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Improving Communication Skills

Appropriate Topics of Conversation

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Note:
This activity is best conducted with part assistance to ensure that family values, rules, and expectations of social and communication behaviors are incorporated.

Purpose:
To help students understand the boundaries of their conversational behavior with different classifications of people.

Real Life Examples
Child What to talk about on the playground
Adolescent What topics are appropriate to talk about in mixed company

Adult

What topics are appropriate for the work place

Instructions:

  • Have students fill out each box within the T-Chart with (1-3) topics of conversation.  Use parents or others close to the student to assist to make sure the topics are within the values and expectations that are appropriate.
  • Use the information to help students make choices about conversational topics for a given situation (i.e., Grandpa is coming to visit.  What can you talk to Grandpa about?)
  • Use the topics listed by incorporating them into a Decision Making Guide to determine the pros and cons of each. (i.e., Talking with my teacher about politics.  What are the pros and cons of starting a conversation about this topic?)

Sample Form: