Discussion skills
Effective discussion should be:
- Be an attentive audience
- A discussion should have a conclusion (decisions), otherwise it is an ineffective discussion
Tips for participating a discussion:
For freshmen:
- ask a question so that the speaker can clarify or elaborate on a point that you don't understand
- ask cause-and-effect
For junior students:
- explain that you find the speaker's opinions or points interesting and describe why
- based on what the speaker had said and extend his opinion / points
- paraphrase the point others said and build on it
For senior students:
- make a comment to link two speakers' opinions
- summarize what others had said
- disagree with the speakers in a respective and constructive way
Making an oral presentation
Using proper languages:
- Use less formal or even colloquial language
- Use simple languages
- Use metaphors, examples and analogies to illustrate your points (picturizing your words, which means that you have to draw a picture in the audiences' minds)
- Use few pronouns and don't be afraid of repetition
- Check the pronunciation of difficult, unusual or foreign words beforehand (use Forvo to check your pronunciation)
How to deliver your presentation to the audience:
- Speak loudly (use microphone) to make sure everyone in the room can hear you
- Speak slowly and clearly, especially in terms of key words or paragraphs
- Vary your voice quality and speed
- Use pauses and body languages
LangMind: AI tool for oral presentation practice
