Introducing Yourself and Building Small Talk at Work.
American English for Life and Work in the USA. Lesson 5.
In this lesson you walk into your new workplace, either in person or on Zoom, and meet your colleagues for the first time. You practice introducing yourself, explaining your role, and asking others about theirs in a concise, friendly way that suits U.S. office culture. Through short dialogues at the coffee machine, before meetings, and in chat, you learn safe small-talk topics, how to respond to How are you, and how to show interest without feeling fake. We explore how informal many American workplaces sound, even when people are still being professional, and when to use first names or titles. You also notice questions that may feel too personal and learn strategies to set gentle boundaries. By the end, you can start relationships at work with confidence and read the tone of your new environment more easily.
1. First morning: meeting your new colleagues.
Imagine it is your very first morning in a new U.S. office. You walk in, maybe holding a coffee, trying to read people’s faces and find your desk. Before you even sit down, someone smiles and walks over. This moment is important. Your first few sentences can make people feel comfortable with you, or a little unsure. In this block, we will zoom in on that first short conversation. You will hear how a new colleague in the U.S. typically introduces themselves, and you will notice how simple and friendly the language is. While you listen, focus on four things: how they say their name, how they describe their role, what they say about where they are based or where they are from, and one small extra detail that makes them sound human, not like a robot. After that, you will answer a few quick questions to check what you understood. Do not worry about speaking yet. For now, just listen, read, and get a feel for a natural American-style introduction.
Scenario: Walking into your new U.S. office.
You push open the door to your new workplace. Before you find your desk, a colleague comes over.
> Sam (coworker): Hi, how's it going? I am Sam, I work on the data analytics side.
>
> You: Hi, I am Alex, I just joined the team.
>
> Sam: Nice, welcome! Are you based here in New York?
>
> You: Yeah, I am based in New York, but I am from Spain.
>
> Sam: Very cool. It is really nice to meet you.
>
> You: Thanks for making me feel welcome.
This kind of micro-conversation happens constantly in American offices, in hallways, at the coffee machine, and right before meetings. The good news is that the language is quite simple. The challenge is doing it quickly and with the right friendly tone.
A simple pattern for first introductions.
In the short dialogue you can see:
A friendly greeting: “Hi, how's it going?”
A name and role: “I am Sam, I work on the data analytics side.”
Your name and your situation: “Hi, I am Alex, I just joined the team.”
A quick detail about location or origin: “I am based in New York, but I am from Spain.”
A warm closing: “It is really nice to meet you.” / “Thanks for making me feel welcome.”
You do not need a long speech about your full career. For a first short meeting in a U.S. office, 2–4 sentences is usually perfect. Americans often sound informal, even at work, so Hi and first names are standard unless you get a clear signal that the culture is very formal.
In the audio for this block, you will hear a similar first-morning scene. Listen for:
The exact phrase they use to say their name.
The way they describe what they do.
What they say about where they are based or where they are from.
Any little extra detail they share.
You will then answer a few short questions about what you heard.
Practice & Feedback
Listen to the short audio about a new colleague introducing themselves on their first day. You can listen more than once. While you listen, take brief notes about:
The person’s name
Their role or what they work on
Where they are based and/or where they are from
One extra detail they share (for example, how long they have been with the company or something about their background)
Then, in the box, write your answers to these 4 questions in full sentences:
What is the person’s name?
What do they do on the team?
Where are they based or where are they from?
What is one extra detail they mention about themselves?
Try to use your own words, not only copy the exact sentences from the audio.
