My tutor told me a basic principle of small talk: “Answer, Add, Ask.” Which means that once you take the the ball from him, respond to it with extra information (Answer, Add). And then, after a short pause, give the ball back to the opponent(Ask) in order to show you are interested in trying to keep a balance of total amount of conversation between you and him. It is OK if he speaks more than you, but the opposite is not good. “Answer, Add, Ask” | Lang-8: For learning foreign languages
Ask Answer Add - A Speaking Activity to Help Learners Maintain a Natural Conversation | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC
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