The art of collaborative

conversation

GROUP
DISCUSSION
SKILLS
 KEY PHRASES
• I think

• That`s true but…

• However..

• Yeah, but ….

• You made a good point but I`d also like to add…..

• Sorry, but …..

• May I say something ?.........

• Please let me finish……..

• As I was saying………………..

• Don`t get me wrong…..

• In conclusion……

• In a nutshell

• Can we sum up

• By saying………..
 ADDITIONAL:
"I see where you're coming from, but..."
"I understand your point, yet..."
"That's one perspective, on the other hand..."
"That reminds me of..."
"Another way to look at it might be..."
"Let's consider another angle..."
"I'm not so sure about that because..."
"To build on what [Name] said..."
"I'd like to play devil's advocate for a moment..."
"To clarify my point..."
"It might be helpful if we..."
"From my perspective/experience..."
"Let's not forget about..."
"I'd like to redirect the discussion to..."
"Before we move on, can we revisit..."
"I think there might be a misunderstanding here..."
"To put things into perspective..."
"I believe it's crucial that we..."
"Let's agree to disagree on this point and move forward."
"It sounds like we have a consensus on..."
"What I'm hearing is..."
"Perhaps we could compromise by..."
"Just to clarify, are you suggesting..."
"If we look at it from another angle..."
"That's an interesting perspective. Have you considered..."
"Before we conclude, I think it's important to mention..."
 Key Elements of Effective Group Discussions

Active Participation Listening Skills Structuring Respecting

Arguments Differing Opinions
Activity 1: Global Issues (20 minutes)
• Objective: Warm-up activity to get students talking about pressing world matters.
• Distribute cards with global issues topics ("The effects of climate change on biodiversity.").
• Students discuss in small groups, with each student required to contribute at least once.
• Example:
• Student A: "Climate change leads to habitat loss for many species."
• Student B: "It also causes some species to migrate, which can affect local ecosystems."
• Student C: "Coral reefs are particularly vulnerable due to ocean acidification and temperature
changes."
 Activity 2: Innovations in Technology (25
minutes)
• Objective: Deepen understanding of how technological advancements are shaping our world.
• Provide a broader topic ("The role of Artificial Intelligence in modern society").
• Assign roles: Speaker (presents a viewpoint), Supporter (adds evidence or examples), Challenger (offers a
counterpoint), Summarizer (recaps the group's main points).
• Example:
• Speaker: "AI can drastically improve healthcare by predicting diseases early."
• Supporter: "Indeed, machine learning can analyze patterns in patient data that might be overlooked by humans."
• Challenger: "But we need to ensure patient data privacy. There's also the risk of misdiagnoses."
• Summarizer: "We've discussed AI's potential in healthcare, considering both its benefits in prediction and
concerns about privacy and accuracy."
 Speaker: "Technology enhances
Sample Structured learning."
Discussion
Supporter: "Virtual reality can
simulate historical events."

Challenger: "Too much tech can be

distracting."

Summarizer: "Tech can enhance

learning but also distract."
 Feedback & Reflection

01 02 03
Share findings Discuss challenges Reflect on
with the class. and highlights. personal role and
contributions.
 Key Takeaways

Group discussions are valuable Importance of listening and Every voice matters – respect
for skill development. structured arguments. all opinions.
Homework Assignment
• Instructions: "Write a
brief reflection on your
role in the group
discussion. What did
you learn? What would
you do differently next
time?"