2. Designing your self-introduction for this job.
Now that you have heard one natural example, let us build your own introduction for this new workplace. Think about all the situations where you might need it: when you meet your manager in person for the first time, when you join a Zoom call and they do a quick round of introductions, or when you bump into someone at the coffee machine. In American offices, people usually prefer something short, clear, and friendly over a long formal speech. In this block, I will show you three model introductions: one for a team meeting, one for a quick hallway chat, and one for an online call. As you read, notice how they all follow the same core pattern, but the details and length change a little depending on the situation. Your job is to borrow this pattern and adapt it to your real life. At the end of the block, you will write your own self-introduction in 3 to 5 sentences. Focus on four elements: your name, your role, where you are based or where you are from, and one small personal or professional detail that feels safe to share.
Three model introductions in a U.S. workplace.
In the audio you just listened to, Maya introduced herself to the team. Now let us look at three more models. All of them use simple chunks from the lesson bank.
1. In a team meeting (a bit more complete).
> "Hi, I am Alex, I just joined the team. I work on the data analytics side, mainly supporting the marketing group. I am based in New York, but I am from Spain. I am still learning how things work here, so thanks in advance for your patience. It is really nice to meet you all."
2. At the coffee machine (very short).
> "Hey, I am Alex, I just joined the team. How long have you been with the company?"
3. On Zoom, when everyone goes around.
> "Hi everyone, I am Alex. I am based in New York, and I work on the data analytics side. This is my first week, so I am still getting used to everything. It is great to meet you."
What do these have in common?.
All three examples share the same building blocks:
Greeting:Hi, Hey, Hi everyone (casual but professional)
Name:I am Alex. / Please call me Sam, not Samuel.
Role or team:I work on the data analytics side. / I support the marketing group.
Location or origin:I am based in New York, but I am from Spain.
Small human detail:This is my first week. / I am still learning how things work here.
Friendly closing:It is really nice to meet you. / Thanks for making me feel welcome.
Notice what is not included: a full CV, complex jargon, or long explanations about past jobs. In U.S. workplaces, it is usually better to keep this first introduction focused on your current role and one or two short details.
In a moment, you will write your own self-introduction for this job or a similar role you want. You can imagine you are in a small team meeting on your first day.
Try to reuse useful chunks like:
Hi, I am \\_ , I just joined the team.
I work on the \\_ side.
I am based in \\_, but I am from \\_.
I am still learning how things work here.
It is really nice to meet you.
Practice & Feedback
Imagine you are in a small team meeting on your first day at a U.S. company. The manager says, "Let us do a quick round of introductions." It is your turn.
Write a short self-introduction of 3–5 sentences. Include:
A friendly greeting and your name
Your role or what you work on (for example, "I work on the data analytics side")
Where you are based and/or where you are from
One short extra detail (for example, it is your first week, you are still getting used to the city, or what team you will support)
Use the model introductions above as inspiration, but adapt them to your real situation. Try to sound friendly and confident, not too formal. You can use phrases from the chunk bank such as "Hi, I am Alex, I just joined the team" or "It is really nice to meet you."
Model structure:
Greeting + name
"Hi, I am Alex, I just joined the team."
"Hey everyone, I am Maya."
Role / team
"I work on the data analytics side."
"I am on the product design team."
"I support the marketing group."
Location / origin
"I am based in New York, but I am from Spain."
"I am based in Chicago now, and I am originally from India."
Small detail + friendly closing
"I am still learning how things work here."
"This is my first week, so thanks for making me feel welcome."
"It is really nice to meet you all."
3. Safe small talk at the coffee machine.
You have your basic introduction ready. Now what happens after you say, "Hi, I am Alex, I just joined the team"? In American offices, people often add a little small talk, especially in casual spaces like the kitchen, the hallway, or right before a meeting starts. This can feel strange if you come from a culture where work talk is very direct and personal questions are rare. In the U.S., light small talk is a way to build comfort and trust without going too deep. In this block, we will focus on simple, safe topics, such as how your day is going, how long someone has been with the company, weekend plans, or getting used to the city. You will see a short coffee-machine dialogue and then practice answering and asking a few of these questions yourself. Pay attention to how people answer "How's your day going so far?" or "Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?" The content is simple, but the tone is key: friendly, brief, and positive, without sharing your whole life story.
