TOP NOTCH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES

Issue 3

A PROCESS APPROACH
TO DISCUSSION
Four techniques that ensure results
Joan Saslow and Allen Ascher

A great challenge in the English language classroom is

successfully engaging learners in free discussion. Teachers typically report that
FOUR TECHNIQUES students sit silently; produce single, short, “fossilized” utterances; or revert to
using their first language.

IDEA FRAMING
Use surveys and questionnaires to
get students thinking about their
ideas and opinions.
NOTEPADDING
Have students plan how they'll
state their ideas by writing notes
before speaking.
TEXT-MINING
Use reading and listening texts
to choose key words and phrases
that can enrich discussion.
Many teachers attempt to encourage class discussion through “interesting and
engaging” topics. All too often, however, few students actually participate fully
or successfully. Consequently, many teachers try to solicit the views of non-
participants, usually with meager results. In the end, both the teacher and
students feel dissatisfied.
Traditionally, classroom discussion was left to the end of the class or lesson.
After completing a series of controlled activities and limited pair-work tasks—
or perhaps after a reading and some comprehension activities—learners were
presented with a list of discussion topics related to the lesson's theme. Recently,
in newer task-based lessons, the order has been reversed; it is now a common
practice to begin with discussion, with the expectation that the discussion itself
would generate language and ideas.

WORDPOSTING
Keep an inventory of language
students already know, and
make it easily available for
visual reference.
Neither method has achieved satisfactory results for the majority of our
students. It is our goal in this article to help teachers approach classroom
discussion as a process in order to more successfully develop students' fluency.
We will present four essential techniques that in our experience support learner
confidence and increase both quantity and quality of expression.

Impediments to successful classroom discussions

Students are often not successful or productive in classroom discussions

because they lack vocabulary, grammar mastery, subject knowledge, or
interest in the topic. It is important, however, to consider the psychological
© Joan Saslow and Allen Ascher
and psychosocial hurdles they face as well. Adult and Discussion Topic: Vacation preferences
young-adult students often have many ideas to express
but worry that they will be judged by both their peers and What’s important to you in a vacation?
Check 4 all that apply.
their teachers. (It's worth noting, however, that we all
confront these same fears when participating in I like
discussions in our own language in non-classroom q exciting vacations q unusual vacations
settings. We wonder “Is what I'm thinking about saying q relaxing vacations q inexpensive vacations
silly or off-topic?” or “Will the other participants think q interesting vacations q _________ vacations
I'm stupid?” etc.) These very same fears confound
students who try to support their ideas in a new language. I like vacations with
q lots of history and culture q great food
An effective way to mitigate the dual impediments of lack of q lots of nature and wildlife q beautiful hotels
confidence and inability to access and produce appropriate q lots of sports or q warm weather
language is to give students time to prepare their ideas and physical activities
q lots of family activities q nice beaches
words. Since one rarely has time to prepare for a discussion
q lots of entertainment q friendly people
in real life, it could be argued that allowing students time to
q people who speak my q _________
prepare is an artificial dynamic. Nevertheless, we
language
recommend that classroom discussion be viewed,
essentially, as a rehearsal for real discussion and that
preparation time be a key step toward that goal. When students are confronted—unprepared—with a
discussion topic, they typically approach it narrowly. In
considering an ideal vacation place, they may think only
A process approach to discussion building about the weather, or whether or not there’s a beach there.
The survey, however, suggests sixteen different topics that
The following four techniques comprise a process approach
might be included in the discussion, which greatly broadens
to building productive discussions in class and greatly
students' ideas. This will almost certainly increase the
improve outcomes for students at all proficiency levels.
quantity of subjects that students will include in their
1. Idea framing discussion. Finally, and perhaps even more importantly, the
survey clarifies to the student what the teacher's
Surveys and questionnaires are effective devices that help
expectations might be of topics to be included in the
students frame the ideas they will express. These devices also
discussion, reducing anxiety and encouraging confidence.
help define and delineate for students the teacher's expectations,
and reduce the anxiety that one's ideas are silly or off-topic. As 2. Notepadding
an example, let's look at how a survey can achieve these goals.
Giving students an opportunity to write notes provides
In order to help students frame their ideas for a topic, we them with a chance to consider the way they will express
can provide them with a survey like the one at the top of the their ideas. Let's assume the discussion topic is students'
next column. opinions about appropriate and inappropriate dress.
Again, students will probably have a narrow view of what
The survey gives students an opportunity to think about might be discussed, perhaps only considering the question
what's important to them in a vacation. If they compare of how to dress on the street. A notepadding activity,
answers with partners, students may agree or disagree about however, can both broaden students' ideas of what to
what makes an ideal vacation, and this helps them frame include as well as provide practice for how they will state
their ideas for the fuller discussion to follow. those ideas, as in the example on the next page.

