“Sorry to interrupt you there, but could you engage in more authentic spontaneous real-time discussions in EAP?”

Navigation Notes

Two videos contrast ineffective and effective discussion skills, focusing on non-verbal communication, eye contact, turn-taking, responding to ideas, and polite interruptions.

Teachers can use these resources to prepare students for specific oral assessments or to train them for group work in English for Academic Purposes courses with a communicative approach. The videos are also suitable for teaching seminar or debate skills.

A suggested lesson handout with five tasks is provided, following a five-stage process:

1. Pair Work Introduction: Discuss preparation and engagement strategies.
   
   • Help students recognize preparation as a strategic choice and enhance their meta-cognition for later reflection.
   • Discuss the need for different strategies based on assessment demands. Explain that scripting can be beneficial for structured parts (e.g., debate openings) but may hinder interactive discussions.
2. Video Comparison: Contrast ineffective and effective discussions.
   
   • Guide students to analyse Video 1 by helping them recognize how the first student's scripted monologue disrupts the flow of discussion.
   • Facilitate observation of interaction by encouraging students to note the unnatural interruptions and the overall poor engagement among participants in the first video.
3. Preparation and Performance Link: Highlight the impact of preparation methods on performance.
   
   • Encourage students to identify ineffective strategies and bad habits on their own.
   • Use targeted questions from the lesson handout to help students analyse the discussion.
4. Effective Strategies Identification: Identify effective body language and turn-taking in the second video.
   
   • Rewatch the effective video, focusing on natural turn-taking, authentic interruptions, and engagement.
   • Discuss potential improvements, such as encouraging participation from all students.
5. Personal Reflection: Reflect on personal preparation and participation habits.
   
   • Use "how often do you?" questions to prompt reflection on personal seminar strategies.
   • Encourage students to compare scores with classmates, adapt to university assessments, and set personal goals for real-time discussions.