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English Discussions

[Adapted from:]

 
 
What is a 'Group Discussion'?
 
A group discussion is a conversation that involves several people / students at the same time, with all students competing to 'have their say' on a particular matter.
 
A group discussion can be 'topical', which is to say, that only one particular topic is discussed or it can be a 'general' discussion, in which the 'topic of conversation' will change several times, as participants use their skills to avoid topics they do not wish to discuss, or to 'force' the group to discuss specific topics that skilled students wish to discuss.
 
 
Specific Topics:
 
In order to have a natural discussion on a specific or technical topic, one first needs Conversational Language Skills plus Technical knowledge capable of being expressed within the foreign language.
 
If a person has no conversational ability or skill to discuss 'general topics', then they will not be able to discuss  specific, complicated and/or technical matters. Memorizing a set of prescribed facts may help you in a discussion, but it does not give you conversational ability. [Individual and Group Discussion Examinations]
 
 
General Discussion:
 
A general discussion is one in which the group do not specifically intend to discuss one particular topic. In a general discussion that involves 'friends or other equals', interjections, objections and offering 'assent' (agreement), are important to the vitality and life of the discussion.
 
Interjections allow you to take control of the conversation, and change its' direction (change topic).
 
 
Group discussions are not 'role plays'  that you can practice in advance. One can never truly prepare for a group discussion, because you never know where the conversation will end up.
 
In my classes, demonstration groups are selected at random and without advance notice of the exact topic to be discussed. Students are required to enter into a discussion during which time they may change topics as frequently as they wish, provided that each conversational change is achieved naturally through the use of good language skills.
 
Group Discussion is the place to discover what you do not know so that you can learn it and grow stronger.  It is like 'exercising'. The more you do it, the better and stronger you get.
 
Group Discussion also enables you to develop Social Skills, and provides an excellent venue in which to learn and improve skills, and perfect your use of the language.
 
 
Things you must do when you engage in a group discussion.
  • Pay attention to the conversation
  • Join in the conversation
  • Show that you are an active participant
  • Remember that questions usually come from previous answers
  • Be aware of keywords
  • Ask open questions
  • Give informative answers
  • Interrupt to agree, disagree or steal the conversation
  • Use skill to keep the discussion on topic
  • Use skill to change the topic
  • Use Word Association Skills
Word Association Skills in Writing can be found Here and Here 
 
 
The Purpose of Learning English
 
The purpose of learning English goes far beyond the ability to Read it. In order to speak English well, you need more than an understanding of Grammar. You need lots of conversational practice on real topics, so as to learn something of English Language Culture. Additionally, normal Conversation requires you to
  • Hear Fast
  • Think Fast - and -
  • Be quick to Reply.
Using key words to ask questions and replying with informative answers and using skill to change topics will develop your hearing, thinking and speaking abilities.
 
Any person who sits silently throughout a group discussion is usually considered to be either not interested, or not intelligent enough to contribute. 

Even if you have trouble following a topic, you can show your interest and intelligence by saying such things as:

“Really? Where did you hear that?”  - or –
'I like what you just said. Could you tell us more?' 

You show that you are a part of the group.

This article was but a Precis of the original article:
 
Please read that article carefully and slowly.  It has a lot of information in it. It may also be beneficial for you to read the article entitled:  The Real Reason why Students Can't Learn to Speak English Well
 

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This is not a suitable topic for Chinese Students!

 
How many times have I heard Students say that?
 
On World Aids Day December 1st 2007, that statement was made to me when for homework I told students to prepare for a discussion on Aids.  That night on TV, Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao both said that Chinese people must start talking about this issue so as to be informed.
 
The statement about what is and is not fit for Chinese to discuss IS - The Real Reason why Students Can't Learn to Speak English Well
 
Students must stop being treated like Children.  Business students at university in particular, should not be engaged in simplistic role plays and discussions.  
 
In My Classroom, any topic that is published in China Daily's English Edition Online Newspaper, is a fit topic for discussion. If someone wants to say it is not, then I tell them that they should complain to China Daily.
 
The following are some recent examples of articles at http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ that I have provided for discussion.
 
Nation may cut its dollar holdings 2008-09-12
China, which holds a fifth of its currency reserves in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac debt, may cut the portion held in US dollars...
 
