Publication: Conversation Strategies: Pair and Group Activities for Developing Communicative Competence

• Kehe, David
• Kehe, Peggy

24 Pair and Group Activities for Developing Communicative
Competence

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