Canning Canned Conversations.

Ways to improve the role-playing conversations found in most second language textbooks are outlined. It is argued that the conversations are often restrictive, dull, and repetitive, and students respond to them in kind. The teacher can make the target language used more interesting by creating new characters, situations, settings, or objectives. This can be accomplished by using dice to assign attributes, physical characteristics, and abilities to characters, or to change variables in the situation such as country in which the scenario is set, actions taken, time period, or physical environment. The teacher can create categories corresponding to elements in the textbook conversation, list options, and have students use dice to choose them. For example, in a conversation about a trip, variables might include country of destination, length of stay, places visited or activities while traveling, and money available or spent. Interesting role-playing situations can also be created without reference to the textbook: following a map on a board; giving descriptions of places or buildings; or giving descriptions of travel. The techniques reflect theoretical principles of second language teaching and learning. (MSE)