Number of homeless centers to double in China 2008-09-13
The number of child protection centers in China will be doubled to 300 by 2010.... "The centers are designed to get homeless children off the streets," ... will ensure the youngsters (aged up to 18) have a place to sleep and are regularly fed,..

China needs to resolve population problems 2008-10-23
China must address a number of major population issues that may hinder its further economic development..China’s population will peak in the first half of this century to reach 1.5 billion in 2033, ... Its working population.. will peak in 2016 to reach 990 million...Some 300 million people will migrate from rural areas to settle in urban areas in the coming 20 to 30 years.

Oil tumbles to 16-month low, below $67  2008-10-23
Oil prices tumbled below $67 a barrel to 16-month lows Wednesday ..."Oil is now highly correlated with the stock market," said Clarence Chu,.."People are looking to the Dow for sentiment on the economy."...The price of crude oil has tumbled 55 percent from its peak of $147.27 reached in mid-July.

China, Singapore sign free trade pact 2008-10-23
China and Singapore on Thursday signed a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) ...Negotiations ..began in October 2006...FTA covers trade in goods, rules of origin, trade remedies, trade in services, movement of natural persons, investment, customs procedures, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures and economic cooperation.
 
Over 140,000 officials hand in bribes   2007-09-22
A total of 140,660 Chinese officials have voluntarily turned bribes (about 676 million yuan) they have accepted over to higher authorities in past five years, .., 6,828 officials have been punished for taking cash, marketable securities, pay orders, gift moneys,.. while 16,411 officials have been punished for gambling,..
 
'Wife shortage' to hit nation in 2020s 2007-07-07
China now has 37 million more males than females.... Crimes targeting women are on the rise in some places where the imbalance is at its greatest.
 
Progress and problems mark elections: 2007-07-10
Democracy is making big strides in rural politics but corruption and vote-rigging plague some village elections... Elections to village committees, introduced in 1988 as a pilot program, are progressing well with an average voter turnout of 80 percent...

Computer virus maker stands trial: 2007-09-24
The trial of the author of the notorious computer virus "Xiongmao Shaoxiang", that crippled millions of computers nationwide began in Central China's Hubei Province on Monday....Li Jun, 25, and three others,.. stand accused of writing the virus, spreading it through the Internet and causing huge damage to millions of computer users from November 2006 to March 2007.

21.6m Chinese to travel abroad in 1st half 2008  2008-02-08
The Chinese mainland is expected to record 21.6 million outbound tourists in the first half of 2008 with a year-on-year increase of 12.4 percent
 
Viewers criticise lip-synching Ziyi in CCTV gala 2008-02-08
Chinese Hollywood actress Zhang Ziyi was accused of lip-synching during the annual Spring Festival evening gala broadcast live on Wednesday night. .. Comments at Sina.com, a major Chinese news portal, were not too kind.

China legislates on bankruptcy of banks: 2008-02-09
A special ordinance on the bankruptcy of banking and financial institutions is being devised so as to establish a market-oriented bail-out mechanism,.... Only by allowing incompetent and highly risky players to withdraw from the market can a country defuse any financial crisis and safeguard domestic financial system...

Yunnan baby snatchers on trial  2008-07-10
A gang of cross-province baby traffickers have appeared in a Nanjing court .. 23 suspects are implicated....They are charged with trafficking a total of 41 babies over the past three years 
Highly Recommended Reading
 
Make English learning less agonizing
By Raymond Zhou  2006-07-01

A relative of mine was to graduate from college this summer. He was eyeing a job in international trade. But one day he asked me: "Why should a Chinese take time to learn a language that is not his own?"
  • A Chinese student with extremely high scores for American standardized tests was admitted into one of the Ivy League universities. But his professors soon found out that he could hardly understand them in the classroom. Suspecting that he cheated in the tests, school administrators demanded he repeat them. Again, he passed with flying colours. Not till then did they awaken to the reality that the student had mastered the techniques for acing the tests, not necessarily the skills demonstrated in them.
Create an environment where learning English is natural and painless. Don't make it mandatory for people whose line of work does not require it. China will not become more international by adding millions of dabblers whose English proficiency amounts to a simple "Hello."
 

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Subpages (1): Researching for Business