LEARNING

UNIT 5: ORAL
AND WRITTEN
DISCUSSION
Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
 Identify the structure of an oral and written
discussion (discussion essay)
 Practice the language features of an oral and
written discussion
 Express and present ideas actively in an oral
discussion
 Produce a discussion essay based on a given
topic
IMPORTANT: This unit is assessed in the assessment 3 (group
discussion) and the final assessment (individual writing).
PART 1: Oral Discussion
(Group Discussion)
Purpose of Oral Discussion

• Oral skills are vital for a student's academic success and future career prospects. In today's challenging environment, students must
possess not only academic expertise but also the requisite skills to enhance their learning and employability prospects in the future.
This skill is the process of expressing ideas through the medium of speech, and this plays a crucial role in the life of university
students. These may vary from very informal chats about day-to-day things to more serious topics, for example, a discussion about
a recent news story or a problem that needs to be solved.
• Oral discussion allows students to learn and share a variety of ideas while exploring and examining what they have already learned.
It is much more than the instructor asking a "what" question and having the students answer in a specific way.
• Some sample topics for oral discussion:
· What qualities do we need in a potential world leader that we never have before?
· Does our technology connect us more or isolate us? Why do you feel this way?
· Why is having values and beliefs important, and how can we form them independently?
· What are the advantages and disadvantages of letting students direct their own learning?
· Does classroom technology enhance how students learn, or is it just getting in the way? Discuss.
Types of Discussion
• There are a variety of different types of discussions that occur naturally and which we
can recreate in the classroom. Some discussion topics may fall into more than one of these
categories, but it is useful to consider a variety of formats to which the students can apply
the skills they are learning.
• These include discussions where the members have to:
 Make decisions (e.g., decide who to invite to a seminar and arrange their seats)
 Give and share their opinions on a given topic (e.g., discussing beliefs about the
effectiveness of blended learning)
 Create something (e.g., plan and make a poster as a medium for feedback on a language
course)
 Solve a problem (e.g., discussing the situations behind a series of a current problem)
Structures and Language Features in Oral Discussion (Group
Discussion)

1 2 3
Organizing the Learning Various Leading an
Content Skills and Effective
Strategies Discussion
Organizing the Content

Oral discussion or also

known as a group • Introduce your main ideas and points
discussion is a creative • Capture your listeners' attention. Begin with a question or anything
that will engage your audience and make them think. Remember
and dynamic activity that that it is an open-ended discussion.
stimulates reflective • State your purpose. e.g., "I'm going to talk about..."
thinking among the • Present an outline of your points. e.g., "I will concentrate on the
members. The following following points: First of all, Then…This will lead to…And finally…"
• Ask for clarifications. Asking for clarification on certain points can
are components that can bring up many good thoughts and ideas, which can be helpful.
be applied by members of
an oral discussion:
Learning Various Skills and Strategies
• Good communication enables speakers to assimilate more from the learning process by empowering them to ask relevant questions
and discuss doubts. Below are several language techniques that can be practiced for an oral discussion:
i. Listen actively in interactions with others
• Active listening helps you gain a good understanding and clarity of the topic. And this further helps you speak about it in
detail. Listening to others will assist you in grasping what the other team member is speaking, even if the subject is not very
well known. What other participants are saying will only be clear to you if you listen to them and their point very carefully.
ii. Recognize cues
• Be aware of how your audience is reacting to your ideas. If they look confused, stop and ask them [e.g., "Is anything I've
covered so far unclear?"]. Stop and explain a point again if needed. Check after highlighting key points to ask if the audience
is still with you. "Does that make sense?" Follow-up questions or asking for clarifications during a group discussion provides
a chance to simplify, refine and know diverse ideas from various people. Other cues to consider are such as watching for hand
signals and observe the audience's head movement
iii. Effective turn-taking
• Interaction is the path to effectiveness. A good speaker can keep the audience engaged by asking questions and soliciting
opinions on the subject matter at hand. This would also help in fine-tuning the message and flow of discussion based on the
feedback received from the audience. Be open to questions. If someone asks a question in the middle of your talk, answer it.
Leading an Effective Discussion
Open Open the conversation by highlighting the goals of discussion

