American Ways, Ch 2, Communication Styles

Which of the following would NOT be a good topic for small talk in the US?

• weather

• religion

• sports

• TV

US conversation style is referred to as repartee, which means...

• speakers are direct and say what they mean

• speakers take long turns, going into lots of detail

• speakers take frequent, short turns

• speakers try to be nice

"How are you?" "Nice to meet you" and "Hope to see you again" are examples of...

• ritual interaction

• unintelligent conversation

• repartee

• self-disclosure

One form of interaction that Americans tend to avoid is

• small talk

• pleasantries

• argument

• deep conversation

In public situations, American tend to reveal....

• lots of personal details

• very little about themselves

Rather than deep connections with many people, Americans tend to have many...

• roommates

• acquaintances

• business partners

• neighbors

The idea of "compartmentalized friendship" means people have....

• friends with whom they engage in specific activities

• friends online

• long term friends

• short term friends

Americans depend more on non-verbal communication, like gestures and eye contact, than they do on verbal communication.

• True

• False

Americans can be distrustful of someone who...

• is from the countryside

• is excessively articulate and smooth talking

• has a different accent

• is not from their city or town

For anything official, like a business deal or a contract, communication is best when it is ...

• written

• spoken

• honest