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Discussion Topic: Clothing do's and don'ts
On the notepad, write some clothing do’s
and don’ts for visitors to this country.
in offices and formal restaurants:
in casual social settings:
in religious institutions:
On the notepad, students write notes to describe the do's
and don'ts for appropriate dress in specific situations: in
offices, in formal restaurants, in casual social settings, and
in religious institutions. In this way, the topic has been
broadened from the students' original limited assumptions.
And again, the material written on the notepad will form
support for the discussion because not all students will
have written the same “rules.” As a result, students will
have in front of them concrete ideas to express as they
agree and disagree about the topic when they actually
discuss it.
The act of writing sentences to describe the rules gives
learners “quiet time” to think about how they will
express their ideas. This way, they have time to draw
upon previously learned language they might not have
used otherwise. They also have time to create more
complex statements than they might have without
preparation. So, preparing for a discussion through
notepadding has both qualitative and quantitative
benefits.
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3. Text-mining
When learners attempt to engage in discussions
without adequate preparation, their coping
mechanism is to rely on the language they feel most
comfortable with—the most elementary and fossilized
language in their repertoire. In a discussion on food
and health, for example, students may only feel
comfortable producing simple statements such as
“Salad is OK.” We can, however, broaden our students'
repertoire of language by actively “mining” reading or
listening texts (as one mines for gold or precious
gems) for thematically linked sets of words and
expressions that serve as models for student use.
The reading text below can be mined for language that
can become a part of students' productive expression
about food and health. “Mined” language that could
be helpful for discussion has been circled.
Discussion Topic: Healthy eating
HEALTHY EATING TIPS
Here are some tips for healthy eating at home,
work, and elsewhere. Try some of these ideas.
• Start your day off right! Eat breakfast.
• Take a piece of fruit to munch on during your
commute. It tastes great, is filling, and
provides energy.
• Use “lite” dairy products, which are low-fat
and better for your health.
• If you like to eat meat, trim all visible fat.
• Fried foods? Snacks? Desserts? Sweets?
They taste great but are not great for you.
They are high in calories and can be high in
fat, salt, and sugar.
• Pack your own snacks of raw veggies. Buy
healthy snacks like pretzels.
• Cut down on portion size so you don't eat too
much unhealthy food.
• Eat everything in moderation.
If we want students to use this “mined” language when
they begin discussing the topic, they need to practice
it. One simple approach is to have students write
sentences using this language. However, here are two
ways to get them to use and personalize this language
more actively.
a. Target “mined” language through questions. Encourage
students to reply in complete sentences using that language.
For example:
T: What do you usually start your day off with?
S: I usually start my day off with coffee.
T: What would you like to cut down on?
S: I'd like to cut down on fatty foods.
T: What do you usually munch on between meals?
S: I usually munch on chips between meals.
In order to maximize the impact and memorability of this
mined language, students should be encouraged to keep
their books open to the reading text and to refer to it freely
as they formulate their own answers.
b. Use brainstorming as a way to encourage memorability,
acquisition, and usage of mined language. Again, encourage
students to use the language in complete sentences.
T: Name some foods that taste great but aren't
great for you.
S: Ice cream tastes great but isn't great for you.
T: Name some foods that are great for you but
don't taste great.
S: Peas are great for you but don't taste great.
T: Name some foods that are high in calories.
S: French fries are high in calories.
T: Name some foods that are low in fat.
S: Seafood is low in fat.
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Text-mining will greatly accelerate the process of building a
repertoire of usable language, which will increase students'
quality of expression and their ability to “find the language
they need” when engaging in a discussion.
4. Wordposting
Another challenge to students is remembering to use
known language—even recently learned language. As
previously stated, when students are challenged they
almost always rely on the most comfortable and easily
accessed language, which is the simplest and the most
fossilized. If students are to begin using new language, they
need support for that.
Many textbooks attempt to provide language support for
discussion by displaying lists of words and expressions
entitled “Useful Language.” Though such language might be
relevant to the discussion, the lists usually include new
words and untaught expressions that are difficult to use
because they are incomprehensible or present structural
difficulties.
A simple technique that provides support, focuses attention,
and encourages students to push themselves beyond their
safe “fossilized” language is “wordposting”—providing lists
of previously taught, known words and expressions.
Wordposts display—at a glance—language students can
and should include in their discussions. Wordposts can be
provided in a number of ways. Here are three:
• a temporary list on the board, which students can
refer to during a discussion activity
• photocopied lists distributed to students to refer to
during discussion (These can be taken home, inserted
in a notebook, and used when writing an assignment
or studying for tests.)
• a permanent “word wall” of large-print lists added to
classroom walls throughout the course and left there
for easy reference when needed
Most importantly no matter how
wordposting is delivered, students should
be encouraged and reminded each time to
consciously refer to and use the language as
they prepare for new discussion topics and
as they actually engage in those discussions.
In organizing wordpost lists, it is important
not to be encyclopedic, which would lessen
their “at-a-glance” value. An attempt should
be made to group words and expressions
logically, by part of speech, or by social
purpose. Below is an example of a wordpost
that could be created to support the
discussion topic mentioned earlier in this
article: “Healthy eating”.
start my day off [w
[ ith]] __
__ tastes great
__ doesn't taste great
__ is great for you
__ is not great for you
cut down on __
eat __ in moderation
munch on __
high in calories / fat / sugar / salt
low in calories / fat / sugar / salt
not be forgotten. For example, in a later
discussion about the value of exercise, it
“I think we too often
might be appropriate to use the expression
demand ‘instant
“start my day off” in that new context: “I
production’ which always start my day off by running in the
locks students into park.” By re-entering previously learned
saying whatever they language in this way, students have more
can come up with opportunities to remember and internalize
it for regular use.
right away. That
means we don’t let
them get to the
Summary
depth, complexity
and fluency that they Discussions are unlikely to be maximally
can achieve.” successful without the instructor's taking a
proactive pedagogical role in their
– Marc Helgesen, 2003 preparation. In our experience, idea
framing, notepadding, text-mining, and
wordposting are the elements of a process approach to
discussion that together ensure that students take the time
to think and consider what to say, plan how to state their
ideas, and become able to retrieve and use essential
language. This process results in a far more productive
communication, with:
• increased confidence in speaking
• increased spontaneity of expression
• increased quantity and quality of expression
• increased variety of vocabulary
• increased complexity of sentences