A quick small-talk scene at the coffee machine.
> Jordan: Hey, how is your day going so far?
>
> You: Pretty good, thanks. I am still learning how things work here, but everyone has been really helpful.
>
> Jordan: That is great. How long have you been with the company?
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> You: This is actually my first week.
>
> Jordan: Nice, welcome! Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?
>
> You: I might explore the neighborhood a bit. I am still getting used to the city.
>
> Jordan: Sounds good. It is really nice to meet you.
>
> You: You too. Thanks for making me feel welcome.
What makes this small talk "safe"?.
Notice the topics here:
How the day is going
How long you have been with the company
Plans for the weekend
Getting used to the city
These are classic safe topics in U.S. workplace small talk. They are friendly but not too personal. Other safe topics include:
The weather: "Crazy weather today, right?"
The commute: "How was your commute this morning?"
Work routines: "Are you usually in the office, or do you work remote?"
Answering "How are you?" and similar questions.
In many American offices, "How are you?" or "How's it going?" is more of a greeting than a real medical question. Natural short answers include:
"Good, thanks! How about you?"
"Pretty good so far."
"Not bad, just getting through my inbox."
Then you can add one short detail and a question back:
"I am still getting used to the city. How long have you been here?"
"I am still learning how things work here. Do you have any tips for a new person?"
In the activity, you will practice writing your side of a small-talk conversation like this.
Practice & Feedback
Imagine you have just met a coworker at the coffee machine. They start the conversation using the kinds of questions you saw above.
Read the short dialogue in the resource again. Then, in the box, write your side of a similar small-talk conversation, with 4–6 lines. Do not write Jordan’s lines, only what you would say.
Include:
One friendly answer to a question like "How is your day going so far?"
A short comment about being new, your week, or getting used to the city
One answer about the weekend, the neighborhood, or something you plan to do
At least one question back to your coworker (for example, "How long have you been with the company?" or "Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?")
Try to sound relaxed and positive. You can reuse chunks like "I am still learning how things work here" or "I am still getting used to the city."
Coffee-machine questions you might hear:
"How is your day going so far?"
"How long have you been with the company?"
"Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?"
"Are you getting used to the city?"
"Do you usually work from here or from home?"
4. Setting gentle boundaries with personal questions.
Small talk can feel comfortable and easy, but sometimes coworkers ask questions that are more personal than you like. This can happen in U.S. offices too. Someone might ask about your relationship status, family plans, religion, or politics. You have every right to protect your privacy. At the same time, you probably want to stay friendly and avoid creating tension, especially as a new person. In this block, we will look at some strategies for setting gentle boundaries. The idea is to give a light, vague answer, or no answer at all, and then smoothly move the conversation back to a safe topic, like work, the city, or the company. You will see some example "too personal" questions and several polite ways to deflect them. Then you will practice writing short answers that feel both respectful and protective. Pay attention to phrases like "Oh, it is a bit complicated" or "I tend to keep that private" followed by a new, neutral question.
When small talk goes too far.
Most of the time, U.S. workplace small talk focuses on safe topics. But occasionally, someone may ask something that feels too personal to you. For example:
"Are you married?"
"Do you have kids?"
"Who did you vote for?"
"How much do you pay for your apartment?"
Some Americans would also feel uncomfortable with these at work. You do not have to answer directly.
Polite ways to deflect and redirect.
Here are some strategies that sound natural in American offices.
1. Vague answer + change topic
> "Oh, it is a bit complicated. I tend to keep work and personal life separate. By the way, how long have you been with the company?"
2. Name your boundary + move to safe topic
> "I usually keep that kind of thing private, if you do not mind. I am still getting used to the city, though. Do you have any favorite places to recommend?"
3. Light humor + redirect
> "That is a big question for the coffee machine."
> "I am still figuring my life out."
> "Anyway, how is your week going so far?"
