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 (BRK 309)
MW 11:00–12:30
Leading
Discussion
You will be working with another student or two in leading a class
discussion on a topic based on an article of your choice.
Instructions:
You will need to choose a classmate to work with on this assignment and
sign up for one of the designated Wednesdays 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 Monday of the week of your
discussion. In the case of URLs to online articles, I will post the links
on our detailed
schedule when I receive them. On the day you have signed up for, you
and your partner(s) will lead the class in discussing the chosen topic and
article for sixty minutes of the class period, so be sure to prepare
adequately.
Requirements:
You are expected to work together with your partner in choosing the topic
(preferably on the unit topic) and article/essay to discuss, and in
leading the class discussion for sixty minutes. A fun and interesting
article is a good choice, but also one that is rich, deep or provocative
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.
Have fun!
Leading
Discussion Guidelines
- Why Discuss?
In brainstorms about discussion, people mentioned various real-life
situations when conversation and discussion is useful like meeting new
people, getting a job, planning and completing a project, 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, ignored, 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(s) 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: 60 minutes per student-led discussion session
- 10-minute combined introduction and wrap-up
- 50-minute discussion
Facilitating
Discussion Links
Current
Signed-Up Schedule (see also Detailed
Schedule)
Sep.
11: Lalida and Worakarn
- Emily Dreyfuss, "Wanna Protect Your Online Privacy? Open a Tab and Make
Some Noise," Wired (2017)
- Eric Lach, "Facebook’s User-Data Revelations and the Drumbeat of
Calls for Regulation," The New Yorker (2018)
- Patrick Howell O'Neill, "Websites Have Been Quietly Hacking iPhones for Years,
Says Google," MIT Technology Review (2019)
- "The Guardian View on Cybercrime: The Law Must
Be Enforced," The Guardian (2019)
- Emily Tate, "When an Online Teaching Job Becomes a Window into
Child Abuse," Wired (2019)
Sep.
25: Chollapas and Supriya
Oct.
2.: Suebsak and Nutcha
Oct.
16: Sirikorn, Suphichaya and Patcharawalai
Oct.
30: Sunicha, Sapassorn and Sudsita
Nov.
6: Saruttaya and Phattarawadee
Nov.
13: Wirakarn and Chotirot
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Last updated November 13, 2019