SOCIAL CONVENTION

Prepared by Nur Rahimah

Definition

Social conventions are those arbitrary rules and norms governing the countless
behaviors all of us engage in every day without necessarily thinking about
them, from shaking hands when greeting someone to driving on the right side
of the road.
Types of Social Convention
1. Greeting
2. Opening Conversation
3. Asking For and Giving Information
4. Expressing Agreement and Disagreement
5. Expressing Opinion
6. Making Polite Offers and Requests
7. Closing Conversation
Greeting

● a way of saying hello to someone.

● there are greetings which can be used in formal situations and also greetings which are
used in a more friendly, informal setting.
● It is very important to be able to select an appropriate greeting for every situation.
1. Formal Greeting
- In more formal contexts, especially when respect and civility are required.
- Example : business meeting, presentation, meeting a person for first time, speaking
to elders or higher authority.
- If you are ever in any sort of doubt as to whether you should use a formal or
informal greeting, it is always better to opt for the formal to avoid causing offence.

2. Informal Greeting
- Is used among friends and family.
- Greeting someone through the use of words, facial expressions and body language.
- Example: meeting friends and family
 Opening Conversation
❖ Is an important part of in a conversation.
❖ It plays a big role which determined how the
conversation will be started and
how the conversation will be going on.
❖ Choose a good topic that gain the interest of your
partner in the conversation such as
‘Tell me about yourself’.
❖ Avoid topics that can offend anyone in the conversation.
❖ You can start with a question to get response and to keep
the conversation moving.
Asking For and Giving Information

Giving and asking information is important in our daily life to know the
situation around us, such as some news.

Purpose of asking , to get information about something such as opinion while

purpose of giving is to shae thought, inform and explain about something.
Expressing Agreement and
Disagreement
❏ Disagreement & Agreement takes
place while expressing opinions and
views.
Expressing Opinion
❖ An opinion is simply how you feel or think about a certain issue. It’s usually a personal
viewpoint based on your experiences.
❖ An opinion usually has three parts:
● An opening phrase or statement that clarifies that it’s your opinion being expressed.
● One or more reasons that explain “why” you have that opinion.
● A conclusion that ends the discussion. It can also ask a question, as we’ll see in other
examples.

Let’s take talking about the weather, for example:

I really hate summer weather (opening statement).
It’s hot and humid (reason #1).
It makes me feel tired and unproductive (reason #2).
I don’t feel like working or doing anything much (reason #3).
So I don’t look forward to summer (conclusion).
Making Polite Offer and Request
We make an offer or an invitation when we are willing to do something
for someone because we want to be polite or helpful. An offer can be
accepted or rejected.

A request is when we ask someone for something. Since we are asking

someone for help, it is important to be polite. We must avoid being too
direct.
Closing Conversation
❖ Determine how the conversation will be finished.

❖ Usually start with pre-closing statement to signal readiness to end the

conversation such as ‘Well, it’s been nice talking to you’.
6 Things Smart People Do to Have Really Interesting
Conversations

● Become genuinely interested in the other person.

● Show those pearly whites.
● Give the gift of a "five-minute favor."
● Listen more. Speak less.
● Make the other person feel important--and do it sincerely.
● Tell a good story.
● Closing thought.