Conversation Strategies: Pair and Group Activities for Developing Communica tive Competence by Kehe, David - 2004

Pro Lingua Associates. 2004. Paperback. Fine. What are Conversation Strategies? They are techniques that help the speaker and listener keep a conversation going to its natural and desired conclusi on. They are skills that supplement the linguistic and sociolinguistic skil ls most texts focus on: grammar, vocabulary, and usage. To develop strategi c competence, students must learn the words, phrases, and conventions used as two speakers engage in the active give- and-take of conversation. These a re the strategies we use to get more information, make comparisons, correct someone politely, agree and disagree, summarize, share information, and ma ke decisions in a business meeting. Students also practice polite forms, re joinders, clarifications, follow-up questions, getting a response, expressi ng probability, interrupting, and avoiding conversation killers. Each activ ity has three parts: a teacher's introduction, a written introductory exerc ise to be done by students individually, and pair/group practice that makes us!e of information gap and other interactive formats. Each fun, student-c entered activity begins with controlled language and moves to open, imagina tive exchanges. The work is enjoyable for students and teacher. Easy to use in any intermediate level class.