Let's Talk About It: Using Conversation to Facilitate Language Development

For centuries, educators have searched for the best way to teach language to deaf students. Throughout this time period, no one specific approach has emerged. In this article, we examine and justify the use of conversational approaches to teach language to deaf students. Classrooms for deaf students are often not conducive to conversation. We suggest that to promote conversation in classrooms, teachers must reexamine how they teach as well as how they structure their classrooms and curriculums. The article closes with descriptions of activities that teachers can use to encourage conversation in their classrooms.