Has this ever happened to you?

Hi there,

Eccoci qua con la nuova edizione di The English Breakfast—la rubrica settimanale di consigli e trucchi di Business English pensata appositamente per i professionisti italiani.

Versati una bella tazza di caffè e mettiamoci all’opera… in inglese naturalmente 😎 ☕️

Have you ever found yourself in this situation?

You join a Teams meeting a few minutes early.
The only other person there?
That intern you barely know.

You try to be friendly:
“Hey, good morning! How’s it going?”
“Fine thanks. You?”
“Yeah, good.”

…
😬 Cue the awkward silence.

You both stare at the screen, waiting for someone—anyone—to join and save you.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
So today, The English Breakfast is here to help with a few easy, natural conversation starters and small talk topics you can use to keep things flowing—whether it’s before a meeting, during a coffee break, or at lunch.

Essential Small Talk Topics With Ready-to-Use Phrases

1. Work-Related Light Topics

Safe, professional, and easy to jump into.

• “Have you got a busy day today?”

• “Are you working on anything interesting at the moment?”

• “How’s your week going so far?”

2. Weather (classic, but still effective)

Especially useful with international teams.

• “I heard it’s [snowing/sunny/raining] over there—what’s the weather like today?”

• “It’s finally starting to feel like spring here. How about where you are?”

3. The ‘Teams’/Remote Work Approach

Bonding over tech is very 2025.

• “You’re the first one in—super organised today!”

• “Is your Wi-Fi behaving today?”

• “I think Teams is still waking up—it’s moving slower than I am!”

4. Weekend / Free Time Plans

Adds a personal touch without being too personal.

• “Got any plans for the weekend?”

• “Did you do anything nice last weekend?”

• “Any holidays coming up?”

5. Compliment + Follow-up

Works especially well if you notice something visual, like a virtual background or outfit.

• “Cool background—is that a real place or just Teams magic?”

• “I like your headset—mine keeps cutting out!”

6. Location-Based Curiosity

Great for international or cross-office meetings.

• “Where are you based again?”

• “Have you always lived there?”

• “I’ve never been to [city]—would you recommend it?”

⭐ Bonus Tip: Use the "Comment + Return" Formula

Instead of just:
“How are you?” → “Fine thanks. You?”

Try adding in an extra comment to give more information before returning the question:
“How’s your day going?” → “Pretty good so far, I managed to get through my inbox this morning. How about you?”

This little structure helps the conversation keep rolling more naturally.

Now it’s time to put your small talk skills to the test. See if you to choose the more appropriate response in these 10 situations. Go on, you can do it! 💪 

Non sei soddisfatto del tuo livello di inglese? Vuoi sentirti più confident quando devi parlare inglese al lavoro?

Clicca sul link qui sotto per vedere i corsi che offro. Sono privati e su misura per te.

Oppure rispondi a questa email con la parola per parlare dei tuoi obiettivi e per vedere se posso aiutarti a raggiungerli—senza alcun impegno, naturalmente.

Cos’aspetti? Get in touch now! 😀 

All right, that’s it for today’s edition. What did you think? Reply to this email and let me know 📧 

“😍 Loved it”

“🙂 It was OK”

“😐️ There was nothing for me“

Ciao for now,

Dan

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