Responding and interacting – WJECGroup discussion

For this assessment, you will be placed in a group along with some other members of your class in order to show that you can participate in a group discussion and express your own opinion. You will also need to listen carefully to, and comment on the opinions of, other members of your group. The WJEC will provide your group with visual or written stimuli and each group member will need to respond to this.

Each group discussion will be expected to last for approximately ten minutes.

Discussion skills – preparing to discuss

Having a discussion with a group of classmates in a formal setting is very different from the ordinary type of conversations you probably have with your friends on a daily basis. For example, when you talk with a group of friends there are probably times when you all talk at once, argue loudly or disagree with one another without properly listening to what the other person has to say. You might even end up laughing at another person’s opinion. All these things must not happen when you are having your group discussion or you will end up losing valuable marks. The following lists of things to do and things not to do should help you to approach your discussion in the most productive way possible.

Things to do

• Do speak clearly and with expression.
• Do listen carefully to the opinion of others.
• Do show you have listened to the opinion of others by commenting on what they have said.
• Do remember to respond to the stimuli as well as to what other people have to say.
• Do remember to use standard English, for example, ‘I would like to point out that…’

Things not to do

• Don’t interrupt someone else when they are giving their opinion.
• Do not talk over the top of anyone else. Wait until they have finished speaking before you begin to talk.
• Don’t mumble. Have confidence in what you have to say and speak clearly.
• Don’t laugh at the opinion of others even if you don’t agree with it. You can explain why you disagree with what they believe but only in a sensible manner.
• Don’t use slang, such as ‘I ain’t’ or ‘I dunno’.

These tips should help ensure that you are fully prepared to discuss the given stimuli with confidence and clarity.

Remember

You will be expected to speak accurately and fluently and to reflect on the opinion of others.