As stated previously, students should and must be
reminded and encouraged to refer to the wordposts as
they engage in discussions. They should be praised
when they do. Students often think the discussion is a
“test” of their ability. Asking them to refer to the
wordposts will show them that the discussion itself is a
rehearsal for real-life discussion and a place to build
their fluency—NOT a test of what they remember. The
result of this practice is that students go beyond their
“comfort zone” and express themselves with more varied
and richer vocabulary.
References
Bygate, M., “Effects of task repetition on the structure and control
of oral language,”in Researching Pedagogical Tasks: Second language
learning, teaching and testing. Pearson Longman: Harlow (2001)
Helegesen, M., ESL MiniConference Online, www.eslminiconf.net/
mar2003/helgesen.html
Helgesen, M., “Adapting and Supplementing Textbooks to Include
Language Planning,” in Selected Papers from the Twelfth International
Symposium on English Language Teaching and Learning. English
Teachers Association: Taipei (2003)

As time passes, the language in wordposts should be

revisited and reused in discussions of other topics so it will

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 About the Authors

Joan Saslow Allen Ascher

Joan Saslow has taught in a
variety of programs in South
America and the United States.
She is author or coauthor of a
number of widely used courses,
some of which are Ready to Go, Workplace Plus,
Literacy Plus, and Summit. She is also author of
English in Context, a series for reading science and
technology. Ms. Saslow was the series director of
True Colors and True Voices. She has participated in
the English Language Specialist Program in the U.S.
Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs.
Allen Ascher has been a teacher
and teacher trainer in China
and the United States, as well as
academic director of the intensive
English program at Hunter College.
Mr. Ascher has also been an ELT publisher and
was responsible for publication and expansion of
numerous well-known courses including True Colors,
NorthStar, the Longman TOEFL Preparation Series, and
the Longman Academic Writing Series. He is coauthor
of Summit, and he wrote the “Teaching Speaking”
module of Teacher Development Interactive, an
online multimedia teacher-training program.

Ms. Saslow and Mr. Ascher are frequent presenters

at professional conferences and have been
coauthoring courses for teens, adults, and young
adults since 2002.

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