When I first discovered these books I was teaching conversation skills at a university in Korea. I was blown away the very first day, and have never looked back since. Try them. You will be glad you did!

Discussion Strategies: Beyond Everyday Conversation
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0866471138/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk

Conversation Strategies & Discussion Strategies
Pair and Group Activities for Developing Communicative Competence
David and Peggy Kehe, Pro Lingua Associates (PLA)

Discussion Strategies, Beyond Everyday Conversation presents a series of strategies we all know and use regularly in everyday conversation (rejoinders, follow-up and clarification questions, comprehension checks, etc.) The course approach, where each lesson builds on the one before, provides repeated opportunities for students to practice what they have learned. The teacher’s role is one of facilitator and coach, while students practice initiating on their own. The goal is communication, not accuracy, and the topics are chosen for their high-interest and relevancy to students’ lives.

Task-based structure empowers lower level students, while providing a healthy challenge for all levels (lower-intermediate to advanced) so this series works well in a mixed level classroom. Fully engaging, this is a must-try conversation strategy course that works! Liberate your students to discover that they really can speak English!

A companion book, Conversation Strategies, is for lower-level students, and is FULL of great lesson plans for teachers who are not sure how to get their students talking. You and your students will love it!

Level 1