Encourage Encourage participants to talk to one another

Ask Ask questions strategically

Respond Respond to off-target comments encouragingly

Use Use strategic body language

Conclude Conclude the conversation

Leading an Effective Discussion
• Oral skills inculcate professionalism in speaking styles, ways of self-expression and
attitudes towards others, and these traits would hold speakers in good stead in their
professional lives. Here are several pivotal components in leading a discussion:
1) Open the conversation by highlighting the goals of discussion
• Having clearly articulated goals is essential as participants are more engaged when they
know the purpose and importance of the discussion. As a leader of the discussion, tell the
other participants what you plan to accomplish through the discussion and the importance
of the discussion.
• Example:
• Today, we will be discussing on the campus Covid-19 SOP. By the end of this
discussion, we need to list at least 3 ways to improve the current SOP. We need to
make sure there will be no cluster in our campus.
Leading an Effective Discussion
2) Encourage participants to talk to one another
• Group interaction is the main difference between a discussion and an individual
presentation. A leader needs to encourage every participant to contribute to the discussion.
Some of the ways include:
o encouraging participants to provide comments and ask questions to other
participants.
o asking a passive participant to comment on points presented by others
• Examples:
• Tony said that Product A is the best option. Do all of you agree?
• Some of you think we should go for the first option. Joey, do you think it is suitable
for our project?
Leading an Effective Discussion
3) Ask questions strategically
• Questions are great tools to keep the discussion going. Good questions can lead to
interesting outcomes as they help the participants to see the issue from different angles.
An open-ended question is preferable as it allows the participants to express their
thoughts. Questions have to be presented clearly in order to get relevant response from the
participants.
• Example:
• I see that most of you prefer to have the event in December. Are there ways for us to
get enough volunteers as most people will be away for Christmas break?
Leading an Effective Discussion
4) Respond to off-target comments encouragingly

• Even if the comment is irrelevant, thank the participants for sharing their idea and
find a way to link their concept back to the discussion. Responding to irrelevant
comments negatively may discourage the participants to contribute to the
discussion.
• Examples:
• Thank you for those thoughts on the matter. If you were to approach the concept from a
slightly different angle, you might see that it may not be suitable for the objective of our
project.
• I’m glad you brought up that idea. It reminds me that one of our concerns here is actually to
discuss ways to solve the issue of confusing SOP.
Leading an Effective Discussion
5) Use strategic body language
• Non-verbal language is crucial in maintaining professionalism as a leader. A leader should look enthusiastic and
eager to talk about the issue that is being discussed. Some body language tips include:
o maintaining eye-contact with participants who are talking
o taking notes while your participants are speaking and refer to their comments later.
o Avoiding discouraging signals such as yawning and frowning while other participants are speaking.

6) Conclude the conversation

• To conclude the discussion, review the outcomes of the discussion and highlight interesting points made by the
participants. It is also important to point back to the overall goals to make sure that the objective of the discussion is
achieved. Moreover, leaders should remind the participants of the next course of action based on the decision made
during the discussion.
Marking scheme and samples
• Marking scheme
• Sample of discussion done by students
PART 2:
Purpose of
Discussion
Essay
• Discussion essays are written to present
information and to argue for two sides of an
issue. It ends with a stand taken and
recommendation based on the evidence
presented.
• Some assignments require a discussion of issues. For example, the ethics in the construction industry,
whether adherence to ethical principles or compliance with construction industry legislation, are
weighed against financial considerations. The writing skills taught in/acquired from this learning unit can
be applied to the final year project report. After the results are reported, a discussion follows. This is
where different viewpoints or different patterns of results are discussed.
PART 3: Structure/Organisation of Discussion Essay
 Topic Advantages and disadvantages of
advertisements
Introduction Background info Products and services need to be made
para known to potential customers. This is usually
done through advertising using several
mediums such as television, radio, and
internet.

