Shifting the Topic, or ‘Topic Surfing’ is an important conversation skill for middle schoolers to acquire. It helps students know when and how to successfully and naturally change the topic of conversation. This leads to more successful conversations and positive interactions with others. To teach your next middle school lesson on shifting topics, make sure to download the free conversation skills PDF!
Teaching Conversation Skills to Middle Schoolers
Shifting the topic is a conversation skill that requires the forethought to perceive the subtle clues of a conversational partner’s fading interest and the ability to successfully segue from one topic to another that is related to the previous topic, but different enough to spark a new level of interest. At Everyday Speech, we call this ‘Topic Surfing’.
Lesson Plan – Using Your Free Conversation Skills PDF
1. Teach the Concept of “Topic Surfing”
Teach your middle schooler that the topic we start a conversation with might not stay the same throughout the whole conversation. To help us know when and how to change the topic of a conversation we can learn to Topic Surf. A conversation is like a surfer riding a wave. Surfers ride one wave at a time until it runs out. Then, they find a new wave to ride. Think of each conversation topic as a wave. We pick one conversation topic, like our favorite movie, and make comments or ask questions about that topic until it “runs out”.
2. Practice Topic Surfing
Practice Topic Surfing with your student by engaging in a few role-play conversations. To Topic Surf, first pick 1 conversation topic to talk about, then notice long pauses or distracted body language, and finally shift the topic using a transition statement, like “That reminds me…”
3. Use Our Free Conversation Skills PDF
Our free downloadable conversation skills PDF is our Topic Surfing Goal Poster. Download, print, and post this visual tool in your learning environment, or send it home with your students to reference and utilize when practicing their conversation skills!
Sample Video:
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Related Blog Posts:
Social Skill: Conversation Topics
Conversation Drivers & Stoppers – Training Video Maintaining a Conversation
