Expressing views in discussion/seminars

Skills involve in discussion

Taking part:

Allow others to finish, without interrupting

Everyone contributes by saying something

Giving opinions

Give our opinions

Support the opinion by giving reasons and evidence

Agreeing & disagreeing

Acknowledge their opinion before saying why we disagree

Clarifying

Ask questions to check our understandings

Repeat or paraphrase what the speaker has just said

Other skills

Give suggestions (I suggest that ...) or express certainty/uncertainty (It could be that ...)

Effective discussion

Individual actions

Be willing to listen to others

Build on what other people have said

Be willing to change our own opinions

Not be afraid to give our honest opinions

Support our opinions with evidence

Group actions

Everyone knows what the outcome of the discussion should be

There is time at the end for summing up what has been agreed or decided

Only one person speaks at any one time

Everyone contributes by saying something

Improving discussion skills

Prepare: Prepare and understand the topic well, do further reading, attend lectures and complete assigned readings

Listen: Focus on what other speakers are saying, try to identify the main ideas

Participate: Agree with someone else's opinion, asking for clarification, prepare a question beforehand and try to ask it during discussion

Clarifying: Make sure to understand the discussion