To the behaviorist, competence in the rules of language is not as important as the ability to speak it; speaking is what makes language real. Knowledge is a mental state and the structure of a language doesn t make it a language; it is the function of speaking words that makes a language a language.
Conversation is a form of interactive, spontaneous communication between two or more people. Typically it occurs in spoken communication, as written exchanges are usually not referred to as conversations. The development of conversational skills and etiquette is an important part of socialization.
When you are planning your discussion questions, think about how they fit together. Asking yes/no or leading questions: Asking questions with a yes/no answer can be the starting point of a good discussion, but only if there is a follow-up question that calls for explanation or substantiation.Otherwise, yes/no questions tend to be conversation-stoppers.t is helpful to think about the various kinds of questions you might ask and the cognitive skills they require to answer. Davis (1993) lists a range of question types, including: 1  Exploratory questions: probe facts and basic knowledge. 2  Challenge questions: interrogate assumptions, conclusions or interpretations.