk . Small talk is a conversation, chit-chat or an informal discussion without any specific topic or subject. Small talk generally is not a problem if we are among our family and friends; there is always something to talk about. However, once we step into a wider social circle, it may become challenging at times to keep the conversation going or even start a conversation. Here are some of the tips on how to avoid uncomfortable situations, and carry on a small talk in all types of social settings:

1. Be a good listener: Pay attention and listen to what others are talking about. Good listening provides additional understanding about the people we are communicating with.

2. Introduce yourself if needed: Introduce yourself first, especially if you are in a new to the gathering, party or event.

3. Take queue from other’s conversation: This helps with the continuity of the discussion.

4. Ask questions…small ones: Questions or clarifications are important to understand the others involved in the conversation. The questions could be about the discussion going on, or general questions to ‘get-to-know’ the company. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: communication, Culture, english as a second language, esl, immigrant, india abroad, Indians Abroad, language barrier, Living Abroad, NRI, personal development, Personal Growth, self-improvement, small talk, society, success, tips

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The imprortance of small talk

Jul 10

Posted by admin in Communication Skills, Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad, personal development

NRIs and ESL Tips: Importance of small talk in a conversation

Don’t tell your friends about your indigestions: “How are you!” is a greeting, not a question.
~Arthur Guiterman, A Poet’s Proverbs

Many of us, especially those with English as a second language (ESL), often struggle with social communications and the language barrier. However, this article is written for anyone who may need some extra help with improving their communication skills.
Small talk is a conversation just for the sake of conversation. It does not have to have any specific topic or agenda. The small talk is considered a very important part of our overall communication or daily interactions with others.

Small talk is a big deal: The small talk is important for so many reasons:

- it is essential for a smooth and effective communication with anybody we talk to.

- it creates a good first impression.

- it leads to a lively and friendly conversation.

- if you are a good ’small talker’ you will come across as an open and more friendly person

- it is an essential tool for effective interaction in any social settings.

- it leaves a lasting impression on the other party.

- it gives you more confidence as a speaker.

Parts of conversation:

In terms of overall conversation, small talk is very important throughout any communications. Following are the key functions of a small talk in any speech or discussion: Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: communication, english as a second language, esl, immigrant, india abroad, language barrier, Living Abroad, NRI, personal development, Personal Growth, self-improvement, small talk, social skills, tips

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Do you ‘think’ in your mother tongue?

Jun 20

Posted by admin in Communication Skills, Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad, personal development

NRI Tips: The ‘unconscious adaption’ to the foreign culture and language.

When the mind is thinking it is talking to itself. ~ Plato

I talk to myself all the times, I always have. Bigger the dilemma, more I talk; this is also another way of my brainstorming and mulling over new ideas.

Be it a thinking out loud or in whispers or in silence, thinking is part of being human. Thinking and logic is what separates us from the animals. We all think, it is a part of our problem solving nature.

For those living overseas or away from the place of your childhood, do you ‘think’ in your mother tongue or the adopted foreign/new language?

Back home in India, my train of thought was always in my mother tongue. It was natural; speaking the same language as my brain, thinking something and then saying it loud during the conversation. It was automatic -without noticeable delays.

Ane then, I came to America.

When I first came here, I recall that I continued to think in my mother tongue, even when talking to my American colleagues - in a meeting at work or any other social settings. I used to think in my Indian language, and then translate my thoughts it into English for the verbal exchange. At times it slowed me down; It was no longer automatic. I used to re-phrase a lot. This is how it was; I never thought it would change much.

However, lately I find myself thinking in English more and more often. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: adaptation, brain, english as a second language, esl, india abroad, Language, Living Abroad, mother-tongue, overseas, personal development, thinking

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India Abroad Acronyms – NRI, Desi…!

May 29

Posted by admin in India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

This post is intended only for the readers who are not familiar with NRI etc. terms. Others can scroll down to more interesting material. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Desi, esl, fob, India, india abroad, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, NRIs, pio

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