Students must regularly practice conversing with others to develop conversation skills. The teacher can pair up students with other students and have them converse on topics of interest to them, such as their favorite bands. Some students learn effective strategies for conversing but still appear awkward, since they are not accustomed to using these skills. Teachers can help by pairing awkward students with friendlier students to help the former feel at ease.
Conversation skills do not only entail knowing what to say, but also paying attention to others and picking up on nonverbal cues. The teacher should first point out different aspects of nonverbal communication, such as eye contact and voice tone. Then, he should have students practice expressing hidden meaning through nonverbal cues, and have other students try to interpret these cues. For example, the student could say "I'd love to go to the movies" sarcastically, and the other students could point out that the speaker doesn't really want to go.
An integral part of developing conversational skills is learning proper manners. The teacher should reinforce conversation etiquette, and aim to keep her students from violating these rules. An example is not interrupting others when they are speaking. The teacher can gently remind students when they deviate from these norms. A student who engages in more serious deviations, such as insulting fellow students, should be dealt with more forcefully. For example, the teacher should speak with such a student after class.
Students are often unaware of their improper pronunciation. Pointing out an improperly pronounced word is crucial for students to begin addressing the problem. Some sounds make the throat vibrate, while other sounds do not. The teacher should direct students to feel their vocal cords to determine whether they are properly vocalizing. Some sounds produce a puff of air, while other sounds do not. The teacher should have students place a hand near their mouths to determine if air is coming out of the mouth when it should. Also, the teacher should tell students the proper mouth position when making certain sounds. For example, when making the “f” sound, she should instruct students to touch the bottom lip to the top teeth.