Useful chunks for boundaries.
"I tend to keep that private."
"I usually keep work and personal life separate."
"That is a bit personal for me."
"It is kind of a long story."
"I am still figuring things out."
Then follow with a safe question, for example:
"How long have you been with the company?"
"How is your day going so far?"
"Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?"
In the activity, you will practice answering a couple of personal questions in a way that protects your privacy but keeps the tone warm.
Practice & Feedback
Read the sample personal questions in the resource. Choose two of them and write a short answer for each.
For each question you choose:
Give a vague or boundary-setting response using one of the strategies from the screen (for example, "I usually keep that kind of thing private" or "It is kind of a long story").
Then immediately redirect to a safe topic with a friendly question, such as something about the company, the city, or weekend plans.
Write your answers as if you are speaking to a coworker in a hallway or at the coffee machine. You can write them like this:
Q: [question]
A: [your polite answer + new question]
Try to sound calm and friendly, not angry or cold. You do not need to share any personal information that you would not want to share in real life.
Potentially too-personal questions you might hear at work:
"Are you married or in a relationship?"
"Do you want to have kids?"
"What religion are you?"
"Who did you vote for in the last election?"
"How much do you pay for rent here?"
5. Introducing yourself in team chat.
Modern U.S. workplaces run on chat tools like Slack, Teams, or Google Chat. Often, the very first way people meet you is not in person but in a channel called something like "#general" or "#new-hires." The style here is usually friendly, short, and even more informal than in meetings. In this block, we will look at how to introduce yourself in a team chat and how to respond when colleagues welcome you. You will see a small chat conversation with a new hire joining, and you will notice how they reuse the same introduction pattern you already practiced, just in writing and in a slightly more casual tone. Pay attention to details like using first names, saying "Hi everyone," and keeping messages to one or two short sentences. At the end, you will write your own mini chat thread: your first message in a channel and two short replies to colleagues who say hello. This is a great chance to connect what you would say out loud with what you write on screen.
Example: a new hire joins the team channel.
Imagine you just got added to the #marketing-analytics channel on Slack. Here is a typical short conversation:
> Alex: Hi everyone, I am Alex, I just joined the team this week. I work on the data analytics side, supporting the marketing group. It is really nice to meet you all.
>
> Priya: Welcome, Alex! Great to have you here.
>
> Alex: Thanks, Priya, I really appreciate it. I am still learning how things work here, so any tips are welcome.
>
> Jordan: Hey Alex, welcome! Are you based in New York?
>
> Alex: Yep, I am based in New York, but I am from Spain. How long have you been with the company, Jordan?
What do you notice about this chat style?.
Messages are short and broken into clear sentences.
The tone is friendly and relaxed: Hi everyone, Hey Alex, Great to have you here.
Alex repeats key information: new to the team, role, location, origin.
They use first names and a lot of "thanks" and "I appreciate it" to sound warm.
You can reuse the same chunks from earlier lessons in chat:
"Hi everyone, I am Alex, I just joined the team this week."
"I work on the data analytics side."
"I am based in New York, but I am from Spain."
"Thanks for making me feel welcome."
For written chat, it is also common to:
Start with a quick greeting to the group: Hi everyone, Hey team.
Tag people by name when you reply: Thanks, Priya.
Keep each message to 1–2 sentences so it is easy to read.
In the activity, you will create your own chat-style introduction and replies.
Practice & Feedback
Imagine you have just been added to a Slack or Teams channel for your new team. The channel name is #new-hires. People in the U.S. office are waiting to see a short message from you.
Write a short chat-style mini conversation. Include:
Your first message to the channel (2–3 short sentences). Say who you are, what you do, and where you are based or from. Use a friendly greeting like "Hi everyone" or "Hey team" and a warm closing like "It is really nice to meet you all."
