It is a great idea but not easy to just start typing.
The same in the classroom. If you ask the students to turn and talk to their friend ... well, it just won't happen. So you have to ask yourself, what can I do to make it happen?

I have little kids in my class talking to their friends often and without supervision. The younger the kids are the easier it is. Best is about Prathom 1. If you are a teacher, find a teacher's assistant or find yourself a puppet. I use Max! Model a conversation that is simple and easy for any child in the class to follow: I begin with "Hello" on the first day. Sounds too easy but I bet everyone in the class can do it and that is my aim. We know children learn from mimicing or copying adults and older siblings to it really is the way that children learn. The teacher does the model in front of the class and then asks the children to turn to their friend and have the same conversation with their friend.

That is the end of this activity. Tomorrow you can do it again but increase the number of words by 100%. Say "Hello Max". The following day, at the same time, add more words. It only takes a few minutes of a class but within a week, the children know exactly what you are going to do in the first few minutes of the class. because you do it every day. The children then start to anticipate what the new words are going to be and they prepare themselves for it before they come. They are all tuning in to the teacher and I guarantee that the teacher only needs to model the language ONCE and virtually every child in the class will be able to repeat the conversation. It will change each day so it is not rote learning. It is practicing and practicing. Add a few songs to the introduction of the class and take the new language to model from the song so you add more language and faster. By the end of the year, I guarantee all children in the class could introduce themselves, their friends and talk about themselves for several minutes.

That must be an improvement on today since so few children can even introduce themselves even after 6 years of education.

Regards

PeterE