It is only when these rules are contravened that the native speaker becomes aware that something is wrong and generally negative judgements are made of the transgressor. Usually this is done without any realisation of the true cause - a violation of the rules of speaking. If ESL teachers have not completed some specialised studies in linguistics they, too, are generally unaware of the maxims which govern verbal discourse. This severely restricts their capacity to guide their students into appropriate oral behaviour or to provide detailed explanations as to why an interaction was unsuccessful. Likewise, if our ESL students lack the knowledge of these rules they will naturally resort to the strategies of their native language, which could be at odds with those of Australian English.
Most linguists provide a fairly common definition of casual conversation.
It is said to occur when two or more speakers take turns at speaking, usually one at a time, with no predetermined agenda of topics and in western society, a marked avoidance of silence. Another problematic area in attempting to raise awareness of the rules that govern casual conversation is the model dialogues usually contained in our textbooks. Many of the current English teaching materials portray a sanitised version of casual conversation. The speakers, usually two, mutually agree on a topic, contribute politely to its development and come to a smooth completion point. It also provides little opportunity to examine the greater complexity when three or more speakers are involved, a situation which many of our ESL students find rather daunting.