Second language teaching methodologies have been oriented toward their subject matter as the acquisition of form. This orientation does not distinguish sufficiently between language as grammatical competence and language as verbal strategy. There are many matters falling under the heading of "verbal strategy" which should become part of an instructional program. This paper treats the presentation of verbalizations in various languages that are generated by specific cultural encounters, such as greetings, leave-takings, countering insults, gaining the upper hand in conversations, and displaying attentiveness. A technique known as the "dialog with options" is proposed as one way to teach verbal strategies and conversational interactions. This technique requires students to construct their own interchanges around a topic that has multiple interpretations. In addition to examples of "dialogs with options," a number of selections from literature are provided as illustrations of verbal strategies and role-playing through the medium of diverse languages. (Author/AMH)