Academic Discussion W12

Academic Discussion W12

Revision

Taking part in academic discussion

Academic discussions are a key part of university life. In addition to increasing your understanding and challenging your ideas, they may also form part of your assessment, as you may be given a grade for your participation in group discussion.

Why have academic discussions?

•  to help you understand a subject more deeply

• to enable you to share ideas and insights with other students

• to hear the thoughts and ideas of other students

• to challenge and perhaps change your ideas

• to increase and clarify your knowledge

• to improve your ability to think critically

• to increase your confidence in speaking

What makes an effective discussion?

In order to ensure that academic discussions are effective, there are several things which the individuals and the group need to do.

Individual actions

• prepare for the topic

• be willing to listen to others

•  build on what other people have said

• be willing to change your opinions

• not be afraid to give your honest opinions

• support your opinions with evidence

• give others a chance to speak (i.e. do not dominate the discussion)

contd.

• encourage others to speak by inviting

  them to give their opinions

• show your agreement or disagree

  politely

• make your points clearly but briefly

•  allow others to finish, without interrupting

Group actions

• there are clear aims, so that everyone knows what the outcome of the discussion should be

• there is a timetable for different stages of the discussion, and a time limit for the discussion itself

• there is time at the end for summing up what has been agreed or decided

• everyone contributes by saying something

How to agree and disagree

At university you will need to argue your point, in other words give

your opinion on certain topics, with reasons and evidence. It is important to express your disagreement politely, by first acknowledging their opinion before saying why you disagree.

Agreeing

• Yes.   

• Yes, that’s right.

• Yes, I agree with you.

•  I agree (with/that)...

• That’s what I think too.

•  Absolutely.

• Yes, absolutely.

Acknowledging ideas

•  Yes, OK, but...

• I see what you mean, but...

• I accept that, but...

• That may be true, but...

•  I take your point, but...

• I can see your point. However...

• That’s a good point, but

contd..

•  I see what you're getting at, but...     

• I see where you're coming from, but...

• I agree up to a point, but...

• Yes, but what about...

Disagreeing

• No, I don’t really agree.

• I don’t really agree with you.

• I don’t agree with that at all.

•  (I’m afraid) I don’t think that’s right.

• I’m not sure that’s right.

• I wouldn’t say that.

• I'm not so sure about that.

contd.

• But (surely)...

• But don’t you think...

• That's not always the case because...

•  That's not necessarily true because...

•  This idea isn't supported by the evidence...

Open Ended

Read the discussion between Student A,B and C. Find the suitable phrases to match the language functions given in the parentheses. You should use varied phrases as presented in the Quizizz slides.