Statement of issue Advertisements can bring both positive and

negative effects to the society.
Preview While advertisements can boost the wealth
of a country and raise money for events, it
could lead to dissatisfaction and create
materialistic society.
 Topic First and foremost, advertising generates income
Sentence for a country. In promoting products to potential
Elaboration customers, the advertising industry may create a
huge number of jobs. This could increase job
opportunities and significantly reduce
unemployment problem. Moreover, the
Body para
Argument For lucrative income generated from the taxes paid
1 on goods sold could be used to fund crucial
services such as education, health care and
public infrastructure. Hence, it is crystal clear
that…
 Topic Next, advertising funds sporting events
Sentence and artistic performances. The sports
Elaboration players and artists may benefit from this
Body para because they are given opportunity to
perform at the same time turn their
Argument
For 2

passion into a lucrative income

generating career. At the same time, it
cannot be denied that we can enjoy the
events and performances sponsored
through advertising.
 Topic On the other hand, advertisements may
Sentence cause people to be dissatisfied with what
Elaboration they already have. Being exposed again
and again to products which we cannot
Body para
Argument Against
afford could lead to frustration and
1 dissatisfaction. For example, not all
parents can afford the things which their
children see being advertised and greatly
desiring to own them. This, therefore,
often leads to feelings of inadequacy,
especially among the less well-off.
 Topic In addition, advertising creates materialism.
Sentence It may cause people to place too much
Elaboration importance on material goods. The
common message that is delivered to us
through advertising is the more we possess,
Body para
Argument
the better we are. As a result, this could
Against 2 create unhealthy competitive behaviours
among people and eventually they would
purchase unnecessary products just to
show off their wealth and boost their
inflated ego.
 Summary Stand
Recommendation
To conclude, advertising can increase
(must be specific) countries’ wealth and raise money for
events but it can also cause people to
Conclusion be dissatisfied and materialistic.
para
Although advertising brings much
benefit, to reduce its ill effects,
advertisements that contain elements
of exaggeration should not be given
the license to be published.
As can be seen in the sample given, a discussion
generally begins with some background information
about the issue. This is followed by the statement of
issue. There is also be a preview of what is to follow.

It then presents the arguments FOR the statement and

the arguments AGAINST the statement. This
distinguishes the Discussion from the Argument which
is one sided.

The discussion usually ends with a summary and

considered opinion and a recommendation.
PART 4: Language Features of Discussion
Essays
[No differences in language used in Discussion and Argumentative essays – the difference
between the two genres are in the generic structure. Where discussion has to present both
sides]

Generalised participants – sometimes human (e.g. children, Europeans) but often abstract
(e.g., issues, ideas, or opinions) (e.g. advertisements, education)

Variety of verb types – action (e.g. eats, provides, imitates), linking (e.g. is, are, has, have),
saying (e.g. reports, argues) and mental (e.g. thinks, believes). Mainly timeless present tense
when presenting position and arguments for and against, but might change according to the
stage of the text. For example, if historical background to the issue is being given, the tense
will obviously change to the past (eats > ate); if predictions are being made, the tense might
change to the future (eats, will eat).
Some use of passive voice to help structure the text, but mostly active voice is used. Passive voice is used to
remove the actors where necessary (The cat ate the rat > The rat was eaten).

Abstraction (verbs expressed as nouns - nominalisation) Actions are often changed into “things”
(nominalised) to make the argument sound more objective and to help structure the text. Once the actions
disappear from the text, then so do those who perform them. No longer is there an identifiable real person.
For example,

Action Thing
I am worried  a concern
The bomb might explode  a possible detonation
Everyone will die  people dying
Possibility of technical terms relating to the issue. For example,
“worried” has become “concern”, “explode” has become
“detonation” and “die” has become “dying”. These technical
terms neutralise (less personal) the text.

