No more fear of small talk. Practical English conversation for everyone from working holidays to business.

Background and Career

(UK) King's College London Master's in English Language Teaching, Department of Applied Linguistics

Sookmyung Women's University Bachelor's Degree

SMU TESOL Certificate (International English Teacher Certification)

Grammar Chat (2nd Edition) Reviewer

Current Gangnam Pagoda Language Institute lectures

Former IIETTP (Intensive In-service English Teacher Training Program) intern work

Former Sookmyung Women's University Graduate School of Special Education online English course tutor

Small talk also requires 'learning' to do it well.

"Oh, hello? How are you?"

"지난 주말에 그냥... 놀고 핸드폰만 봤어요."

If you've had conversations in English, you've probably thought about this at least once after saying a sentence like this.

"Ah, can't I speak more naturally, more like a local than this?"

When we say we're learning 'English conversation,' we often tend to focus on complex grammar or difficult topics.

But what you actually need when talking with foreigners is much more 'small and practical sentences' than that.

I have sent countless students from a large language institute in Gangnam to working holidays, study abroad programs, and overseas business meeting venues.

I realized something in that process.

Small talk is also a 'topic-based area' just like business English.

For example, if you only know '보다' as 'watch'

When someone says "I was just scrolling through my feed."

It's difficult to understand that meaning precisely. Not only that, but I also become unable to speak that way myself.

So I think of small talk not as 'light conversation' but

I wanted to teach with technology for the moments when English is actually used.

In this class, we cover expressions that don't appear much in textbooks but are really frequently used by locals in everyday life.

You'll naturally practice until it becomes second nature.

Those who found small talk awkward will now experience "the joy of conversations that flow naturally."

So that the moment you speak English becomes no longer a burden, but a natural and comfortable part of 'your daily life.'

Why Teacher Dae focused on small talk

I haven't been doing this for long, but I've been walking only one path: 'Adult English Conversation.'

My first job was at a large language institute in Jongno,

I connected with countless adult learners there.

Teaching students, I found myself wondering, 'Why does everyone find English so difficult?'

The thought grew deeper and deeper, so I also studied for a TESOL certification.

Still feeling it wasn't enough, I eventually left for graduate studies in the UK.

What I focused on there was the 'Language Anxiety' of Korean adult English learners.

What's the reason why our students, who score 990 on the TOEIC and know grammar better than native speakers, still struggle with English conversation?

I wanted to find that answer. By writing papers and continuing discussions with professors

In the end, I reached one conclusion.

"Ah, there are two worlds in English."

One is written English, and the other is spoken English.

However, we have hardly ever learned 'Spoken English', that is, 'English that is spoken'.

These two worlds are completely different. And that very gap was the true nature of the English fear that many adults experience.

From that moment on, I decided that I needed to properly teach 'spoken English'.

And I thought that essence was exactly Smalltalk.

Small talk is actually about discussing the weather with strangers, or

It's just a very trivial conversation to pass a little time with someone you know.

But I think this is the most 'English-like moment'.

It's not sentences from a grammar book, but real conversation where my thoughts and reactions are exchanged.

So in this class, we go beyond simple small talk

How to naturally express my opinions in 'spoken English',

And how to respond to others' opinions,

We'll systematically cover 'real English' that we've never learned before.

Students who absolutely need Teacher Dae's small talk

This course is not a basic course for those who are completely new to English.

I've already learned the basic grammar and expressions, but

This is a class for those who now truly want to learn "how to speak in English."

So, I can identify the subject and verb and speak basic sentences according to the tense, but,

'Words that are actually used',

And when English speakers express their opinions, they naturally use

'The Laws of Speaking'

For example, what kind of filler should I use to sound polite, uh

This lecture is perfect for those who have always been curious about things like what tone of voice to use to sound gentle.

In this class, beyond having those curiosities organized, the English that you've been imitating only by intuition

You'll directly experience the moment when it "becomes your language."

You're not just learning expressions,

You'll gain the sense of thinking, reacting, and conversing in English.

That's something you can never learn from textbooks or subtitles. By the time this lecture ends,

You won't be memorizing sentences anymore.

Instead, you'll become someone who can naturally express what you really want to say in English.

That's exactly what Teacher Data calls "the completion of small talk."

Reviews and love from countless students

Special benefits for students taking the course

For those taking Teacher Day's Small Talk course who find it difficult to follow along due to insufficient basics

We provide 3 beginner English lessons for free. Even if you're starting English completely from scratch,

Through this benefit, you'll be able to follow the small talk classes much more naturally and confidently.

I'll help you build the experience of systematically organizing from the basics and then building real 'spoken English' on top of that foundation.