Abstract
Responding to the epidemic of the dying art of conversation (Asha, 2014; Barnwell, 2014 April), this activity constructs a space in which students tap into social lubricants as a conversational, artistic tool to increase conversational skills. Inspired by Monahan & Lannutti’s (2000) social lubricant work, this study views social lubricants— any object or action that facilitates social interaction, such as a dog or a compliment— as a vital resource that merits pedagogical attention. After completing a role-play in which students tap into a social lubricant to achieve an assigned goal, students will be able to: (a) define social lubricants; (b) describe the utility of social lubricants in social interaction; and (c) critically appraise ways in which using social lubricants can lessen communication apprehension.
Recommended Citation
Simmons, Nathaniel
(2015)
"Using Social Lubricants to Increase Conversationality,"
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD: Vol. 2, Article 10.
Available at:
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/discoursejournal/vol2/iss1/10
Included in
Education Commons, International and Intercultural Communication Commons, Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons, Rhetoric Commons