Two brief replies to colleagues who welcome you. Imagine one person just says "Welcome!" and another asks "Where are you based?" or "What will you be working on?" Answer in 1–2 short sentences each.
Write it like a chat log, with names before each line, for example:
You:
Colleague 1:
You:
Colleague 2:
You:
Focus on sounding friendly, concise, and natural in American workplace chat.
Useful phrases for chat introductions:
"Hi everyone, I am Alex, I just joined the team this week."
"I work on the data analytics side, supporting the marketing group."
"I am based in New York, but I am from Spain."
"It is really nice to meet you all."
"Thanks for the warm welcome, I really appreciate it."
"I am still learning how things work here, so any tips are welcome."
"Looking forward to working with you all."
6. Putting it all together on your first day.
You now have all the key pieces: a clear self-introduction, simple small-talk moves, and strategies for setting gentle boundaries. In this final block, we will put everything together into a short "first day" script. Imagine this story: in the morning you join a Zoom meeting and introduce yourself to the team. Later, at the coffee machine, you have a friendly small-talk conversation. Finally, a coworker asks you a question that feels a little too personal, and you protect your privacy politely. You will write what you would actually say in these three moments. Before you start, you will hear a short message from a manager explaining what kind of introductions they want in the Zoom call. Listen carefully for what they expect you to include. Then, use everything from earlier blocks: phrases like "Hi, I am Alex, I just joined the team," safe small-talk questions about the weekend, and boundary phrases like "I usually keep that private". This is your mini performance for the lesson, so take your time and imagine the real people you will meet.
Your mini "first day" story.
To finish this lesson, you will create a short script of three key moments from your first day in a U.S. workplace.
Zoom meeting introduction – you introduce yourself to the whole team.
Coffee-machine small talk – you chat briefly with one coworker.
Setting a boundary – you gently deflect a personal question.
In the audio at the bottom of this block, you will hear a manager explain how they want people to introduce themselves in the Zoom meeting. Use that as your guide.
What your script should include.
For the Zoom introduction (3–5 sentences):
Greeting + name: "Hi everyone, I am Alex."
Role or team: "I work on the data analytics side."
Location/origin: "I am based in New York, but I am from Spain."
Small detail: it is your first week, you are excited, or you are still learning how things work.
Friendly closing: "It is really nice to meet you."
For the coffee-machine small talk (4–6 lines of dialogue):
Your coworker can ask things like "How is your day going so far?" or "Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?"
You answer briefly, share one small safe detail, and ask at least one question back.
For the boundary moment (2–4 lines of dialogue):
The coworker asks one too-personal question, such as "Are you married?" or "How much do you pay for rent?"
You respond with a gentle boundary phrase and then redirect to a safe topic.
Simple checklist for success.
Clear: People can quickly understand who you are and what you do.
Friendly: You use warm phrases like "It is really nice to meet you" and "Thanks for making me feel welcome."
Appropriate: Small talk stays on safe topics, and boundaries are polite.
American-style: You use first names, short sentences, and chunks like "I just joined the team" or "I am still getting used to the city."
You do not need perfect grammar. Focus on natural, usable language that you would feel comfortable saying tomorrow at a real job.
Practice & Feedback
Listen to the manager’s instructions in the audio carefully. Then write your three-part first-day script in one text.
Structure your answer clearly with headings or labels, for example:
1. Zoom introduction
[Write 3–5 sentences you would say to the whole team.]
2. Coffee-machine small talk
[Write a short dialogue of 4–6 lines. Include both your coworker’s lines and your answers, using safe topics like the day, the weekend, or getting used to the city.]
3. Setting a boundary
[Write a short dialogue of 2–4 lines where a coworker asks something too personal. Use one of the boundary phrases from the lesson and redirect to a safe topic.]
Imagine this is your real first day in a U.S. workplace. Use phrases from earlier blocks, like "Hi, I am Alex, I just joined the team", "How is your day going so far?", or "I usually keep that kind of thing private."
