Slides for TESOL 2018 presentation on teaching discussion skills.

1. It’s How You Say It:
Improving Student Discussion Skills
Cameron Romney
Doshisha University
Michael Stout
University of Tsukuba
March 28, 2018

2. Agenda
• What do we mean by discussion
• Why are discussion activities difficult?
• Example textbook discussion activities
• Example activities we have created

3. What do we mean
by ‘discussion’?

4. LL Discussion Activities
• “Discussions are probably the most commonly
used activity in the oral skills class.” (p. 106)
Lazaraton, 2001
• Any activity that has a “verbal exchange of
ideas” (p. 2)
Ur, 1981

5. Conversation Activities
vs.
Discussion Activities

6. What did you do this weekend?
vs.
What do you think is the biggest
challenge facing your generation
today?

7. Definition of Discussion
• “An act or instance of discussing”
Dictionary.com http://www.dictionary.com/browse/discussion
• “A conversation or debate about a specific
topic.”
Oxford Online Dictionary https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/discussion
• “[about discussion method]…a goal focused group
conversation…”
Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching & Applied
Linguistics, p. 177

8. A Proposed Definition
“A discussion activity for language learning is a
speaking activity with an outer-focused topic
that requires students to integrate external
information into their personal experience, in
order to inform, express or share their
opinions, beliefs and/or judgements on the
topic.”
Romney, 2017

9. Conversation vs. Discussion
Conversation Activities
• Self-focused topics
• About personal
experience, opinions,
preferences, etc.
• No outside information
is required
Discussion Activities
• Outer-focused topics
• Integrate personal
experience, opinions,
preferences, to external
information
• Additional information is
required

10. Why are
discussions
difficult?

11. Discussion Issues
• Discussion skills are ‘undeveloped’ in EL
classrooms
• Because of negative experiences many teachers
skip discussions
• Negative experiences: large class size, students’
level of proficiency, time constraints, etc.
(Green, Christopher & Lam, 2002)

12. Discussion Issues
• Lack of background knowledge in the topic (Han,
2007)
• Lack of interest in the topic (Han, 2007)
• Having nothing to say, i.e. having no reason to
participate (Ur, 1981)
• Cultural differences in educational and
communication styles (Kim, 2011; Stroud, 2017)
• Lack of language ability, e.g. vocabulary (Ferris,
1998)

13. The real reason?
Lack of pragmatic/interpersonal/interactional
skills for successful discussions:
• how to express agreement
• how to politely disagree
• how to hedge/soften strong statements
• how to ask for other’s opinions
• how to build consensus
• how to avoid face threatening acts

14. “The first aspect of group work that the teacher
must consider is whether or not the students
have the interactional skills necessary for task
completion. That is, an earlier lesson should be
devoted to working with the functional
language required for stating opinions, agreeing
and disagreeing, interrupting and clarifying.
Promoting competence in these metaskills,
rather than assuming they are already there,
can go a long way toward ensuring successful
group work.” (p. 112)
Lazaraton, 2014

15. “As a final comment, discussions will work much
better if learners are equipped with a repertoire
of expressions for voicing strong agreement,
strong disagreement, and all the shades of
opinion in between. These could be be available
on posters around the room and regularly
reviewed and topped up” (p. 105).
Thornbury, 2005

16. Our Judgement
• The ‘real negative’ experience is students can’t
successfully engage in discussion
• Teachers and materials writers assume
students have the interactive skills to engage in
discussions; therefore, they are not taught, or
not taught in a meaningful way
• Students need to learn how to engage in
discussions

17. Textbook Examples

18. From Inspire 2 (1st Ed) p. 15, 2014, by Pamela Hartman,
Nancy Douglas & Andrew Boon.
Boston: Cengage Learning. Copyright 2014 by Cengage
Learning
Image removed on copyright grounds

19. Issues with this lesson
• Mostly uses Lower Order Thinking Skills
Understand and Remember
• Limited scaffolding
Assumes that students already have
discussion skills
• Does not adequately prepare students to
engage in discussion

20. From Contemporary Topics 2 (3rd Ed.), p. 18, by E. Kisslinger, 2009,
White Plains, NY: Pearson Education. Copyright 2009 by Pearson Education.
Image removed on copyright grounds

21. From Contemporary Topics 2 (3rd Ed.), p. 18, by E. Kisslinger, 2009,
White Plains, NY: Pearson Education. Copyright 2009 by Pearson Education.
Model Discussion
Direct Instruction
Discussion Practice
Image removed on copyright grounds

22. From Contemporary Topics 2 (3rd Ed.), p. 18, by E. Kisslinger, 2009,
White Plains, NY: Pearson Education. Copyright 2009 by Pearson Education.
Image removed on copyright grounds

23. “Discussion Strategy: In most conversations,
expressing disagreement without seeming to
be too disagreeable is key! One way to do so is
to first acknowledge the other person’s point: ‘I
see what you are saying, but…’ Or you can be
direct: ‘I simply disagree.’ Some people like to
soften their position with an apology: ‘I’m
sorry, but...’ And of course, body language and
tone can further ‘shape’ your message.” (p. 18)
Kisslinger, E. (2009). Contemporary Topics 2 (3rd Ed.)

24. Issues with this lesson
• Mostly uses Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS)
Understand and Remember
• Limited scaffolding
Assumes that students already have
discussion skills
• Does not adequately prepare students to
engage in discussion

25. Example Activities

26. A bridge from conversation to
discussion

35. Learning Outcomes
• Direct Outcomes
• Getting experience with discussion
• Using discussion strategies
• Indirect Outcomes
• Reflective learning
• Using Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)

37. • Schema Activation
Get the students thinking about disagreeing
Recognize situations in which disagreeing can occur
• Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
Analysis
Evaluating

39. • Model Dialogue
Contextualize disagreement
Provide an example for students to emulate
• Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS)
Comprehension
Identify
• Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
Analysis
Propose

41. • Language Box
• Provide Examples
• Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS)
• Understand
• Remember

42. • Language Box
• Providing categories of expressions
• Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS)
• Matching
• Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
• Analysis

43. • Language Box
• Checklist for task completion
• Guide for discussion
• Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS)
• Remember
• Performance
• Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
• Applying
• Synthesis (creating)

45. • Topics List
• Low stake practice
• Promotes student autonomy
• Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS)
• Understanding
• Recognizing
• Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
• Applying
• Evaluating

47. • Discussion Activity
• Low stake practice
• Promotes student autonomy
• Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS)
• Remembering
• Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
• Applying
• Synthesis (creating)

49. • Reflection Activity
• Metacognition
• Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS)
• Remembering
• Understanding
• Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
• Evaluating
• Metacognition

50. Learning Outcomes
• Direct Outcomes
• Learn how to disagree during a discussion
• Practice discussions
• Indirect Outcomes
• Makes use of student-centered learning
activities
• Practice with Higher-Order Thinking Skills

51. Conclusion
• Many students struggle with discussions
• Most textbook inadequately prepare students
to engage in discussions
• Students need exposure and practice with the
interactional skills (see Lam & Wong, 2000).

52. Thank You!