Faculty of Arts,
Chulalongkorn University
2202208
English Conversation and Discussion
Puckpan Tipayamontri
Office: BRK 1106
Office Hours: M 1–3
and by appointment
Phone: 0-2218-4703
puckpan.t@chula.ac.th
Section 4
TTh 2:30–4:00
(BRK 311)
Leading
Discussion
You will be working with
another one or two students in leading a class discussion on a topic based
on an article of your choice.
Instructions:
You will need to choose one or two classmates to work with on this
assignment and sign up for one of the eight designated Thursdays to lead
the class discussion together. You will choose the topic and the article
that you would like to discuss with the class. Provide your classmates and
instructor with copies of and/or links to the article on the Tuesday of
the week of your discussion. In the case of URLs to online articles, I
will post the links on our detailed
schedule web page when I receive them. On the day you have signed up
for, you and your partner will lead the class in discussing the chosen
topic and article for the first thirty minutes of the class period, so be
sure to prepare adequately.
Requirements:
You are expected to work together with your partner(s) in choosing the
topic and article/essay to discuss, and in leading the class discussion
for thirty minutes. A fun and interesting article is a good choice, but
also one that is rich enough to spark a lively and rewarding conversation.
Some topics, though at first glance feels intriguing, may be exhausted
after five minutes and would not be helpful to you as discussion leaders.
Through well-thought out
questions and stimulating prompts, engage your classmates in talking about
the chosen topic and article. This—getting a conversation going, keeping
it flowing, and engaging as many of your friends as possible—is critical
as it is the whole point of the exercise.
Grading:
Your grade will primarily depend on your ability to start the conversation
and keep it going as well as how successfully you have inspired every one
of your classmates to jump in and engage.
Moreover, we will be looking
at the quality of the conversation, the "meat" and difficulty of the
material, and the level of discourse (vocabulary, pronunciation,
knowledge, insight, etc.) achieved.
Good luck!
Leading
Discussion Guidelines
- Why Discuss?
In our brainstorm during the communications workshop, people mentioned
various real-life situations when conversation and discussion is useful
like meeting new people, getting a job, negotiating business, asking for
help and flirting. One might say that in each of these cases, discussion
helps you to
- learn something new
- build relationships
- achieve a goal
- Characteristics of Good Discussion
Think about these qualities, some of which we have mentioned and tested
in previous classes, and how such an environment and conduct can be
fostered during your session.
- Environment
- Safe space: The discussion should be a safe place where people
feel they can share their ideas sincerely without being unfairly
judged, attacked or ridiculed.
- Seating: Sitting in a circle allows everyone to be seen and heard
more easily.
- Audio-visual: Making sure that media equipment you will use during
discussion operates properly helps the discussion run smoothly.
- Content
We strive to be open-minded critical and creative and might say any
topic is worth discussing, but consider why we discuss and the
qualities that make discussion exciting and rewarding. With this in
mind, what you choose to talk about might encourage
- meaningful conversation
- broader horizons
- new insights
- open input from individuals
- Participants and Facilitators
- active listening
- adding value with your comments
- being sincere
- being respectful
- being open-minded
- natural turntaking
- being attentive to body language
- acknowledge others' ideas
- Rules and Roles
- Preparation
- Read the article before class
- Note down questions or ideas about the reading to contribute in
class
- Familiarize yourself with relevant vocabulary and background
information
- Facilitators
- Have a goal: Why does your article need discussing? What do you
hope to achieve with the interaction your classmates can provide?
- Introduce the article
- Provide relevant background, information, and vocabulary
- Initiate discussion; get the ball rolling
- Listen actively
- Ask questions that encourage critical engagement with the article
and creative exploration of the topic ex. questions that prompt
looking at issues from different angles, considering different
individuals/parties/sectors involved, a variety of perspectives,
roles, advantages, and limitations, probing underlying assumptions,
possible solutions or options
- Clarify unclear contributions ex. by rephrasing, requesting
explanation of unfamiliar ideas or terms
- Give positive feedback and constructive criticism
- Connect, contrast ideas
- Encourage everyone to share their ideas and interact with others'
while being sensitive to individual style and personalities
- Allow participants to respond directly to each other
- Encourage development of an idea or issue brought up with
pertinent follow up questions
- Bring the group back on track if discussion strays too far afield
- Move to a fresh point if discussion gets repetitive or rambling
- Keep time
- Wrap up the discussion
- Participants
- Voice your questions, information, ideas and give others a chance
to speak
- Listen carefully, take notes to keep track of points made and
issues unexplored
- Respect facilitators' lead
- Use appropriate language
- Keep an open mind
- Time: 30 minutes per student-led discussion session
Facilitating
Discussion Links
Current
Signed-Up Schedule (see also Detailed
Schedule)
Feb.
4: Kitinut Onsee, Niyada Jaidee and Kawintida Denduang
Feb.
11: Norawit Suwannakarn, Wirapa Boonyasurat and Goonwiga
Auanduengdee
Feb.
18:
- Suwicha Sangkayoolakul and Jirawan Jomsin
- Kongpop Sueasing and Radis Rutirapong
Feb.
25: Wilaiporn Najorn and Sarawan Meemak
Mar.
10: Teerathon Tohtrakul and Thanapat Wongsangiam
Mar.
17: Jenica Lien and Sittiwan Jaiwaree
Mar.
24: Pornpreeya Jumnongbut and Puttipong Oungkanungveth
Mar.
31: Arkarin Limnitsorakul and Suphanut Tantikaewfa
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Last
updated
March 7, 2016