Discussion Strategies: Beyond Everyday Conversation

Description

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. Front Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Contents Half Title Introduction General Structure of the Book First Section, for Student A Second Section, for Student B Third Section, for Students C, D, and E Fourth Section, Whole-Class Discussions Discussion Strategies by Unit Unit 1. Rejoinders and Follow-up Questions Format: Triads Unit 2. Clarification Expressions Format: Pairs Unit 3. Clarification Questions, and Comprehension Checks I Format: Pairs Topics: Flight Attendant Hero Lost in a Jungle Unit 4. Clarification Questions, II Format: Pairs Topics: Giant Baby Music, Reading and Math Unit 5. Answering with Details Format: Triads Unit 6. Discussion Format: Triads Topic: Your High School Days Unit 7. Paragraph Clarifications, I Format: Triads Topic: Animals in Movies Unit 8. Paragraph Clarifications, II Format: Triads Topic: Sleep Unit 9. Asking for More Details Format: Triads Unit 10. Discussion Format: Triads Topic: Stress Unit 11. Discussion Format: Triads Topic: Your Hometown and Childhood Home Unit 12. Interrupting Someone Format: Triads Topic: Telling Lies Unit 13. Words That Describe Format: Triads Unit 14. Discussion Format: Triads Topic: Superstitions Unit 15. Telling What You’ve Heard Format: Triads Topics: Short People Live Longer Gossiping Why the French Have Fewer Heart Attacks Unit 16. Volunteering an Answer Format: Small Groups Unit 17. Discussion Format: Triads Topic: Divorce Unit 18. Clarifying by Summarizing, I Format: Pairs Topics: Getting Fat Wrong Stadium Bugs in Manila Naked in the Laundromat Unit 19. Clarifying by Summarizing, II Format: Triads Topic: Catching Colds Unit 20. Telling Other People’s Opinions and Experiences Format: Small Groups Unit 21. Discussion Format: Triads Topic: Driving Unit 22. Helping the Leader Explain, I Format: Triads Unit 23. Helping the Leader Explain, II Format: Triads Topics: Fathers Who Live Longer Smoking and Aging Tasting Food Unit 24. Discussion Format: Triads Topic: Gambling Unit 25. Expressing Opinions, I Format: Pairs Topic: Information from a Survey Unit 26. Expressing Opinions, II Format: Small Groups Topics: The Rights of Mothers and Fathers Death Caused by Cigarettes De-barking Dogs 63-Year-Old Woman Has a Baby Unit 27. Referring to a Source Format: Triads Topic: Bullying Unit 28. Summary Discussion Format: Triads Topics: Best Friends The Effects of Watching TV Spanking Unit 29. Leading a Discussion Format: A Model, Teacher-led Whole-Class Discussion Topic: Cheating in School Instructions for Students on Leading a Discussion Unit 30. Leading a Discussion Format: Large Groups/Whole Class Topic: Animal Empathy Unit 31. Leading a Discussion Format: Large Groups/Whole Class Topic: Cafeteria Trays Unit 32. Leading a Discussion Format: Large Groups/Whole Class Topic: TV in the Bedroom Unit 33. Leading a Discussion Format: Large Groups/Whole Class Topic: Culture and Alcoholism Unit 34. Leading a Discussion Format: Large Groups/Whole Class Topic: Boredom Unit 35. Leading a Discussion Format: Large Groups/Whole Class Topic: Keys to Happiness Unit 36. Leading a Discussion Format: Large Groups/Whole Class Topic: The Clown and the Cell Phones Unit 37. Leading a Discussion Format: Large Groups/Whole Class Topic: Family Meals Unit 38. Leading a Discussion Format: Large Groups/Whole Class Topic: International Students in the U.S. Unit 39. Designing and Leading Discussions Instructions for Students Format: Large Groups/Whole Class Topic: Students’ Choice Suggestions to the Teacher General Why these activities were developed The approach and sequence Setting up discussion groups Getting started Extending the activities Evaluating Dealing with early finishers Special Notes on Specific Units The Teacher’s Role Discussion Evaluation form