A few discussion activities for English language students

A few discussion activities for English language students Olena Valutska, 11 A

What discussion activities work in class ? A discussion can bring out your students’ interests and motivate them; it’s a chance for them to talk about the things they really care about. Giving and justifying opinions in English can also bring students a sense of accomplishment, as they are using the language to express complex ideas. Discussion activities encourage critical thinking, and are therefore excellent preparation for speaking tests

Preparing for discussion classes The first thing you need to be aware of is the language ability of your students and how much they know about the topic under discussion. This is important if you want to encourage real, free-flowing conversation. Find out what topics interest your students and get them to research the topic before the lesson.

Where to find discussion topics Discussion activities often begin with questions. You can encourage the students to think of their own topics. You could even get them to work in groups to create questions for other groups to discuss.

Activities that help students organise their ideas Here we can produce mind maps. Clines are useful ways for learners to order information on a scale. There is an activity called ‘Favourites’ in Five. Minute Activities that suggest five choices: A, B, C, D, E. If students need help structuring their ideas, try dividing the learning area groups