How to Have Two-Way Discussions - Speaking and Listening Skills
Whether you are taking part in the discussion sections of the speaking parts of English exams, or just having a real life discussion with an individual or group of people, it's useful to think about the following advice.
You must show that you are listening to the other people. You can show this by building on people’s points. Mention a point someone has made and then add your own experience or ideas. Here are some sentence starters to help you with this:
I agree with what you mentioned about…
You made a great point about...and I would say...
I’d like to add to what you said…
When you talked about… it made me think…
In addition to your comments about…
I partially agree with what you said about...
In a discussion, you should aim to interact with and respond to what other people are saying. Speak with confidence and respectfully allow others to speak. Listening is just as important as speaking so avoid dominating and 'taking over' a discussion, even if you have lots to say. You can use non-verbal communication skills to show that you are listening, for example, using eye contact, smiling, nodding and using other body language signals. A good discussion has a flow to it with people agreeing and disagreeing and giving explanations for their viewpoints. Each person needs to be allowed time to speak and to share their opinion before the next person adds their point. Avoid interrupting people and talking over them. This shows a lack of respect.
Remember, you don’t have to agree with everything a speaker says. You can partially agree or you can politely disagree. The purpose of a discussion is to fully talk about the issue and invite a range of opinions and points of view. If you are offering a contrasting opinion, the following sentence starters could be useful:
I understand what you said about… but I think…
I've listened to your point, however...
I must say, I disagree with your point about…
I don’t think what you said about… is valid. I would suggest…
When you said… I wonder whether you had considered…
Encourage others to share their views too. A useful technique is to use 'open questions'. These are questions that cannot be answered with a single word such as 'yes'. They can lead to a friendly and useful discussion. Use formal language and stay calm, especially when a topic is important to you. If you do have strong opinions, you can use the following sentence starters:
I passionately believe that...
Obviously...
Clearly...
I absolutely believe...
I firmly believe...
I strongly believe...
A discussion can come to a conclusion at the end. Think about using phrases such as:
In conclusion...
To sum up...
To conclude...
In summary...
All things considered...
Two-way discussions are a feature of Teatime English's online classes via Skype. We enjoy discussing a range of topics with our students. It's particularly fun to practise disagreeing on certain issues! Would you like to try this on Skype with us? Email us now to book a trial class. Also, head to our Instagram for more useful 'sentence starters' and other resources. Please comment below with other sentence starters that are useful for discussions. Thank you.
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Sarah x