Facilitating English Conversation Development in Large Classrooms
Gerry Gibson

This paper presents a number of teaching techniques that address the problems EFL instructors face when teaching English conversation to a college class with a large number of students. Using Long`s Interaction Hypothesis as a general theory for a conversation course design, I present both classroom management and pedagogical techniques that ultimately aim to develop the students` conversation skills under such imperfect classroom circumstances.
Introduction
Teaching English conversation to a large class of students is not considered ideal for teaching. The sheer number of students that teachers must manage in these conversation classes poses a daunting task in terms of designing a course that will serve to develop the students` conversation skills. In order to effectively plan for such English conversation  courses it is vital for the teacher to have a grasp of how conversation skills can be developed in the classroom. Based on Long`s Interaction Hypothesis, this article will introduce a variety of methods to help teachers overcome the belief that large classrooms, although far from the ideal setting, cannot be fertile ground for developing students` conversation skills. 
The Interaction Hypothesis and Negotiated Interaction
When developing a conversation course regardless of the class size, taking the view of developing students` conversation skills through negotiated interaction is an advisable point of departure. That L2 students` can develop their Second Language Acquisition (SLA) through interaction in EFL classrooms began with research in the early 1980s by Long which eventually culminated in his Interaction Hypothesis (1983; 1996).  Long found that interaction in L2 learning gave rise to SLA opportunities through what he termed interactional modification (1983). Now generally known as negotiated interaction or negotiation of meaning, this process has been defined by Pica (1994: 418), amongst others, as "the modification and restructuring of interaction that occurs when learners and their interlocutors anticipate, perceive, or experience difficulties in message comprehensibility". Likewise, Long (1996: 418) characterizes negotiated interaction for L2 learners in this way:  
the process in which, in an effort to communicate, learners and competent speakers provide and interpret signals of their own and their interlocutor`s perceived comprehension, thus provoking adjustments to linguistic form, conversational structure, message content, or all three, until an acceptable level of understanding is achieved. 
Facilitating SLA Through Interaction
In terms of the conditions upon which SLA can be facilitated through interaction, Pica (1994: 501-502) presents three learner-oriented and three language-oriented conditions that can facilitate students` conversation development: I. Learner-oriented conditions
Message comprehension by the learner.
Learner production of modified output.
Attention to L2 form.                                                                                                                                                     
II. Language-oriented conditions
Positive, grammatically systematic, L2 input.
Enhanced L2 input saliency of subtle L2 features.
Feedback and negative input.
In what follows, I will suggest methods of effectively facilitating SLA through interactive and conversation based activities, as well ways for teachers to manage such a course.
Group Work and Weekly Student Leaders
Arranging the students in groups of four or five at the beginning of each class is the first step towards developing students` conversation abilities and effectively managing large classes. The tone for this must be set during the first week of classes in a semester. Students need to understand that the first two or three minutes of each class will be used to set up groups.   Setting students up in groups will serve to make monitoring the class a more efficient process for the teacher. However, the dynamics of the group work must also be such that the type of quality interaction that is necessary to facilitate SLA exists within the groups. Assigning a weekly student leader to facilitate activities and overall group interaction dynamics is an effective measure for both managing the large class and for attempting to ensure groups stay on task throughout the duration of the class.
Student Leaders` Evaluation
In my conversation courses I allot a small percentage of the students` overall grade (5 to 10%) according to how well the student leaders perform. Performance features I take note of when assigning a student leader`s grade are the following:                           
The group stays on task and completes their activities.
Active participation by all group members.
Predominant use of the L2 within the group.
Small talk if students finish an activity earlier than expected.
If a leader facilitates the group work effectively, they will be awarded full marks for that particular class. If the group fails to stay on task, if there is overuse of the L1, or if the group appears to be inactive then the leader will be held partly accountable for this by receiving a lower leaders grade. However, If I notice the leader making an effort to address any weak areas within the group work then I do not penalize him. Again, the significance of the leader`s role is that it relieves the teacher from some of the burden of facilitating activities and interaction, and in effect allows the teacher more opportunity to address the actual interaction that occurs within the group. Ideally, each student should have the opportunity to lead a group twice a semester. Also, each student must be assured of the leader`s duty at least once in order to make for fair grading.
Interaction Based Quizzes
Rather than giving written class