Abstract:
The Design of Teaching and Learning Materials for Seminar Discussions Many English as an Additional Language students find it difficult and challenging to actively contribute and comment critically in seminar discussions. Moreover, teachers find it difficult and challenging to teach seminar discussions. Materials designed to teach seminar discussion skills often focus on supplying a number of de-contextualised language functions, which students can then use in completing discussion tasks. Many find such an approach problematic. This workshop illustrates a different approach. The workshop first provides an overview of the various types of language strategies students typically use to express their views in seminar discussions. It then provides a task-based approach for the teaching and learning of such language strategies, including pre-discussion tasks, discussion tasks and post-discussion tasks. Participants then play the role of learners. They are given sample materials and asked to complete tasks. The first is a pre-discussion task, involving participants in identifying and evaluating the actual language strategies used by native speakers. Participants then complete a post-discussion task, identifying and evaluating the language strategies students would have used during the discussion task. The workshop concludes with participants reflecting on the value of such task-based materials in the teaching and learning of seminar discussions.