# Conversation practice drill: keep it going out loud

Each prompt gives you a line someone just said, or a moment you're in, and a task. Press start, respond out loud, then press stop to see your words, pace, fillers, long pauses and a transcript. The 12 prompts cover the three skills that keep a conversation alive: following up, sharing something of your own and ending it well.

By the Speaking Coach team at Sodhera Intelligence. Updated 2026-10-22. Source: https://www.orecci.com/speaking-coach/tools/conversation-drill/

## How to use it

1. Read the prompt. The first four are follow-up questions, the next four are sharing, the last four are endings. Press **Another prompt** to move through them in order.
2. Press **Start speaking** and respond as if the other person were in front of you.
3. Press **Stop** and read your transcript against the task. Did you do what it asked?
4. Try the same prompt again, shorter or more specific.

If you're working on the first seconds with a stranger, start with the [small talk drill](/speaking-coach/tools/small-talk-drill/) instead. This drill is for the middle and the end of a conversation.

## The three skills

| Skill | What it sounds like | Common slip | Target length |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Following up | "What got you into climbing?" | Jumping to your own story before they've finished theirs | One sentence, under 15 words |
| Sharing | "I tried a pottery class last month. My first bowl came out as a plate." | One-line answers, or a long list with no detail | 15 to 30 seconds |
| Ending | "I'm going to grab a drink, but I'm glad I got to hear about the move." | Drifting off, or a sudden "OK, bye" | One or two sentences |

The target lengths are practice goals, not rules. Your word count and time on the results show how close you came.

## Reading your results

- **Follow-ups over 30 words.** You're probably asking two questions at once or explaining why you're asking. Ask one, then stop.
- **Shares with no question at the end.** Fine sometimes, but if every share ends flat, the other person has to carry the next turn.
- **Long pauses before an ending.** That's the moment people feel stuck. Pick one ending line you like and say it until it comes out without a pause.
- **Lots of "I mean" and "you know" in shares.** Usually a sign you're thinking of the story while telling it. Decide on the one detail first.

## A 10-minute routine

1. Do all 12 prompts once, without stopping to fix anything.
2. Look at which group had the most fillers and long pauses.
3. Repeat only that group, twice.
4. Write down the one ending line that felt most natural. That's the one you'll use this week.

Real conversation is harder than a single prompt because the other person surprises you. Speaking Coach's phone app has a "Keep a conversation going" scene where a partner talks back and follows up on what you said, so you practice several turns in a row.

For more on each skill, read [how to keep a conversation going](/speaking-coach/small-talk/how-to-keep-a-conversation-going/) and [how to end a conversation politely](/speaking-coach/small-talk/how-to-end-a-conversation/).

## Questions people ask

### How do I think of follow-up questions?

Listen for the most specific word in what they said, like "climbing" or "new place", and ask what, how or why about it. You don't need clever questions, only ones that show you heard.

### How much should I talk about myself?

Roughly matching what they share works well. If they gave you two sentences about their weekend, give two or three about yours, then ask something.

### How do I end a conversation without being rude?

Say what you're about to do and add something warm about the chat: "I'm going to say hi to my manager, but it was great hearing about the climbing."

### What if the conversation goes silent?

A short silence is normal. Go back to something they mentioned earlier: "You said you'd just moved. How's the neighborhood?"

### Is my voice saved?

No. Your browser's own speech service turns speech into text and the results are worked out on your device.

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