How to participate effectively in academic discussions

1. What is an academic discussion?
An academic discussion is an organized "conversation" about a specific topic that all the participants have been studying.

2. What is the purpose of an academic discussion?
In an academic discussion, people are able to:

• work out the meaning of difficult points;
• find out what other people think about the topic;
• explain and develop their own ideas about the topic;
• discuss different views of the topic;
• learn to see the topic from different angles;
• discover the strong and weak points of different people's interpretations (including their own);
• form conclusions about particular questions.

3. How can we do this effectively?
It is essential to:

• prepare for the discussion by reading, thinking, and making notes of important points that you might want to make; (However, it is not a good idea to just read your notes out. You should only use them to help you to remember.)
• listen to what other people say and ask them (politely) to explain more clearly if you do not understand;
• explain your ideas clearly and concisely, giving reasons and examples;
• remain calm and polite even when you are expressing disagreement;
• make sure that everyone has an equal chance to speak, and that the discussion is not monopolised by one or two people.

It can be a good idea to:

• appoint a chairperson and possibly a notetaker (Why?)

Useful expressions for discussions:

Chairperson:
The purpose of our discussion is....
First, we need to...
Who would like to begin?
Can you explain your point a little more clearly?
Can we see what other people think about this?
Who has not had a chance to speak yet?
Is there any last comment on this point before we move on to the next one?
So we have two opposing arguments here. On the one hand... On the other hand...
In other words, most of us think that...
Can we draw any conclusions from what we have been saying?

Everyone:

Giving your opinion:
I think that...
In my view/opinion...
Surely...
The main reason for my opinion is...
The best way of explaining my opinion is to give an example...

Asking questions about someone else's opinion:
Do you mean that...?
What do you mean when you say...?
I don't fully understand. Can you give some examples?

Agreeing/Disagreeing:
I agree because...
That seems very logical to me.
That's a very good point, but...
I'm afraid I can't agree because...

For more about discussion skills, see this page, from the Online Academic Skills Resources of the Learning Centre of the University of South Wales.