Discussion Strategies

The activities in this book follow and build upon the strategic conversation skills of the Kehes' book, Conversation Strategies. Discussion Strategies develops discussion skills at high levels of communicative interaction, especially communication in academic settings. Students, in step-by-step procedures, are given extensive practice in a variety of strategies for leading and participating in a discussion.

Discussion Strategies provides focused practice with the following discussion techniques: using rejoinders, asking follow-up questions, seeking and giving clarification, using comprehension checks, answering with details, soliciting more details from others, interrupting others during a discussion, recounting something they have heard, volunteering an answer, helping the leader of a discussion, expressing an opinion, referring to a source when giving an opinion, and leading a discussion.

Each unit builds on and recycles the previous units. The first twenty-eight units provide controlled practice of the discussion and are for pair groups or triads. Units 29- 38 give the students an opportunity to use their new strategies in less structured discussions; they involve large groups or the whole class in open discussion of the articles provided.

Features Builds high-level academic discussion skills through structured, step-by-step instruction Carefully sequenced units that recycle and expand previously taught strategies First 28 units provide controlled, scaffolded practice in pairs or triads Units 29- 38 shift to less structured, whole-class discussions using authentic articles Designed for high-intermediate to advanced ESL/EAP learners Ideal for academic English courses, university preparation programs, and discussion-based classrooms Similar Titles Conversation Strategies Conversation Inspirations Dictations for Discussion Interactive Dictations