Connectives associated with reasoning - comparative,

contrastive and consequential conjunctions. For example, on the
one hand, because, because of, therefore, so, due to, however,
and while.
Can employ emotive and persuasive language to convince readers. Usually
adjectives (giving more vivid details about things) and personal pronouns are used.
For example,

It is an undeniable fact that Malaysia is a vibrant country.

It cannot be denied that Sarawak is a very peaceful place to live.
The severe impacts of crime on Malaysians should not be underestimated.
If Malaysians can accept its diversity in race, religion and culture, then real peace is
possible.
Our education system needs an overhaul to help achieve Vision 2020.
Modals (e.g. might, would not, may, could) – modals are
commonly used when “cautious language” is necessary.
When a claim is made without being supported by a solid
evidence or fact, modals should be used. For example,

Global warming might be the reason behind the death of the

whales.
Lack of reading may contribute poorer cognitive ability.
Final assessment
practice
Some sample topics for
discussion essay:
1. The advantages and disadvantages of staying on-
campus.
2. The pros and cons of online learning.
3. Group assignment should be abolished in universities.
4. Early marriage should be encouraged among tertiary
students
5. Should universities provide free meals to students?
6. Unemployed graduates should be given living
allowances until they find a job.
7. University students should be allowed to return to
campus to have their face-to-face lectures during Covid-
19 endemic.
8. Government contract medical doctors should be given
permanent posts
9. The Mukbang culture should be banned
University students should be allowed to return to campus to
have their face-to-face LECTURES during Covid-19 endemic.

should be allowed should not be allowed

1. It could increase the learning 1. it may increase the Covid-19 cases
comprehension for the student
2. The return to the campus may be
2. Student can meet their costly
assignment groupmate
3. It may help student that have
internet issues outside of campus
4. Student can attend consultation
with their academic advisor
The Mukbang culture should be banned

Should be Should not be

1. Wasting food 1. can earn a lot of income if many people watching
2. the rate of obesity increased 2. Exposure of different food in different cultures
3. increase the risk of weight related health 3. promotes unhealthy eating habit
4. mukbang promote overeating lifestyle
4. can help people with eating disorder
5. does not respect the food
6. bad exposure to viewers as it promotes 5. can promote various type of foods
eating a lot 6. satisfy food craving
7. creates unhealthy trend 7. promote the food brands
8. waste of money
8. the ASMR can help people with insomnia
9. eating etiquette
9. release dopamine for viewers
The pros and cons of online learning.

Pros Cons
1. Better Time Management. Individual Learning 1. Technology issues
pace
2. can join the class remotely accessibility of time 2. require self discipline
and place increased flexibility
3. Less interaction with other
3. reduced costs
students
MAIN POINTS or ELABORATION 4. lack of practice-based training
Assessment 3: Oral Discussion (15%)

 This assessment is to be done in a group of 4.

 Select your own group members.
 The topic of discussion will be given by the instructor during the assessment week.
 Each group is given 20 minutes to conduct an oral discussion.
 Marks will be assessed individually.
 Each student must participate in the group discussion.
 Prior to the discussion, you are encouraged to plan and decide who is the moderator
of the oral discussion
 Do encourage each other to participate in the oral discussion
 Do not dominate the whole discussion as an individual
 Students are advised to have a copy of the marking rubric for reference.
 Download the marking rubric for Assessment 3.
 Refer to the course calendar for the assessment date.
Final Assessment: Discussion Essay (30%)
 Refer to the course calendar for the date of the Final Assessment
 The Final Assessment will be conducted in class during the assessment week.
 The topic for the Discussion Essay will be given during the assessment day.
 Your discussion essay should be between 300-350 words only
 Your essay should have at least TWO (2) points ‘for’ and TWO (2) points ‘against’ the
topic.
 You are given 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete the Discussion Essay.
 THIS IS NOT A TAKE HOME TEST.